Stories

“You were talking about grace; what exactly is it? Do we no longer need sacrifices to cry out to God for forgiveness of our sins?" Mr. Etoh asked of HBB chaplain, Justin after he shared the truth of the gospel.

A young couple came to HBB at the end of September 2020 with a pressing emergency. The 21-year-old wife, Bertine, had just tried to put an end to her life by taking a deadly brew.

In a communal culture like Togo is atypical for an elderly lady to live alone. One day, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Jane went to this lady and asked if she was interested in hearing about the Bible. The lady said yes. Still, Jane was curious as to why this woman lived on her own. The response of one neighbor was that this lady had done “bad things” - a reference to the things in the spiritual realm. Mama Melanie was considered a witch.

*slightly graphic image of birth inside*

I had never witnessed any type of birth before. The surgeon was swift yet careful as he worked handling the sharp instruments with precision and the floppy baby with care.

The phone rang in early November. Dr. Tom Kendall answered. He was greeted by his friend on the other end of the line was a friend who had traveled to Lomé to visit family. The man’s sixty-year-old cousin had been suffering from severe abdominal pain for the last six months.

The work continues in Durban, South Africa. Kathy Ishler shares that some of the church members and other folks who have received food packages in the past weeks are coming out to help with the food stations. They are able to help by chopping vegetables, cooking, cleaning, dishing up food, setting up, sanitizing, trash collection, and most importantly sharing Jesus with communities that are physically and spiritually hungry.

Necrotizing fasciitis (flesh eating disease) is difficult to treat and often results in amputation. Komi (age 62) was in the hospital for months as this disease threatened to take his leg.

The first food station pop-up has been launched! Darin Ishler shares a few updates from Durban, South Africa regarding their current efforts to provide food to communities in need.

“Feeding people in South Africa has become a great spiritual outreach. We find the lost turning to Christ because they see the love of Jesus being shared. Already in poverty and desperate for work, our locals are in need of bread to eat but most importantly, in need of the Bread of Life. In John 6:35, Jesus declares that He is the bread of life and whoever comes to Him will never go hungry. What a practical truth that is changing lives because of your help!”

In the last few weeks, life has been turned on its head as countries around the world have been feeling the strains of COVID-19 from death tolls to job cuts, travel restrictions and more. Healthcare providers (HCPs) around the world have been and are working tirelessly to try and heal those afflicted by the virus as well as prevent others from contracting it.

There is no simple answer when a missionary is contemplating whether to leave the field in the wake of impending danger.

While coronavirus has people worldwide rethinking international travel, there are critical ways to live on mission from home.

Embarrassment and feelings of uselessness burdened Madame Botcholi in her role as a church leader’s wife.

It is common today to find those who doubt or question how their skills could be of any use to God on the mission field. Thankfully, God works according to His own understanding and is using those with varied skills to do His work. But still, there is a need. Will you take a few minutes to see if you can help the teams in Togo accomplish all that God has given them to do?

God used the opening of the hospital to reach Gaglo with the Gospel. A year later, he helped the missionaries plant a local church. After that, he was called by God and sent by his church leaders to pastor another new church. Now, he has a desire to plant yet another church in a nearby village. God is using HBB to multiply churches within Togo.

A physical vision impairment brought Yawa to HBB. She was only looking to have her vision restored but she received so much more!

Medical needs brought Faro Faro to HBB. He returned home a Christian and began a small church in his village just two weeks later. But the need for mature leadership and a regular pastor are standing in the way of their multiplication goals. Will you be a part of the solution for seeing more healthy churches produced in Togo?

Disability, Islam, death, and an accident were a few of the things God used to draw Komna to Himself.

“Church” may not mean the same thing across the globe. If I were to ask you to describe to me your church, what would you say? What images and ideas would come to mind? What is “normal” in your context?