Through the years the Lord has proven Himself to me through deeds that only the mighty work of His hand could possibly do. This is one of my most precious personal testimonies of the healing power of the Lord.

We were missionaries in the Spanish Caribbean on a small island covering only twenty-five square miles. My husband, two boys (ages four and six), my new baby girl, and I had been there for eight months and had been experiencing great growth in the church when the attack came.

In July of 2004, at eleven months of age, Elizabeth became very ill. She suddenly began developing tumor-like growths on her head. Her features were quickly and literally becoming unrecognizable to us. The pediatrician could not determine the cause and referred us to an oncologist. The tests made Elizabeth scream and cry beyond what any parent would ever want to hear their child experience. Though I was crying inside, I talked to her calmly while she was poked with needles and equipment saying, “It’s okay, Sweetie. Mommy’s here.” All the while I prayed in Jesus’ name for those doctors to hurry and stop torturing my baby. I would have gladly laid down my life just so she did not have to feel the pain in her little body.

When the results came, we were ready and anxious to end her suffering. The doctor spoke in Spanish: “I have bad news. Your daughter has lymphomatic cancer, and it is fatal. You need to take her back to Houston where she can get the necessary treatment.” My husband explained that the Lord had called us to San Andres and it was but a small thing for our God to heal our daughter if that is what He had to do to keep us there.

I was still learning the language so my husband waited until we were alone to tell me Elizabeth had cancer. I said “No, she doesn’t!” He showed me the test results, and I told him that I did not care about test results, she did not have cancer!

At this time I felt to do something I had never done before. As I cradled Elizabeth, I prayed, “Lord, Your Word says that I am entangled with angelic power because of my uncut hair.” (See I Corinthians 11:10.) I covered her with my hair and said, “I have been obedient to Your Word and my sign of submission is my uncut hair. I ask you to entangle Elizabeth with this same angelic power because I have never cut, nor will I ever cut, her hair. Your Word says that if we keep your statutes and commandments that it may be well with us. I ask you to make this well with us and heal my daughter!” After this prayer, we took Elizabeth in for another biopsy—and waited.

Three days after the biopsy, the doctor called stating: “I do not understand, nor can I explain it, but I have the original tests that show your daughter has cancer and now I have the other results. I sent the biopsy to three different pathologists. All of the results now state that there is no cancer whatsoever in your daughter!”

Elizabeth is now three years old and has never received medical treatment for her illness. She is back to her beautiful, happy self and you would never know by looking at her that she had this battle. How wonderful is God to restore life to my daughter. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The same God that healed the bleeding woman in the Book of Matthew is the same God that healed Elizabeth. Praise be to God for He is marvelous!

Dena Hayes and husband, Shane, are missionaries to San Andres Island, Colombia.