On Thursday, December 14th, 2023, my dad was admitted into the ICU after experiencing severe chest pains that morning. Those chest pains turned out to be a full body aneurysm. An aneurysm that resulted in several strokes, in the form of small brain bleeds, and contusions to both his spine and kidneys. The worst of it being a dissection, or tear, in his aortic valve, a short distance from his heart. He should not have survived, but God…

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He would spend the next few weeks recovering in ICU. Due to the precarious nature of his injuries, he was not able to get immediate surgery, and it was decided that he would be monitored whilst healing naturally. Unfortunately, during this time, after having suffered multiple strokes, he struggled to maintain cognizance, and his mental awareness began to pendulate on a daily, if not hourly basis. He endured constant confusion, memory loss, speech and comprehension failure, and issues with mobility. At one point, he lost all feeling in his feet and legs, rendering him unable to move, let alone walk. We were watching him experience a profound disconnect to almost all his cognitive function, and we weren’t sure if we would ever see him on his feet again. But God, the light in the darkness, never let us go one second without hope. And despite it all, two things my dad never forgot how to do, was praise, and pray. The churchiness never left him. If we said “God is good”, he knew to say “All the time”. We sang “Hallelujah” and he immediately followed with “Praise Him Anyhow”. The neurons in his brain may not have been firing properly, but what couldn’t be severed was his connection to his Father in heaven.

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After weeks of waxing and waning, we began to see progress. “This food is nasty. It needs more salt.” “Why are y’all talking to me like I’m stupid?” “All I want to do is sleep, but they keep waking me up for more test!” “Yup. He’s back”, my mom and I would say to each other. And by the grace of God, we were able to transfer him to the very capable hands at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. There he would work to regain his strength and mobility, as well as his mental aptitude, before returning home.

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At the end of February 2024, my dad finally came home, and the real work began. He was now responsible for his own rehabilitation. But I wasn’t worried. One thing to note about my dad is that his spirit sits in the place where stubbornness and tenacity meets patience and flexibility. He possesses the rare ability to harness his emotions, and use the fervor of those emotions as the fuel needed to pursue his goals. And yet still, this was going to be quite the test.

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So, we entered a serious adjustment period, learning to live life in this new body. Overtime there would be triumphs and pitfalls, and so much trial and error; but ultimately, and very gradually, with grueling consistency, day after day, month after month, we saw progress. His mind was stabilizing, his mobility improving, and his overall independence increasing. He was healing. And it has been one of the greatest joys of my life, watching him go from moving around in a power chair, to walking with his walker, and now even riding a bike again. When he had every reason to give up, surrender his will to a sedentary life, and simply never pick up the pieces again, he persevered. That’s the kind of leader we have here at Word Walking Empowerment Ministries. His ambition, steered by faith, got him to the place where he is now. In October 2025, he was even able to fly to the Dominican Republic, stand in the heat, and officiate my brother’s wedding. And in 2026, he’ll be ordained, elected and reassigned as Bishop Michael K. Evans Sr. I believe this is partially why my dad was able to persevere. Because he knew that despite his injury, despite his current state, despite it all, that God still has a specific purpose, and a grand plan for his life.

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I give all glory and praise to God for His faithfulness, as He has been with our family (both my immediate family and our church family) every step of the way these past 2 years. The journey of healing isn’t done, but we have been quite literally walking by faith and not by sight, and we are believing that God will perform many more miracles through our pastor.

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Written by Michael Evans Jr.