What does Acts 9:34 mean?

When Saul, with the full support of the Sanhedrin, first started persecuting the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–3), the Jesus-followers made the reasonable decision to leave town, but they took their faith with them. One of these refugees was a deacon named Philip. Philip first headed north to Samaria, where he shared Jesus' message with the Samaritans. When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard, they sent Peter and John to see what was going on. They validate Philip's message and the Samaritans' faith (Acts 8:4–8, 14–17).

Next, the Holy Spirit told Philip to head back south into Judea and speak with a court official of the Ethiopian queen. He worshiped the Jewish God and was reading from the book of Isaiah. Philip explained that the passage was talking about Jesus of Nazareth. The official put his faith in Jesus, as well. The Holy Spirit carried Philip to Azotus, the old Philistine city on the coast of the Mediterranean. From there, Philip traveled north to Caesarea Maritima, preaching as he traveled (Acts 8:26–40).

Two of the possible towns on his route were Lydda and Joppa. Now that Saul is a Jesus-follower and is no longer persecuting the church, Peter is traveling, building up the new believers and preaching to those who haven't heard. He finds himself in Lydda and heals a man named Aeneas who has been bedridden for eight years with paralysis. This healing, credited to the power of Christ, is instantaneous. As a result, the people of the town and the plain north of Lydda, between the mountains and the sea, become followers of Christ (Acts 9:35).