Evangelist Lynette Jennings, 56, has used her powerful voice to preach the word of God for many years at Mount Olive Word of Life Church, and she has developed a loving and loyal following in the process. Raised in Daytona, Florida, she spent a great deal of time daydreaming about the nursing profession. “As a child, I always wanted to become a nurse,” said Jennings. “Helping people to feel better is what I've always wanted to do, and I eventually focused all my time and effort on pursuing a career in the nursing field.”
Jennings enrolled in Portsmouth Nursing Technical School in Virginia, where she has resided since the age of 15. Several years later, she married and gave birth to four children; three sons and a daughter. After the birth of her youngest son, and while Jennings was still attending nursing school, the company her husband worked for shut down. He opted to become a merchant seaman and was transferred out of the state for six months. “I ended up having to raise my family on my own. I had no one to help me, and I was forced to take all types of odd jobs just to pay bills and feed my family,” stated Jennings. “After I helped my children with their homework, I had to do mine. It was an extremely difficult time, but I had to make sure my children were taken care of. Keeping my home in order, while pursuing my dream, involved a tremendous amount of work. Still, I was able to prevail because of my faith in God and my family.”
Despite her hardships, the proud mother and devout Christian forged ahead and received numerous awards and acknowledgments for her work in nursing and the church. Her accomplishments in the area of religion offered her the opportunity to work with the renowned Bishop Alfred Owens and his wife, Susie, among others. “It was a happy time in my life. Things were going well, and my home and children were intact. Then, I started experiencing health problems in 1995. I had severe stomach pains and would pass out at a moment's notice,” stated Jennings. “After a series of tests, doctors told me I needed a Small Bowel transplant. I'm still waiting for a donor. If I'm not able to have it, I will die.”
When describing how the illness dramatically changed her lifestyle, Jennings did not mince words. “It was extremely difficult for me to eat or socialize, and I suffered through many sleepless nights because I was constantly in pain. The worst part of it all was the fact that I was not able to take care of my children because I was taking so many medications. The side-effects made the situation even worse.”
Now that her health is rapidly declining, Jennings hopes that people in and outside of the Christian community will offer prayers and emotional support for her and her children. “My children still have a hard time dealing with my illness. They have suffered emotional withdrawal, and it hurts me so much to see them in pain,” she tearfully exclaimed. “Every time I go into the hospital, they don't know if it'll be the last time they'll see their mother. It hurts me so. I love my children so much. I want to be there for them, so I ask that people pray for me and for a miracle. The situation is dire, but if this experience has taught me anything, it’s that I’m stronger than I ever thought I could be because I chose to live, love God…and forgive.
A fund has been set up by family and friends of Evangelist Jennings, through the National Transplant Assistance Fund & Catastrophic Injury Program, to help pay for uninsured medical expenses. For more information on how you can contribute, please visit the following link:
http://www.transplantfund.org/Restricted/patient-detail.cfm?pat_id=2879
Truly a test of her faith.
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