Kodjo

Kodjo sat alone on a bench at the medical screening. His expression was intensely serious. The attractive young husband and father had a tumour the size of a grapefruit covering his right cheek and curling behind his ear. It had been growing since he was twelve years old.

Kodjo had been an auto mechanic until the tumour grew so large that it got in the way of his work. To provide for his family, he began driving a taxi. But the unsightly growth was having a negative effect on that job oo.

The tumour was draining the joy out of his life. He loved to play several sports, especially football but the growth prevented him from playing. He even quit going to church because he felt so self-conscious.

Then a radio announcement about Mercy Ships changed everything. A hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, was coming to Togo. He had heard about Mercy Ships when the ship was in Togo in 2003, but he wasn't in Togo at that time and could not get there before the ship's field service ended.
 
This time, he made sure he got there in time. The volunteer doctors performed the surgery to remove the tumour - free of charge. He excitedly declared, " I can go back to being a mechanic. I can go back to church. I'm going to start everything. I can do anything now!"