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God is Faithful to His Promise for Baby Girl
“She said to me, you know, ‘Do you, do you see how Mila is so tightly bound? There's no black around her.’” On May 6th, 2020, at 18-weeks pregnant, Ashleigh Rulle couldn’t believe what the ultrasound technician was telling her. She had thought everything was going to be fine. Ashleigh recalls, “She said, ‘We should be seeing, you know, more black. That would be fluid.' She said, ‘You know, I think there might be a problem here.’”
It had been a long two years for Ashleigh and her husband, Travis. After having their first child, a boy, in 2017, they had trouble getting pregnant again. Throughout that time, Ashleigh clung to a vision she believes God gave her. She says, “I was praying specifically for a little girl named Mila. I was coming to God with a pure heart and trusting Him with that desire and believing that He himself had placed that desire on my heart.”
Finally, in January of 2020 she got pregnant through in vitro fertilization. She recalls, “I was so excited. I was barely containing myself.” Travis Rulle says, “It was amazing. It was a very emotional day, very excited.”
Then, at eight and a half weeks, Ashleigh started bleeding. Diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma -- common for in vitro pregnancies – she was put on bed rest. While the doctor expected it to resolve, Ashleigh called on everyone she knew to pray. She says, “No part of me wanted to utter the word miscarriage. It was all I could do to stay strong and and pray for God to, to carry Mila through, carry me through, give me the strength I needed.”
Travis recalls, “I didn't wallow necessarily in the what ifs. It was just a moment of just me and God just talking and begging, uh, for Him to help and His intervention and guidance.” After a couple weeks the hematoma did resolve, and everything seemed fine. Then, another complication. At her 18-week ultrasound on May 6th, Ashleigh’s doctor discovered her amniotic sac had ruptured, and her fluid was dangerously low. Ashleigh recalls, “She said, ‘You know, Ashley, this is not a viable pregnancy. Mila doesn't have enough amniotic fluid to practice breathing, so her lungs aren't gonna fully develop. She's gonna suffocate, you know, that this pregnancy is a choice now. It's not safe for you. It's not safe for Mila.'”
It was then the doctor encouraged her to abort Mila. Ashleigh said a quick prayer and started to respond. She says the words that came out weren’t her own. She says, “God just completely came over me, spoke through me, and gave me just this grace. He said to the doctor through me, ‘I begged God for this baby. I prayed for this baby, and I've seen her.’”
In absolute faith, Ashleigh refused to terminate the pregnancy. She says, “Truly, I was angry. I was aggravated. I'm listening to somebody tell me this about my daughter, my child, while I'm looking at their heart beating on a screen. How can someone tell me this about my child, when to me they're viable.” Her doctor said the next five weeks were critical. Ashley went on bed rest while family and friends continued to intercede for Mila’s life.
Travis recalls, “We were very specific, day by day, milestone by milestone, being very specific to the progress of Mila. It was this amazing just ripple effect of just prayer, and you could almost feel it.” As Ashleigh prayed, she clung to God’s promise that she was not alone. She recalls, “I came across the verses, Luke 1:45. ‘Blessed is she who believed there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’ I would say in my mind, for You have not forsaken me. And I would repeat that, that's where I found a lot of my strength.”
At 23 weeks, Ashleigh’s amniotic fluid was still low, and she was admitted to the hospital. Doctors put her on antibiotics and steroids to help Mila’s development. Doctors were unsure if she would fully develop, even if she made it full term. Ashleigh recalls, “I was not worried at any time that Mila was gonna have any deformities or abnormalities. I felt and knew that God had promised me a healthy baby.”
Doctors expected Ashleigh to finish the remaining 10 to 12 weeks of her pregnancy in the hospital. However, a week and a half after being admitted, Ashleigh got a miraculous gift…. It was on her 33rd birthday. She recalls, “I had an ultrasound, which revealed that I had normal amniotic fluid levels. So, there was no reason to keep me in the hospital. Getting to go home on my birthday and share that joy, increased not only my faith, but you know, these, all of these other people, their faith to, it felt like the ultimate gift from God. You know, I just kept seeing in my mind, 'Ashley, God is for you. He's for you.'” Travis says, “I was just praising God. I was crying. It just felt like something that was so impossible."
Once home, Ashleigh continued bed rest and carried Mila to full term. Then on August 30th, 2020, Mila was born. Ashleigh recalls, “When they put her in my arms, I just shouted. It was just, 'Thank you, God.'” Travis says, “It was one of the greatest, greatest gifts and greatest moments of my life.”
While Mila had a couple minor issues, they were easily corrected in her first few months of life. Today, she is healthy and full of joy. Travis and Ashleigh believe she is a walking testament to God’s faithfulness and love. Travis says, “It taught me that things that seem impossible here are possible with Him. And to lean on Him.” Ashleigh says, “I fully trust my doctors and I believe them but I serve a God who's supernatural. I came to God with desperate faith, and I know it was that desperate faith that pleased Him.”
Sudden Blindness and Sudden Kindness
Nombekumbeku used to love to sing and dance. Now she mainly sits in silence, because she is blind due to cataracts.
Nombekumbeku explained, “I lost my vision very suddenly. I was walking home and I fell. That’s when I knew I could no longer see. Everything around me is foggy now. I can’t do anything for myself. I need to be accompanied even when I go to the bathroom, otherwise I get lost.”
Concerned for her mother’s well-being, her daughter moved back home to the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to look after her.
“Not being able to see has taken away my joy,” said Nombekumbeku. “I used to be very lively and independent. I worked hard and never sat down. I grew food in my garden and cooked for myself. Now, my garden is dry and unattended. It pains me so much.”
Then they heard about Grace Vision, a ministry supported in part by Operation Blessing, and reached out to us for help. Thanks to your generosity, she received her cataract surgery.
As her bandages were being removed, her daughter sat next to her in anticipation. Then Nombekumbeku looked at her and shouted in joy and disbelief, “Xezi, my daugther! Is this really you!?” She then said, “God is with me. He is walking with me!”
Nombekumbeku broke out into spontaneous dance as she thanked everyone around her for their help.
“I can see perfectly now. I am so relieved. I feel like myself again. I feel alive!” exclaimed Nombekumbeku. “You have unshackled me from my pain, and I am no longer a burden to anyone. I am healed and very happy, and it’s all thanks to you! ‘Thank you, Operation Blessing. Thank you so much.’”
‘The Chosen’ Actress Elizabeth Tabish Talks New Film
THE BETWEEN BORDERS STORY
The film is based on the true story of Ivan and Violetta Petrosyan, a young, Armenian couple raising their two young daughters in Azerbaijan, which borders Armenia. Though born in the former country and at peace there for decades, tensions over disputed land build as the Soviet Union crumbles in the late 1980’s. As if overnight, Armenians are suddenly considered outcasts, facing discrimination, property damage, and threats at best; violence and death at worst. The Petrosyans realize that they must leave their homeland and seek refuge with friends of the family in Volgograd, Russia. Life there isn’t much better, as they again are met with disdain, and forced to live in poverty. One thing, however, is very good in their new location: Christian missionaries. They serve as buffers between the Petrosyans and corrupt authorities, and invite them to church, where they explain the gospel. Violetta comes to faith in Jesus, while Ivan stays on the fringes, worried his wife has fallen prey to another system of belief that will let her down, as communism has. In time, he also seeks the counsel of the pastor, and finds reason to hope in God.
At the invitation of one of the missionaries, an American, whose West Virginia church offers to support the Petrosyans, they travel to the U.S. to seek asylum – and a better life. Their hopes appear dashed, however, when an unsympathetic U.S. immigration attorney twists their story, determined to see their plea for asylum denied. She offers them a deal to stay in America only until “things improve” in Russia, at which time they must return, with no chance for asylum. Seeing no future for their family in such a deal, the Petrosyans turn it down, their fate now resting in the hands of the judge.
A number of things drew Elizabeth to this role, she says. First, she was approached by friend and co-writer, Isaac Norris, whose own father was one of the Christian missionaries depicted in the film. Also, Elizabeth is of Armenian (and Italian) descent herself, making the context of the story all the more meaningful to her. Next, her great-grandmother grew up in Tehran, Iran, and felt like a refugee throughout her adult life. Elizabeth admired how she rose above discrimination, and demonstrated strength through her love of family. Lastly, Elizabeth said she relates to the character of Violetta, who also shows a deep love for her family, doing everything possible to better their lives. Audiences can see Between Borders, a Fathom movie event, in theatres across the nation from Sunday, January 26 through Tuesday, January 28, 2025.
HER HOPES FOR VIEWERS
The stability and strength that Violetta displays in the film come from her new relationship with God, Elizabeth explains, and are not based on circumstances changing, or even the prospect of a new life in America, though that is her hope. She may well have to return to Russia, poverty, and mistreatment, but her undergirding faith gives her hope, no matter. That perspective is what Elizabeth hopes viewers come away with after watching the movie. Also, she hopes people will realize what a great country the U.S. is, despite its many problems, and the
contributions of countless legal immigrants and refugees who’ve enriched it with their culture and hard work.
ONE OF THE CHOSEN
Cast as Mary Magdalene in the immensely-popular, crowd-funded, Bible TV series, The Chosen, Elizabeth says it’s a great honor to play this woman who was so significant to Jesus. She loves hearing how people are moved by a scene or episode and how some who are not believers become curious about the gospel. “Though it’s a job, and we do what is written for us, there’s a heartbeat through it all,” she says, referring to the faith of the cast and the affect it has on them while portraying Christ’s disciples.
Her favorite episode thus far is the very first one, in which Jesus calls her by name, though He had no earthly way of knowing it. His simple words demonstrate not only omniscience, but what she needed most – divine love. That love would set her free from sin, demonic possession, and the search for her true identity and purpose.
Season five of The Chosen will be released in theaters in late March before it begins streaming. It’s summed up this way by The Deseret News: “The table is set. The people of Israel welcome Jesus as king while his disciples anticipate his crowning. But — instead of confronting Rome — he turns the tables on the Jewish religious festival. Their power threatened, the country’s religious and political leaders will go to any length to ensure this Passover meal is Jesus’ last.”
To find out more about Elizabeth Tabish and her up-and-coming projects click the link! www.elizabethtabish.com
CREDITS
Actress, plays “Violetta,” in Between Borders (Pinnacle Peak and StoryLight Productions, 2025) based on the true story of an Armenian refugee family in the late 80’s / Plays “Mrs. Grady” in the recent movie, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, 2024 / Plays “Molly Garner” in The Shift, 2023 / Renowned for her portrayal of Mary Magdalene in The Chosen, 2017 – present / Notable appearances in the TV series The Son and Panic / Began her career in the film and commercial industry, appearing in various commercials, independent films, and network television projects / Master of Arts in Theater and a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies from Oklahoma State University / Award-winning filmmaker who has directed numerous independent short films exploring female archetypes / Married to Stan Mayer
Healing Provided Confidence in God
“I started experiencing feeling a little tired and fatigued. And then I started getting some tightening in my esophagus in my throat, like near where your thyroid would be.” Michele Justice recalls, “And it was affecting my vocal cords and my speaking. I was experiencing some hoarseness, it was making me concerned, especially in the industry that I'm in, where I work, very physical work for a living in the cleaning, you know, cleaning industry. And this had been quite a few months of feeling that way. I knew I had an upcoming appointment with the doctor for your routine well check and bloodwork. So I was looking forward to that to address that with her. And when they did the blood work, they found that my thyroid, the antibodies of my thyroid were elevated."
Michele continues, “So my husband and I prayed together about it, and we agreed in prayer that the Lord would touch and I receive healing for that area of my body.” She says, “I watch the 700 Club on a regular basis in the afternoons. And this particular day I was, you know, looking forward to the prayer time at the end of the hour, toward the end of the show. I put my hands across my esophagus where I felt like I had all that pain and pressure. And as I was doing that, Ashley Key had received a word of knowledge."
Ashley said on the 700 Club, “Yeah, I believe some of you just put your hand over your throat, like where your esophagus is, and you've been having a lot of trouble in that part of your body. It's hard for you to swallow. It's hard for you to talk. I'm not sure if there's a tear in your esophagus area, but I believe God is literally healing that for you right now And in the name of Jesus.”
“And I could feel, you know, the power of God and this excitement come over me thinking, yes, at last relief,” says Michele. “And I just felt instant relief. And I didn't feel that pressure swallowing any more. I didn't have a hard time talking. I noticed I was talking more clearly. I didn't have that strain or hoarseness. And when I returned to the doctor, she saw that the thyroid had improved in the bloodwork. I really was grateful to receive that touch from God. Our prayers had been answered. We didn't doubt that they would be, but we were excited that they were answered to that level. It provided confidence in God and that He was well aware of my circumstances and taking care of the problem. So that was wonderful. And the relief I received, grateful to God for that.”