Lome, Togo
My name is Justin, I am 31 years old, I am a nurse anesthetist and I have been married for eight months. On May 27, along with seven other young adults in Lomé, I made my promise as a "lay servant" in the Gospel Servants community.
My story with God began six years ago, when in a fellowship I heard the words of Isaiah 43: "Fear not, I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine". I felt that those words were meant for me. I discovered that God loved me just as I was, even with my mistakes and wounds. It was then that I became aware of a profound loneliness and of a pain that I did not know how to name: the absence of paternal love.
The community accompanied me on this journey with listening, prayer and formation. Little by little, God led me to forgive, to pray every day for my father and to learn to love him as He loves him. Today, I can say that I admire my father and I thank God for having him alive by my side.
This love has transformed my whole life. In my work as a nurse, I recognize in each patient the face of the suffering Christ, and this impels me to care with more attention and patience. In my family, in my profession and in every service I perform, I seek to help others experience the love of God that has changed me forever.
That is why I made my promises: to live each day as a servant of the Gospel, carrying the hope that I myself received.
Justin, Lomé, Togo.
