After breaking his leg in a motorcycle accident, Edem* was rushed to ABWE’s Hospital of Hope in northern Togo. As a respected village elder in a deeply animistic region with little-to-no gospel influence, Edem’s accident could have been looked upon as punishment from displeased ancestors or a curse from an enemy. But in God’s hands, it became the perfect opportunity to share Christ’s love and build a community of faith.
As Hospital of Hope doctors cared for Edem’s physical health, missionary Josh Farver and other chaplains visited him to check on his spiritual health. Initially, Edem refused to speak about spiritual matters, but after watching The Jesus Film in his native language of Moba and experiencing the authentic love that hospital staff showed their patients, Edem’s heart slowly softened and a miraculous transformation began to take place.
Filled with a desire to grow in his newfound faith, Edem invited Josh to his home to begin a Bible study with his entire family, and within two months, the study grew to include most of his village.
“Through Edem’s accepting and inviting us in, we are seeing God do amazing things in this family and village,” Josh said. “They are soaking up all they can and are even praying and studying together when we are not there.”
Families throughout Edem’s village have accepted Christ, and Edem also began sharing the gospel with friends in a nearby village. This outreach has led Josh and the hospital’s chaplain team to start an additional Bible study in the area.
“Recently, they started asking about baptism, so now we are discussing what that means,” Josh added. “It so exciting to see God work and to know that this is just the beginning.”
*Name changed for security
