18 Will Be A Good Year

Adolescence is often an awkward and self-conscious time. During the transition into adulthood, physical appearance and peer recognition are extremely important. For 17-year-old Gyslain, teenage life was even more complicated due to a massive tumor growing on the side of his neck.

As a baby, Gyslain was quite healthy. But when he was three years old, his mother noticed a faint lump on his neck. His parents initially thought it was the result of a recent vaccination. However, when the lump began to grow, they realized it was something far more serious.

They took him to a local hospital in Benin, West Africa. The doctors were intimidated by the location of the tumor and the complex procedure that would be required to remove it. As a result, Gyslain and his parents were turned away. They tried other hospitals – with the same result. Eventually, they gave up in despair.

It was a very painful time for his mother, Leonie. She desperately wanted to help her son. To make the situation even worse, neighbours and relatives began to say that Gyslain had an evil spirit inside of him. Leonie shared her son’s shame, but her faith kept them both strong. She simply says, “If God gave Gyslain this problem, I trusted that He would take care of the problem. That was all we could do.”

The years passed. The tumor increased – and so did the harshness and humiliation of the taunts and insults Gyslain suffered from his peers. Gyslain wanted to fight back, but a fear of aggravating the tumor restrained him. He also felt vulnerable when exerting himself physically. Carrying heavy loads or even just running around caused Gyslain to feel pressure in his neck. He was scared that the tumor would grow larger or even burst.



Despite all this adversity, Gyslain developed close friendships with three boys his age. On weekends and in their spare time, they would wander the countryside and explore new places. For Gyslain, this acceptance from a few individuals was extremely important to him.

Gyslain also managed to get a job working as a mechanic’s apprentice in a garage. And his job put him in the right place at the right time for an incredible answer to prayer.

On a sweltering, humid day Gyslain’s boss asked him to fetch a broken motorbike. Gyslain set off to meet the man whose vehicle had ceased to function and found him stranded on the pavement of a busy road. When Gyslain introduced himself, the man did not respond. Instead, he stared blatantly at Gyslain’s tumor. Gyslain had dealt with such reactions for 14 years, so he simply continued to work with the bike. He was abruptly stopped when the man grabbed him by the shoulders. Wide-eyed and smiling, the man excitedly told Gyslain about an organization in Cotonou that could heal his tumor for free!

Gyslain had never heard of a Mercy Ship, and thought the man might be crazy. Besides, he could not afford the cost of travelling for eight hours to the port of Cotonou.

Once again, Gyslain took hold of the bike and began pushing it in the direction of the garage. But the man persisted. He offered to drive Gyslain to Cotonou, provided Gyslain could cover at least half the cost of fuel. “Who is this man?” Gyslain asked himself. “And why does he want to help me?”

A few weeks later, Gyslain was standing in a line with hundreds of other people, anxiously waiting to hear whether the doctors of Mercy Ships would be able to help him. The man who had been so eager to help Gyslain was standing beside him. His name was Kahou. Gyslain had eventually realised that Kahou was just a man with a loving heart.







Because of Kahou’s concern and the skillful surgeons onboard the Africa Mercy, Gyslain received a free operation to remove the hindering mass from his neck. Now the tumor – and his shame – are gone! He is a walking testimony to God’s faithfulness. “If you have your trust in God, nothing can destroy you,” Gyslain attested. “A tree can fall if the wind blows, but with trust in God, you will stand strong.”



As Gyslain nears his 18th birthday, he is enthusiastic about the future. “I want to continue training as a mechanic,” he said. “It is a good job, and when I have enough money, I am going to buy some land and build a house.” Gyslain’s newfound confidence and energy are evident in his eyes and in his voice. Thanks to Mercy Ships, his life has been transformed.