Testimonies

At the eye clinic here at Bongolo hospital, God's free gift of complete forgiveness (through faith in Jesus Christ's substitutionary atonement) is most often shared by national Gabonese pastors, in the mornings before clinic begins. But at times, I ask patients about where they are at with Jesus too.

Last week I asked Papa Joseph, "Do you know Jesus?" When he said yes, I asked, "What has Jesus done for you?" This being an open-ended question, I often get a wide variety of responses.

Papa Joseph began by saying, "The night I arrived here 5 weeks ago, I encountered Jesus." He went on to say that in 2007 before coming here, his vision had been decreasing and his eyes were very uncomfortable, but the doctor he went to see in Libreville (the capital city) had told him that surgery was not possible. He was given eye drops, but they cost 30,000 CFA (about US $60) per bottle. The daughter that supports him and his wife had been paying for these medications, but they had been a real strain on her financially. This heavy price had been difficult for him and his wife to see as their daughter sacrificed for them.

They finally decided to come to Bongolo hospital, a 12-14 hour taxi ride away over bad roads. Transportation round trip for him and his wife cost 80,000 CFA (US $160), but seeing as how this would be the cost of just 2-1/2 months of medications, they decided it was worth it. Since arriving, Papa Joseph has had a trabeculectomy in one eye to reduce his eye pressure in order to halt his vision loss from glaucoma. Now 5 weeks after that surgery, his eye pressure is down to 14, well controlled, with no additional pressure-lowering eyedrops needed.

A few weeks later, Papa Joseph had surgery on both upper eyelids for trachoma, a blinding illness caused by poor sanitary conditions in developing countries. This disease had caused his eyelashes to be continuously scratching his eyes with every blink for years and years. Now he is free of this discomfort and his cornea is no longer being scarred worse every day.

"I knew Jesus before coming here, but I have really encountered him here in a new way," he said, his eyes shining and a big smile on his face. He said that he has seen Jesus at work in his life, answering his prayers and at work in his life personally. God brought them to Bongolo hospital, God established Bongolo hospital and provided all its nurses and physicians and equipment, and that has been an encouragement to him and his family in their relationship with God. Please pray for Papa Joseph's trabeculectomy surgery in his other eye, scheduled for December.

Another patient, Papa Eric, also shared his story with me last week. (In Gabon, the title "Papa" is a term of respect, like "Mr.") Papa Eric had come in to the eye clinic two weeks before in excruciating pain, holding his head in his hands and rocking back and forth. Like Papa Joseph, Papa Eric also had glaucoma, but in the painful left eye, his eye pressure was a whopping 73. The left eye had also been stone-cold blind for several years and would never see again, so we removed his left eye the same day, relieving his terrible pain.

A couple of weeks after his surgery, I asked Papa Eric the same two questions as I'd asked Papa Joseph. Papa Eric responded, "In the past, my wife already knew Jesus and went to church regulary, but I didn't go often, and to tell the truth I didn't pray often either. I didn't really know Jesus. But since coming here I've discovered that Jesus is not dead. He is not dead!" He shook his head emphatically. "I gave my life to Jesus about 2 weeks ago for the first time, here at the hospital," he said with a huge smile on his face. "Now my wife and child and I pray together, every night." He made a motion to hold his wife's hand and bow his head.

Papa Eric will have a trabeculectomy to lower the pressure in his remaining right eye on Tuesday Sept 29th, so please pray for that surgery. I've also had to tell him that he is not safe to drive due to the damage that glaucoma has already done to his right eye. Please pray for this new believer, for his growth in the Lord and for God to provide for their needs as a family.

A French African worship song is playing in my head right now: "L'eternite....l'eternite....Ou va-tu la passer?" This translates to, "Eternity...eternity...Where will you spend it?"