As she lay in intensive care, a Togolese hospital chaplain and ABWE Missionary Josh Farver came to visit her and discovered she had never heard of Jesus or the Bible. They found a short audio message in her local dialect of Moba and played it for her and her daughter. The women were intrigued and listened closely as the audio discussed the trap of fetish worship, which is very common in the Moba culture. It went on to talk about the origin of sin and the salvation Jesus brought when He died on the cross for man’s sin. Then a short song asked, “Will you follow Jesus?” The women listened to the song’s message, and as the simple refrain repeated, they softly began to sing along.
After the song ended, the audio shared how they could receive salvation, and then a final song thanked God for Jesus’ saving sacrifice. This was the first time Tandjom had heard Jesus’ name, but she instinctually raised her frail hands toward God and sang along.
“She was never taught what to do, but her natural response was to raise her hands to God and worship Him,” said Josh. “It was one of the purest displays of worshipping God that I have ever seen in my life. It still gives me chills when I think about it.”
When the song ended, Tandjom began to pray and accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior. On her deathbed, Tandjom received new life, and shortly after that, her daughter made the same commitment.
“This is just one story among many, but every time we share the gospel with someone who has never even heard of Jesus, we are reminded of why we are here,” said Josh. “God is opening doors and changing lives for all eternity.”
The Hospital of Hope opened on March 2, 2015, and it’s first-year many lives, like Tandjom, have been touched:
- More than 11,500 patients have been seen from all over West Africa
- More than 2,200 patients have been admitted into the hospital
- More than 750 surgeries have been performed
- More than 290 babies have been delivered
- Thousands of patients and family members have seen the “Jesus Film” and heard the gospel
- Many people have given their lives to Christ and more than 12 house groups have been started
