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From the desk of Steve Shultz:
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Jimmy Evans: They Lost Robert Morris' Pulse in the Helicopter
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One Gateway pastor says Robert Morris' journey to the hospital and subsequent recovery the last few days is entirely miraculous.
"Let me tell you, it was close," says Jimmy Evans, the lead apostolic senior pastor at Morris' Gateway Church. Evans is also the CEO of Marriage Today.
Evans, who was with Morris yesterday, told Charisma News some of the details leading up to Morris' life flight Sunday night and his following surgeries.
Evans says Morris passed out at his home about 70 miles away from the city on Sunday. The first set of paramedics told Morris' wife, Debbie, that Morris was dehydrated. They gave him some fluids and left. Morris passed out again, and an additional set of paramedics was summoned.
The second group of paramedics included a veteran helicopter pilot who operated air ambulances for 13 years.
"The minute he saw him, he said, 'You need an air ambulance right now,'" Evans tells Charisma News. "It was because of his experience that they knew that. On the flight in, they lost his pulse, his blood pressure, he was just in horrible shape. We look at that as just being a huge God deal with that, if that guy hadn't been there and they hadn't immediately called an air ambulance, he probably would have died."
Once Morris arrived at the hospital, he underwent multiple surgeries to remove blood clots and staunch internal bleeding.
The body of Christ rallied around the megachurch pastor, with prayers from around the globe. Gateway Church launched an hourly prayer vigil in which social media users commented their prayers for the pastor.
Before one surgery, Debbie recorded a "fire tunnel," where "Sweet friends" prayed over the pastor in tongues.
"He's just much better. They think he'll have a full recovery," Evans says. "He's just very tired obviously. Very sore. He's in good spirits. Looks like he'll have a great recovery."
Evans says he believes prayers made all the difference for Morris. He and the Morris family are incredibly grateful for the intercession that rose up from around the globe.
"Let me also say how thankful we are, how thankful Robert and Debbie are and their family is, to everyone who has been praying, that churches have been praying," Evans says. "we just want to say thank you so much to the body of Christ; it's just been overwhelming to see the outpouring of prayers and support for Robert."
Jessilyn Justice @jessilynjustice is the director of online news for Charisma.
