Diego Mesa of Abundant Living Family Church in Rancho Cucamonga, California, was seemingly in the best shape of his life. Not only was he pastoring a 16,000-member congregation, but he was also running 26-mile marathons and had just built a $50 million church campus.
That was, until he began feeling a pain in his side. After doctors ran tests, he was diagnosed as having stage 4 kidney cancer. He was told not to make long-term plans and that medical precedent gave him between one and six years to live.
That began one of the greatest battles Pastor Diego ever faced. It was not only a physical battle with the symptoms of his cancer but also a mental battle with fear, an emotional battle with his wife and family, a social battle with his leadership and the members of his congregation, and a spiritual battle unlike anything he had ever experienced.
It has now been 12 years since that diagnosis, and Pastor Diego’s work is more fruitful than ever. His ministry reaches around the world, his church continues to flourish and his health is stronger than ever.
He has written a booked titled How to Dream When You are Told You Are Going to Die. In this week’s Lessons From Legends podcast and videocast, we look at the foundational lessons we can learn from Pastor Diego’s recovery.
His healing was not instantaneous, but rather a journey that lasted more than three years. He not only had to overcome the cancer, but every other battle had to be won as well.
You can get more on this amazing story by downloading this week’s podcast of Lessons From Legends or enjoy it visually by clicking on the video link. {eoa}
