Today’s post is written by Jon Erickson, a CAMA global partner serving in Guinea.

In June, I started thinking about how to share this story as we prepared to operate on Saye, a man who had been suffering from a tumor growing and expanding on his face since 2010. I had the idea of showing how Hope Clinic helped Saye find care for his health after years of him searching for relief. That part about Hope remains true, but I found an even better story—the one I’m sharing now—about the love shown through the hands and feet of the church of Jesus Christ.

Osee grew up in a Christian home but made his own decision to follow the Lord when he was 25. He eventually married and began his own family. Last year, the church in his area found out about Saye’s situation and wanted to do something to help him. Osee personally reached out to Saye and began asking his Christian friends to raise money to pay for Saye’s surgery. In February 2023, Osee and Saye traveled to Abidjan to seek a surgeon. Promises were made, and paperwork—with all its expenses—were filled out again and again. Finally, the surgeon said the wait would be long. Sometimes that’s the way to say, “We cannot do it.”

For 13 years, Saye had been living with a tumor growing on his face and had struggled to find the care needed to address his condition.

To help Saye, Osee had left his wife and two children at home and and had been away since February. Osee shared how thieves came and stole his livestock in his absence. But Osee said Saye is more than a friend—“He is my brother!” In April, Osee prayed to the Lord on Saye’s behalf, and God led him to a pastor who told them, “Go to Hope Clinic in Guinea.” Both the pastor and his wife had been previously operated on and cared for at Hope. Abidjan was 600 miles away, but Saye and Osee made the long journey and arrived at the clinic on May 2. Things moved from there and on June 7, Saye underwent a six-hour surgery to remove the tumor and replace his lower jaw with a donated titanium plate.  

After traveling hundreds of miles with Osee to Hope Clinic, Saye finally received life-changing surgery for his tumor.

When Saye had his first dressings changed, pictures were taken and shown to both men. Osee and Saye cried for joy. Saye decided to become a Christian because of the love he has seen demonstrated toward him. Praise be to God for this life that has been transformed and restored!