Back in 2017, our local evangelist Jean met a young man named Daniel who was living in the village of Kouaba with his little family, making a small income as a welder.
One day, Daniel’s lower leg started to swell. It developed a sore that got infected and kept getting bigger until it went all the way to the bone. He went to the hospital and received treatment for several months. Finally, he was told that the leg needed to be amputated. That’s when his relatives took him to a remote village to a traditional healer. Jean, who had been visiting him and praying with him during his sickness, lost contact with him. Jean didn’t know where Daniel was and couldn’t reach him by phone. Our team continued to pray for Daniel, hoping that somehow Jean would be able to get back in touch with him.
Six months later, Daniel was back. The sore was as bad as ever, and He’d had enough of the traditional healer and all the rituals and sacrifices he had been required to perform. He called Jean and asked him to come and pray for him again. They also started to study the Bible together. However, Daniel’s relatives still wanted to take him to traditional healers. He had decided that his only hope was in Jesus, so he took his little family and moved to the outskirts of Natitingou to get away from his relatives. We started to visit them and made friends with them. At times when food was scarce for the family, Jean and we stepped in. Daniel was unable to work, and his wife, a seamstress, didn’t make enough money to provide for the family. Several times we suggested he go back to the hospital, but he was scared of an amputation. So we continued to pray and wait.
At the beginning of 2019, Daniel was getting desperate and agreed to be taken to the hospital for an assessment. The doctor told us about a clinic in the South that treats these kinds of sores. Daniel was willing to give it a try. After praying about it, we decided to send him to the clinic and pay for his treatment. He and his family left in March knowing that it would take at least three months. We contacted the Adventist church in the town where the clinic was located and made sure someone would visit Daniel’s family and pray with them.
After seven months of treatment, including some skin grafts, the sore was finally healed, and Daniel and his family returned on a Friday evening. The next morning, they came to church to testify about what God had done for them. From that day on, they attended church regularly.
Soon Daniel wanted to get back to work. Someone gave him tools, and he found a little shack to rent. When his little shop was ready he invited the church elders to have a prayer of dedication.
Today Daniel and his wife are preparing for baptism. Life is still not easy for them, and they struggle to make ends meet. He has to bandage his leg all the time to protect the old sore since it sometimes reopens. His relatives ask him why his God is not healing him completely, but Daniel and his wife have set their minds on Jesus. Please pray with us for this precious family.
