Journey in hope | Interview 3 | Feat. Daphne Walker

Daphne loved her darling husband so much, when she lost him to brain cancer life seemed so difficult and hard, God then came in a powerful way and gave Daphne hope that was so tangible, she can now face her own cancer journey with a diagnosis of stage four.

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Music by
Acoustic Tropical Travel
Yevhenlokhmatov

Transcript

Welcome to another podcast and video from Hope2Families.

Each message you hear will be a personal story of one individual that through difficulties in life found hope.

That hope that they found isn't a person, and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Good evening, good morning, good afternoon, wherever you are right now, wherever you are in the world, because it's just incredible where these stories of hope are going.

And ultimately, as I've been saying in every single video, the whole purpose of this is not for the people that are taking part to get their name out there or to say stuff about themselves.

These people want you to hear about their savior.

They want you to hear that they couldn't get through what they are going through without the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible calls him a rock in a weary land, and that is who Jesus Christ is.

So it is so good to welcome you back to another journey in Hope.

And we've got an amazing lady with us tonight.

I've been keeping in touch with her.

She's been through some deep stuff.

I'm not going to go into that.

Daphne can share.

Daphne, so good to have you tonight.

Good evening.

Thank you, Mark.

Good evening to you.

Daphne, where are you tuning in from tonight?

Tell the folk where you're tuning in from.

I am outside of Moira, County Armagh, I believe, not County Down.

Some people sometimes get confused and they do associate County Down, yeah.

It's a really lovely part of the world.

In fact, if I'm not mistaken, is that not the place with the beautiful butcher's McCartney's on the Main Street?

Oh, yes.

You got it right, Mark.

Incredible.

Yes, sometimes Heather likes, there's a little, there's a little like country furnishing shop somewhere in that Main Street, Daphne.

That's right.

Yes.

Heather, my wife, Heather, always loves to stop in and take a look.

And I would nip up because they do the most amazing sausages and boulevants and homemade chutneys and various things like that, Daphne.

George will be pleased with that, Mark.

I must touch him up for maybe a silver side the next time I'm down after giving him some promo there.

Daphne, it is so good after us being in contact over these past number of months and just praying together and journeying together through what we've been coming through and what you've been coming through.

It's so good that we can get you tonight, Daphne, because I know there's some days when it's and you can explain that to the folk later as well.

Daphne, I'm not going to ask questions.

I am just literally going to say welcome, Daphne Walker, share your story with me obviously as we're one on one here, but ultimately it's going out and it's going to reach many people.

So, Daphne, God bless you, take your time and just share what God means to you and your journey.

Thank you, Mark.

Well, first of all, folks, I would like to thank Mark for inviting me to share my cancer journey with you today.

I thank God and give him all the glory for this opportunity and hope that it will be a blessing to you as well.

I was brought up in a Christian home where I learned to love and trust the Lord.

Over 60 years ago, when I was about 12 years old, I attended a meeting where the speaker was the well-known evangelist, the late Noel Grant.

There was an appeal at the end of the meeting for anyone who wanted to ask the Lord into their heart to wait behind in the prayer room.

I went with my friend and we prayed for God to forgive our sins and to come into our lives.

He did, and there he remains today.

However, there were many times when the path of life was tough, and sometimes I felt that God had forgotten me.

It was only on looking back that I realized it was during the hard times that God was closest to me.

Each trial was a learning curve to make me wiser and stronger for the path that lay ahead.

Cancer is a diagnosis that no one wants to be given.

But in December 2012, my husband died after a short battle with lung and brain cancer.

This was a big blow.

My husband was the one who made all the major decisions and did all the maintenance around the home.

Although I still had a close relationship with God, somehow I just felt far away.

My heart was broken and I couldn't find the comfort I needed.

It was a few weeks later that I realized on looking back, God knew all about my situation.

Three months before my husband's diagnosis, my son decided to come home from England.

He was there with his father whenever he died, and has been a power of strength for me ever since.

My daughter and my granddaughter came to know the Lord, and best of all, my husband had accepted Christ just before he died.

I had learned to look for positive experiences now.

So when I was diagnosed with breast cancer the following year, I had many Christian friends to draw alongside and help me to pray.

My whole attitude changed.

I became more concerned about others who had cancer than I was about myself.

After all, why should it happen to someone else?

Why not me?

I was stronger now.

Prayer and Bible study became central to coping with surgery, chemo, radiotherapy and healing.

God spoke through friends and Bible readings.

I was fully trusting in Him alone.

After four years of good health, my cancer returned.

I couldn't believe how much stronger I had become, simply by faith and trusting that God knew all about me.

He would lead the way.

No fear now, just giving thanks for the repeat of the surgery, the chemo and the radiotherapy.

My illness has progressed to stage four, and it is in my bones now.

But I can sing with the hymnwriter Gloria Gaither, who wrote these words.

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because he lives, all fear is gone.

And because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living, just because he lives, all fear.

Daphne, incredible, incredible.

And just to see, Daphne, just the strength of Christ shining through you is just amazing.

And it's funny, you didn't know this, I've never told you.

When I was going through my battle, everyone knows this, that does know me in a close aspect, family-wise, etc.

That was one of the hymns that I had chosen for my funeral service.

Because he lives, I can face tomorrow, because he lives, all fear is gone.

And Daphne, I think you and I, because as you said in your story, no one wants to hear them words, I'm sorry, but it is cancer.

Like, none of us want to hear that.

And I just want to, just before I let you go, Daphne, because it's just been amazing, just going through, can you just give us a little, Daphne, I know by when we're in touch with each other, how has the chemo, the radiotherapy, Daphne, just for those that are going through it and struggling, I visit many families and some of them works well, others are extremely sick.

How has things been for you, Daphne, in relation to chemo, radiotherapy, etc?

Well, the first time, Mark, yes, I did go through quite a period of being sick, and of course, naturally, not eating then, and I had all the side effects.

When that eventually passed, they have a very good team in Belfast, and they are on call for anyone going through the chemo, radiotherapy, that time of treatment, and they are always available 24-7.

So all I had to do was ring and say, look, this anti-emetic is not working for me, I'm still feeling sick, what do I do?

And they would suggest another one.

And finally, I did get an anti-emetic that worked for me.

My tummy settled down.

I had, as I've said, been through this with Eric.

So I sort of knew part of the road about that.

My hair came out.

I think it's forgotten to grow back because I have to admit this isn't mine.

Yes, my hair did fall out.

And I went through all that time.

My fingertips became quite numb.

And I played the organ for different meetings and different groups and that.

But now, unfortunately, I've had to leave that to the side.

But the Lord knows all about that.

Again, it's all in His plan.

So I'm quite happy to leave it there.

That did return.

Some of it returned, but most of it didn't.

Again, my fate suffered a bit at the beginning.

And I learned to deal with that as well with the help of the people in Belfast.

They're a terrific team.

They know exactly what to do when things go wrong.

The four years of good health were very, very nice.

It meant I could continue on doing all the things I've done before.

And in particular, I had a wee Sunday school class out at Rovarnit.

Yes, and Heather there was a great girl.

She was really terrific with me because she let me play music for the kids.

I got a lot of joy from that.

But sadly, the cancer came back.

And I then had all the chemo and the radiotherapy all again.

So unfortunately, it affects your body.

There are side effects.

But you know, it's a small price to pay for the Lord sparing you to let others know the part that he plays.

And through Rovarnit, I had met different evangelists, one of whom came along to pray with my husband.

And I'd only just met the fellow, really, at Rovarnit as he preached.

But he was a very, very great man.

And he came and prayed with Eric and Eric gave his life to the Lord.

And then beyond that, my daughter is in England.

She has a daughter of 19.

And through her little daughter, really, she came to the Lord.

So really, you know, by giving God the glory, there's so much back from that, Mark.

There's so much back from that, I can't describe it.

I mean, I was just delighted to hear that story.

So Fred came home then, and he is brave.

He takes me to my appointments.

He doesn't say anything when he has to wait for me.

He adjusts his work schedule.

Again, lovely people that he works with are happy to work around that.

And then he, in turn, works back for them.

So the Lord has been amazing, amazing.

And then after I had all of that, again, I went to see the oncologist and I told him that I felt maybe I had actually recovered again.

But sadly, he had the news that it had gone to my bones.

I'm 77 now.

So the old bones were already a bit more thin, I think, before the cancer went there.

But yes, it can be a painful condition.

But there again, I'm on oral chemotherapy at the minute.

It won't cure my cancer, but it will slow it down a bit.

And hopefully that will help me along the way with it.

Again, thank you so much to the people at the City Hospital.

They are a great team.

They are a wonderful team.

And God is using the medication and all the advice they give me.

He puts that together.

And then I get this lovely piece.

It's all wrapped up in a bundle of peace.

And I just have to praise the Lord.

I really just have to praise the Lord for that.

Daphne is incredible.

Listen, folks, I don't want to keep Daphne any longer, because we've been on for a few minutes.

And Daphne, thank you so much for coming on and sharing, number one, your story, but ultimately sharing about your saviour.

Because it's your saviour and your faith and confidence in him that makes you smile the way you do tonight.

It's incredible.

I know that there will be many people watching this.

We have had some emails this week in relation to some of the other videos.

Daphne, a lady away outside Gilkeal, was sitting with a box of hankies just completely broken before God after watching another story.

So I know when this gets out just to people.

But as we said, Daphne, at the start, we want people to get to know our saviour.

Yes.

I was sharing with you, Daphne, just off camera earlier.

I'm just sitting on my shirt and tie, obviously, because I was at that funeral today.

It was actually Mavis Calderwood, formerly known as Mavis McGarvey, a real lovely lady, so, so meek, gentle, beautiful.

But it was her brother, David McGarvey, a Gospel Hall evangelist that spoke at the grave.

And he really challenged us all around the grave as to, we're all going to face death, Daphne.

It is appointed on to man once to die, but after this, the judgment.

So, Daphne and I leave you tonight.

Here's the challenge.

The Bible says in Hebrews, it is appointed on to man once to die, after this, the judgment.

I want you, no matter who you are, where you are tonight, do you understand this, that death is in all of our tracks.

But after you, there is an after this.

I just want to simply ask you tonight, as Daphne and I conclude, just want to ask you, after you, what is coming for you?

Is it heaven, to be with Christ, which is far better, or is it to be lost for all eternity without Christ?

You see, that's why we're doing this.

Jesus Christ bore your sin.

He died on the cross to redeem you, to rescue you.

Maybe you're in a place tonight of addiction, loneliness, maybe it's cancer, whatever it is, and you think there's no way out.

I want to tell you tonight, this is called Journey in Hope, because there is hope.

And hope is to be found in a person, and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ.

So Daphne, you can say goodbye to the folk.

Thank you for listening, and I hope you keep well.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Folks, join us the next time.

Amazing story.

It's a guy coming on to share his story, how he watched his brother die.

It's just incredible.

And then God intervened in his life.

And changed it.

It's another story of hope.

So listen, until the next time, God bless you folks.

We love you.

We're praying for you.

Thank you, Daphne.

God bless.

Amen.

Thank you, Mark.