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Home | Testimonies | Israel Zamudio
![]() Johnny and Valerie Zamudio started attending church at Inland Lighthouse 1999. They have become faithful and dedicated saints here at the church. God has blessed them with four beautiful children. On this bright Sunday morning, theirs was a typical household, trying to get everyone ready for church. With four little ones there was a lot to do. Johnny was helping out by ironing his own shirt, while Valerie had her hands full with getting herself and the children ready. When Johnny stepped away from the ironing board and into the kitchen to help one of the children, Valerie came out of the bedroom almost at the same time. It couldn't have been more than 30 seconds, when a scream split the air and sent a wave a panic flooding the hearts of Johnny and Valerie. They rushed into the dining room where Johnny had been ironing, to find their tiny boy, Israel in his walker, with the burning, hot iron sitting on his little chest and stomach. Like all curious babies, he had seen the dangling cord of the iron and reached up and pulled on it. You might imagine their horror and fear, as they saw their diaper clad baby writhing in agonizing pain. Valerie screamed "Jesus, Jesus"! While Johnny grabbed the iron off baby Israel, Valerie ran to the phone and called 911. While they waited for the ambulance, through tears, she managed to call the church to ask for prayer. The ambulance arrived and gathered them all up and rushed off to the ER at the hospital. A typical Emergency Room, no doctor available, as he was detained by other obligations. They had to wait for an hour and a half. The little child receiving no medication, just cool cloths, the parents trying to be brave, as they anxiously awaited the doctor. If you have ever burned even your finger, you know the torment it brings to your entire body. The baby was suffering excruciating pain. The parents, like all good parents, were suffering right along with him. Valerie and Johnny, broke down in a fresh flood of tears as they could see the imprint of the iron on his tiny upper body. The palm of his hand and his arm were also burned, as he had tried to push the burning, heavy iron off him. Valerie admits that she normally cannot handle any catastrophe without getting hysterical, but since calling on the Name of Jesus, she felt peace and a strength envelop her. Though she would dissolve into tears of sympathy as the time dragged on and the nurses struggled to get an IV started in the baby, none of the hysteria and frantic feelings surfaced. Members of Johnny's family arriving at the hospital, also observed the calmness in Valerie and commented on it. Valerie, without hesitation told them, "it was God, He gave me a peace, I know He's here" Finally nurses managed to give the baby something to ease the pain. After a short while he fell asleep. Some would say that the medication took effect, and perhaps it did help, but with second degree burns on a baby that young, it would have had to have been a powerfully strong painkiller, for him to sleep so peacefully and not show some kind of discomfort. Something else was at work here. When Valerie had cried out the Name of Jesus, all of heaven stood at attention, and healing virtue had been released. After thirty minutes, baby Israel awoke, and to his parent's astonishment, he was smiling and happy, as though nothing had happened to him. The doctor finally arrived and began to examine the huge blistered areas on the baby. He very cautiously reached out one finger and very gently touched the area, watching the baby's reaction, no screams of agony. He pressed harder, fully anticipating shrieks of pain from the baby, still nothing. He flashed a puzzled glance at the parents and pushed even harder on the blistered flesh. No heart-wrenching screams of pain, the doctor finally straightened up and looked at the parents, and said, "this is weird, no baby his age with the severity of his burns, can not feel tremendous pain when I press on his skin". Then he shrugged and said, "With burns of this degree, it is very likely that we will have to do skin grafts." A sickening dread filled Valerie's mind as she imagined what all that would involve. After that pronouncement, he ordered the baby to be taken and his wounds cleaned. Johnny and Valerie's heart's wrung at the thought of what their poor baby was going through, but drew strength from what they felt God had already done. Our precious Family of God…. When Valerie called Bro. Adam Pierce, and ask if he could come and pray, he said "yes of course, but I will tell you Sis. Valerie, I feel the peace of God, He has done a miracle." When he arrived at the hospital, he again comforted the parents with words of wisdom. He said something that brought a tremendous reassurance to them. He told them that, "as saints of God you are covered by the breast-plate of righteousness, and today it shielded you." What a comfort to realize that God's word is true, and applies to us. What normally would have been a devastating disaster, was all turned around by the mention of a Name that is above all names. The faithfulness of good people serving the Lord with gladness, does have tremendous benefits. His eyes are on the righteous! Other friends and saints of the church coming to the hospital, showing their love and concern, speaking words of encouragement and faith, were also such a strength to Johnny and Valerie. Tragedy into Triumph…. Instead of the three days max hospital stay, Baby Israel was released the next day. He has not, nor will he, have to receive any skin grafts. Praise the Name of the LORD! . Is there any wonder why we serve Him? For who is like our God. |