There are many different types of emotional pain, and in many ways, they can be a lot harder to deal with. One may agree that everyone experiences emotional injuries at some time in their life, but no matter how many of these you’ve endured, it is difficult to ease the pain.

Kofi Bequine’s pain was not the kind one could easily get over. It was the most emotionally painful experience anyone could experience, and to make it worse, there seemed to be no end to it. Kofi is a 65 year old farmer who is married to Abena Yenka, his soul mate for thirty (30) years. They both live in Bewase, a farming community in Mamfe-Adukrom in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Their marriage was blessed with three (3) beautiful children. Kofi worked hard and together with his wife, raised these children the best way they could with hopes that one day, their children would also take care of them in their old age.

As days became years, things seemed to be going quite well for Kofi and his family until one day, the ill-timed swoop of the ‘enemy of life’ struck. One of Kofi’s children dies from a sudden illness. It was a terribly sad moment for Kofi and Abena. A few years after this sad incidence, another child dies. The entire family was shaken. Kofi has just lost two children to an unknown illness, along with the dreams and hopes he had for them. Why were these deaths happening? It seemed like the enemy knew exactly when to strike and was doing just that. And as though losing two children was not enough, Kofi was on the verge of losing his wife as well. Shortly after the death of the second child, Abena his wife divorced him because of tension between his wife’s family and his family. Kofi did everything he could to save his marriage from falling apart, yet to no avail. Eventually, Abena left him. His house has become almost empty.

As a leader of the Men’s Fellowship at his local Church, he had to put up a smile and act as though everything was all right. To top that, a lot of people judged him, pointed fingers at him and started spreading rumors about him. The shame and emotional pain Kofi had to go through was too intense to bear. It was tearing him apart.

He needed comfort, he needed care and he needed to feel loved again.

For many people, just like Kofi, there are times when they have felt like being in a cold, moldy, dark tunnel. It feels like there is no way out. But hope often begins in the dark. Thanks to the generosity of our cherished Partners, the Bible Listening Program came to Kofi’s community. Kofi joined the group every week to listen to the audio Bible in his native language.

Through the teachings, Kofi received insight from God’s Word, rededicated his life to Christ and gained a new perspective to life. He received hope and discovered a new purpose to keep on living. Kofi is now on a healthy path of recovering from all the pain from his past.

“One thing I am sure of,” Kofi testifies, “is that even though God hates divorce, He loves divorced people and wants them to be healed and made whole. The healing process may not be sudden, but it is better than staying in misery and hopelessness.”

We thank all our Partners, who through various means have made the Bible Listening program available at the right time for Kofi Bequine. Without your support, Kofi would not have found the new hope.

“What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.” (Rick Warren)