Helen’s Story - how an God's Word for the Oil Patch saved a soul
- Blair Shunk
- May 29
- 4 min read
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
This letter was received by the Oilfield Christian Fellowship. We reached out to her by phone to follow up with her after hearing her testimony. Here is the unedited text from her note.
To: The Oilfield Christian Fellowship Bible Ministry
“I am writing this letter with a heart full of thankfulness to this wonderful ministry and would like to share with you what the simple gift of the Oilfield Bible did for my precious husband.
My name is Helen and my husband’s name was Eric. We were married 35 wonderful years and had no children but for our two little dogs. He was mine and I was his, we clung together like a peach seed to the flesh of the peach. Eric was a non-believer; a good man but had never accepted Jesus Christ into his life. He didn’t work in the oilfield industry but was a well-respected diesel mechanic. But never the less mechanics and oilfield folks are cut from the same bolt of cloth; rough around the edges, but soft around the heart. God and the bible were not really something that Eric ever wanted to be a part of or even discuss.. He was happy in his world. We were happy in our life. But it is interesting how God allows disruptions in your life to change who you are.
We both had retired, sold our home and hit the wide-open road in our travel trailer reaping the fruits of our labors, ready to spend “our time” together enjoying each other and seeing the country.
Our first trip was out to Alaska and everything was perfect. Little did we know that life was about to throw us a double decker curve ball. Something was wrong with me. The words from my doctor were a very serious form of leukemia. Diagnosis’ was dismal to say the least, three years at the best left for me.
My brother John Burnett was with a mission team in Wyoming called Experiencing God thru missions. John had friends who were “oilfield missionaries in Wamsutter, WY. He went to see Harold and Barbara Lunsford, curious to see how God was using them to minister to the oilfield workers. John received such a blessing and as he left his friends to come to Texas to see me, he asked for an Oilfield Bible and some brochures to bring to Eric.
Looking back at that time I was unable to wrap my mind around what was happening to me. All I knew was I was scared beyond belief. And for the first time I can remember my Eric was shaken to the core and he was truly afraid. Little did I know that a prayer circle had already been formed around me with my bother leading the way. I believe that my life was changed and a healing was already beginning to take place as those prayers made their way to Gods ears. With John’s arrival, there was a peace that began to wash over me.
Eric having always looked within himself to find life’s answers was like a ship without a sail. When time for John to leave us and go back to North Carolina he gives Eric a copy of the Oilfield bible. Saying “Eric I know you are going to tell me you won’t read this, but I believe you will and you will find comfort in God’s Word. Eric did begin to read Gods Word without ever saying anything to me about it. Him being a private person I understand that now. By Gods grace I went into remission and there was hope. As I said earlier we were handed a double curve ball; Eric and I were told on our 35th wedding anniversary that he had multiple myeloma, a bone cancer.
We spent Thanksgiving Day of 2011 in the hospital with him receiving blood as we tried to wrap our heads around the bad news. My family was only a phone call away. Their prayers made the next few weeks bearable. Eric began treatment on Dec. 12th 2011 but his body immediately started shutting down. The doctors told us there was no hope and he would not make it.
About two in the morning Eric heard me from his hospital bed crying. He said “Mama what is wrong?” I told him I didn’t know if he accepted Jesus as his Savior and I did not know if he died that he was going to Heaven. He asked me to get him his Oilfield Bible out. Then he said, “Let’s both ask Jesus into our hearts.” He said, “ this way we both will be sure that we will be together again in Heaven.”
We prayed the sinner’s prayer he and I together that early morning, asking Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. Sadly he passed away four days after Christmas Dec. 29th, 2011 in my arms. He left me and this world to go and be with Jesus. Because of that oilfield Bible I know that I know he is in Heaven and he will be there to meet me when it is my time to go.
Thank you all so very much for the work that ya’ll do in Jesus’ name.
If you found Helen's story to be a meaningful testimony, please support the Oilfield Christian Fellowship Calgary by attending an event. Why not bring a friend along with you? You can also donate a Bible or a Case of Bibles to be placed in a camp or given to an Oilfield Worker.
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