Lennette Deal, St. Augustine, FL

My husband, Steven, and I served in pastoral ministry for 25 years before God called us to be full-time missionaries. For 11 of those years our family lived in an inner-city that was voted one of the worst places in the nation to raise children. Also, we had no health cost support for most of the 25 years.

During that time we felt God calling us to missionary work in St. Augustine, Fla.—a city we’d never even visited. “Don’t take a church…go be the church,” is what we heard God say in our spirits. Furthermore, we felt assured that He would care for our every need.

Thus, it wasn’t a surprise when some friends and our adult children started telling us about CHM and health cost sharing. We decided to give it a try and joined the Gold program in March 2016.

In early 2017 I experienced severe chest pain and swelling in my breasts and armpits. Heart problems don’t run in my family but I was concerned that might be the culprit. We began a journey to get answers.

The first stop was an urgent care center; followed by a primary care physician who ordered a mammogram; then on to a cardiologist and a gastroenterologist; all the while undergoing many lab tests and X-rays.

I think I would have been an emotional wreck if not for CHM. As a new member I wasn’t very familiar with how the ministry works, but I felt some peace knowing that we had been proactive in taking control of our healthcare costs.

After months of testing the results showed I suffered from GERD (gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease). We praised God that I didn’t have breast cancer or heart problems and that GERD can be controlled by diet!

I experienced some uneasiness about how to submit medical bills to CHM and that the sharing time is about 120 days from the time CHM receives the bills.

However, it did become easier as we wrapped our minds around how the ministry works. My mind was put at ease when the checks for sharing arrived.

We also appreciated that each CHM representative was helpful and kind, and that the staff can assist in negotiating discounts if necessary. We love CHM and regularly recommend the ministry to others.

We humbly thank you, CHM staff and members, for the peace of mind you’ve given us.