Last February our Praise West Africa Director, Pastor Joseph Oulai, contacted me with a very urgent request. The Doctors had told Veronique, wife of one of our Praise-sponsored pastors, Pastor Josue Aproh, that she and her unborn baby would die if nothing were done, that they would NOT survive the child birth. Veronique was in her 10th month of pregnancy! The baby was 11 lbs and the umbilical cord was around his neck. Joseph said that $2000 was needed in order to perform a surgery that could possibly keep them alive. But it needed to be done immediately. Time was of essence.
Praise International has an Emergency Need Fund called “Raven’s Fund,” but it was virtually empty. So I’m ashamed that my first thought was merely to say: I will pray for that. Then I remembered the words of James about people who say they have faith but don’t act it out when someone comes to them in need, who instead of really showing compassion, just say, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled.”
So I said, Joseph, I will get this news out to our Praise friends. I told him that we would do what we could to wire the money within 24 hours. I got the news out to as many people as possible. People started contacting me left and right to say that they would give. By God’s Grace, within 24 hours I was able to send $2000 over to Ivory Coast!
They performed the operation and the mother and baby both survived. The surgeon said that it was a miracle. Pastor Josue and Veronque named the baby, Joseph Prodigue. Joseph, because of all the generous and sacrificial help that Joseph Oulai gave, and Prodigue, the French word for “wonders,” as used in the Bible, “signs and wonders.”
God showed His Compassion, by touching the hearts of people like you, our Praise International friends, so that the wife and baby of one of our Praise-sponsored pastors would survive! Praise is in the business of encouraging, supporting, and facilitating the ministries of national pastors in developing countries.
I explained this story again, because while Kandee and I were in Ivory Coast in the month of November, we were able to personally meet Pastor Josue and Veronique Aproh and the cute little miracle baby, Joseph Prodigue. They were moved with gratitude and joy as we met, There were lots of tight hug. Tears running from my eyes. They couldn’t stop thanking us. We kept reminding them that it was brothers and sisters in Christ, back in America, who generously gave in order for this to happen. Thank you.
