How I Survived My Cancer Ordeal-Beloved Apostle Bimpe

Hers is a rare testimony and her case is that of a hunter being haunted. That’s how best you can tell the story of Beloved Apostle Bimpe, a virtuous woman and mother of four adorable children who got attacked by a stage four cancer shortly after she gave her life to Christ.  As an Apostle of God, she has healed a number of mentally challenged some of whom have become her beneficiaries, even with their children. She got the bombshell of a six month life expectancy in England sometime last year, June 2011 as a result of her cancer of the breast. Today she`s a living testimony of the miraculous work of God as she has not only survived the terminal ailment but has even been performing more wonder in the House of God. The London based ever radiant woman of substance was on our hot seat in Enquirer`s office during her recent visit to Nigeria where her ex-governor-brother, Dr. Ayo Fayose hosted her with other members of the family. The interview was led by News Editor, Faith Irabor, and Senior Staff Writer, Murphy Fadairo.

What would you say is the secret behind your glowing skin, fresh look and great physique?

I want to thank God for the visitation of Cancer. I want to bless the name of the Lord for giving me this exclusive gift of Cancer passing through my body and which has killed others because they are so scared, and worried that they will die of it. I believe by the grace of God that the secret of my shining today is as a result of my knowing that Cancer cells are building in my body; and the knowing that has connected me to the knowledge and the consciousness of the mind to believe the understanding of the knowledge and applying the wisdom to comply. That is the result that you are seeing and I thank you for that compliment.

The first time you heard about the diagnosis of the ailment, what was your reaction like?

There were two things; the first was knowing that I had breast cancer, and then the initial proposal to have a surgery of the breast. The second reaction is when I got to know that the cancer was actually terminal and I was told to go and prepare to die. You know they were two different things. The first stage dawned on me that I was going to lose my breast, it was my breast, you know that kind of feeling. I never knew there was much importance to breast until that happened to me. I mourned my breast. I had to console myself with the word of Jesus that said when one of your eyes causes you to sin, pluck it than for the whole of your body to burn in hell. I was going to do it and just told myself Breastlessness is not Breathlessness. At that stage I concluded I was going to do it; I went to the Doctors and told them I was going to go ahead with the surgery plan if it will make me live. But unfortunately by the time I got to the hospital to tell the doctors I was ready to do the surgery precisely around 1^st of July 2011, the result of other test that was carried out on my body now showed that the cancer had already spread to other parts of my body so there won’t be any need for surgery to remove my breast, simply because the essence of the surgery is to prevent the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body like the liver, lung and skin. `Sorry to tell you`, the doctors said; `you have like three to six months life expectancy.`

What was the feeling like when you were told you had a maximum of six months to live?

I became blank. I wouldn’t say I could not comprehend it or comprehend it. Why would I accept such a verdict at this point in my life; when I was in the Lord, when I had done so much for the Lord and when my life is just been turned around. I was just blank; water was just flowing freely from my eyes.

Who was the first person you broke the news to?

Belinda was with me. I was looking after a mentally challenged Ghanaian lady whom I took from the hospital sometimes early last year 2011, I delight in having them around me. She consoled me and told me I shouldn’t worry; that I am going to live and be there for my kids and her. When I got home initially I decided I wasn’t going to tell my children but somehow over the years I have managed to carry my children along so easily. So I broke the news to the children. At the early stage I was derailing (dying) but one thing was that I had inner peace in me. It has to do with human nature like looking at my kids and sometimes water will just gush out of my eyes; I could be on one spot for several hours and just looking.

How did you get out of that state?

Well, I noticed that occasionally some weird thoughts were coming to my head. And the human nature is quick to embrace negative thoughts. My children were my number one concern; if I die what will happen to them. Such thought will want to tear you apart but immediately the spirit of God will come and gave me succour again. I had some spiritual connection telling me all is well with me and that my kids that am worried about; God said I don’t have to be alive before it can be well with my kids. And one of the things that have helped me in my cancer story is my open mouthedness; if I see people I tell them I was diagnosed of breast cancer. I talk about it, shake it off and didn’t let it bother me. I called it Cancer of Glory. Positive thinking also helped.

Was there a time your kids believed in the doctor’s final result about you dying in the next six months?

My kids are matured; my first is 19, second is 17, third will be 15 in April and the last will be 12 in April. They have been through life with me so they are more mature; my 12 years old girl is more mature than a 35year old married woman. So even if I die my children have enough wisdom in them.

Didn’t you at a point in time feel like reuniting the kids with their dad?

Not at all but I think at the later stage maybe around September, the kids called their dad and he greeted them but as we speak he has never returned their call. People that have not seen me for years, primary school mates read about my situation in the papers and they call me. As I speak he has not even called to find out how the children are fairing. The kids are well taken care of; they miss nothing and are all full of life. They are mature; they have been through some level of hardship in life that was too much for their age and that have gotten them to be independent.

What was your perception about Cancer before you became a victim; did you believe it exist and how do you react to people that have it?

It is a common knowledge that people know about cancer but the truth of the matter is that in life until you become a victim of something you cannot really understand what it means. Before, I never really gave my heart to cancer but I am a person that naturally believes that life is a journey; and where ever I find myself I see that I am there for a cause.  I realized God has created us for a purpose and this purpose was that His name should be glorified. And I said to Him God make me a tangible testimony of your faithfulness that many shall be drawn unto your righteousness according to Christ. The cancer in my body is not unto death but that the name of the Lord be glorified. I got up just like that at that stage and from there the strength just came and I am a living testimony that God is still there in His throne and that He not only do miracles but also works in a mysterious way. That was how I started declaring it as a joke and I can’t even remember that I was diagnosed of cancer except when I talk about it. So by the end of July, 2011 it has become something of the past. And because God gave me the grace to have the right people around me and I realized that most times people die in their affliction because there is no true companion to share in their pain.

What made you organized a wake keep when you are not dead?

I just thought it was an opportunity for me to celebrate God in a very peculiar way. Let me start a celebration of life and I sent out invitations to friends to come rather than wait for the service of songs programme when they will bring my body in a coffin. Some couldn’t come while the ones that came were just weeping.

Were you given any drugs or medication?

I didn’t take any drug. Although I was offered Chemotherapy; it was meant to kill the cancer cells gradually over a couple of months. It is not that you will not die; it is meant to kill the cancer cells but in the cause of killing the cancer cells it will also kill the good cells in you. So some people overcome it while some die in the process because when the good cells are broken down, you become prone to attacks. So I had this conviction in my spirit not to subject myself for their Chemotherapy and I chose not to take it. The reason is because the doctors said it was not meant to cure me but to control the symptoms and manage me for a season. They said this may add some months to the period I was told I am going to die.

So are you still seeing the doctors?

Sure, as a matter of fact, I am still going for check up next week. Let’s just take this is happening as God’s faithfulness because the doctors did not lie. They find it amazing, embarrassing and moreover I did not collect any drug from them. Even after my diagnosis my health has ever been better; I am even stronger than any healthy person. I became a lot more beautiful; even I was younger, I never knew my skin coulb be this good. The point is that this cancer is a blessing to me. Every day I wake up in the morning and I say Father I thank You for this cancer experience. It has exposed me to the true knowledge of God. Ordinarily when people have little afflictions they always point accusing fingers to enemies; in the point of accusing enemies, you leave yourself unattended to. Instead of you to take actions that are open to you in wisdom; you will now go and bury yourself in a church fasting and praying therefore adding to your problem. In other words most of the people that surrounded me were people of knowledge. For example when I told my ministers that the doctors said they were going to cut my breast; they told me to relax and that nobody is cutting my breast except they can cut God’s hands. If they cannot cut God’s hands they cannot cut your breast.

What message do you have for women who are also in your situation?

The number one lesson I leant was that this worldly possession we have is vanity. When the doctors said to me I should go and prepare to die in three to six months; that they will introduce me to charity organizations that will support me to die peacefully, take care of my children and so on. All these things brought me to the reality of death; it made me to see vanity and I see emptiness of life. In my own little way I have researched cancer, its causes and prevention. I realize that every human being have a measure of cancer cell in their body but it’s not everybody that will develop cancer. I will advise everyone to take life easy; let us come back to the message of Christ. Let us be anxious for nothing; let us take it easy. This world is nothing. I thank God for every experiences of life that I have had; they have come to give me liberation and wisdom. If this cancer had caught me about six years ago I would have died in it because I don’t have the wisdom I will use then to handle it. It came to me at a point when there is nothing I am pursuing than the kingdom of righteousness. When we get to a point in life about knowing God, we will want to be with God. It is just that 90% of people going to church now are there for prosperity; that is why they don’t want to die. I don’t need to beg God to live; if He wants me let Him take me because that is where I know I will find true peace. Another message to women is that we should work on our inner beauty rather than our outside beauty.

Since it’s over six months the doctors gave and you are still alive and kicking; can we say you have conquered death and what is your next phase in life?

I don’t talk about tomorrow; I am not telling my fans that I am not going to die in the next 50years and I am not telling them I am going to live for the next 5 years. And I am not telling them I am dying tomorrow; death can come anytime but one thing I know is that I am not going to die of cancer. My celebration is that I have overcome that which is called death. Secondly I am in sound health. Many people call Jesus but they have no portion in Jesus because they don’t understand the message of Jesus. The name of Jesus is not to kill my enemy, it is not for me to be rich or have the biggest houses; the name of Jesus is to take me to heaven. The name of Jesus is to help me by His grace to live righteously on earth. What is living righteously; it is living uprightly and Godly and not buying cars or big houses. That is why many fake pastors have taken over the temple because people are not seeking God for God; they are seeking Him for what they want. So these pastors now stand as intermediaries to reap them off by preaching what they want to hear.  Churches that preach the truth won’t have crowd.

Can you tell us, are you in a relationship now?

I have so many guys that are interested in me at the moment. What I want ladies to learn from is that many things you look for which you don’t get when you want them comes when you least expect them because it is God’s time. Before my cancer diagnosis I never gave thoughts to being remarried; if I had I would have probably been married. But somehow God has connected my heart to the gospel that it is not in my heart. The most amazing thing is that since my cancer diagnosis and I announced it to the whole world I have had men come to my feet with ring asking for my hand in marriage even after I have been told I will die. Some will even go behind calling my preachers, people to talk to me. I am not thinking about marriage but if God wills He will make it happen. I am enjoying this moment of my life. At a point after I got a judgment of death is when people want to marry me. What am saying is that there is no case in life that is hopeless.

What did you learn from this experience?

The message is seek first the kingdom of God and all other things will be added to it. Lastly there is a role for families to play in challenges in our lives; that is why Jesus Christ preached Love. Love is the only thing that has the capacity to heal the world regardless of any affliction that is in your life. When you have people around you that show you love, your family embraces you. You will have this inner will to live. After the wake keep I had, I saw people who came and I saw love in their eyes. Some people cried and told me what a great influence I have been in their lives which I didn’t even think I made such impact. It helped me to live because I saw people still loved me regardless of my ailment. I want to counsel families that the time of afflictions is not the time to desert your loved ones. The encouragement I got from friends, family was just too much.