Adam, at nearly 16 years of age does not go to school. His younger brother does but he and another brother are shepherds, or more appropriately termed, cow hands as they take care of a herd of cows, grazing them and eventually bringing them to market. Through our translation team his father said, “We are so thankful for the transformation of my son. We went to many doctors over the years and were never able to find help. We thank God for this happening.”
At 5 years of age Adam’s dad noticed a small lump in his son’s right jaw. In their small village called Boaba (pronounced “bah-bah”) north of Parakou, medical help is not available, so for years, the lump grew and grew. As a teenager, his dad would bring him great distances seeking medical help and no one was able to make the now enormous growth go away.
His dad heard about a Mercy Ships screening outside of Parakou and travelled with his son to only to find that this particular screening was for eyes only. He returned to his village and heard others tell him it was only a joke and there wasn’t really anyone willing to help them and said it was a waste of money to pay for transportation to a screening. But Adam’s dad wouldn’t give up. He went to a Mercy Ship’s screening in Parakou and was seen by a doctor and was able to make an appointment for surgery on the ship.
So, travelling over a seven hour vehicle ride away again, they came to Cotonou and the port where the M/V Africa Mercy hospital ship resides and were turned away as the dates were incorrect. They returned back to their village only to be ridiculed more for wasting there time saying those on the ship only wanted his money. The father would not give up. In mid-October he brought his son one more time to Cotonou and to the ship and was finally admitted to the hospital. Then they waited again. 
This is where we met the pair. The father was sitting on a stool and his son was in bed in the ward prior to their scheduled surgery still a few days away. They watched us come in to visit another patient. Soon we ventured over to them, shook their hands in greeting and offered to play a game Jenga with them. Though their language is Peuhl and a translator was not available this day, it was a very good way to start a wordless but full of hand gesture and laughing relationship. We played for quite some time.
We visited a couple more times prior to Adam’s surgery and found the father a bit concerned for his son that the surgery hadn’t taken place yet. But surgery did finally happened and Adam’s caring father looked quite concerned that his son was in the operating theatre for about eight hours.
The next time we saw Adam, he was bandaged around his now normal sized head and he was still recovering from anesthetic. His father sat close by his son. We motioned to the father that Adam’s huge tumor removal looked very good. His dad smiled and shook his head “yes.”
Adam hadn’t looked too happy right after the surgery. He was sullen and stayed a bit off to the distance when we visited him two days post-surgery. Today he was beaming and he explained, “When they first gave me the mirror to see my face, I didn’t know what to think [it was so different]. It has taken awhile to adjust and now I am very happy with how I look.”
We visited the pair regularly and finally met with Adam down in the hold of the ship awaiting with his father for the final, post operative visit. We sat beside him then handed him four color photos laminated of Adam and his dad and Guy and me. I never saw such a large smile on Adam’s face since we met him about two weeks prior on the ward. He kept shuffling through the photos over and over shaking his head “yes” grinning and pointing at each of us in the photos.
One simple stitch line remains in his nose that will be removed today. The huge scar on the right side of his head from the top of his ear to near the top of his head will fade as his hair grows a little to cover it. Dr. Gary Parker, the maxillofacial surgeon for Adam, explained that when the muscles in the jaw line are extracted with the tumor, then the muscles can be pulled down from the top of the head to fill in for a new jaw line. Amazing.
Tonight they will be in the Hospitality Center and tomorrow morning off to their home village in the northern part of Benin.
To speak with Adam and his dad today was through a series of translators. One Day Volunteer speaks French and she translated our English to French via a lady who has a son that is a patient who speaks French and also speaks Adam’s village language called Peuhl. The father and son listen and then relay their answers back to the lady who then translates it to French and then the Day Volunteer tells us what is said in English. Through this system we communicate.
Days Later: We met with Adam and his father one last time in the hospitality Center. Adam and his dad were all smiles and set to leave the next day for the long journey back to the village. Adam had learned the craft of making woven lace bracelets. He made me one! We will miss the two of them and know that Adam’s life will be much different now that his enormous tumor is gone. His father is to be commended for his determination to find help for his son.
Returning to the United States
I will be returning to Colorado just in time for Christmas and to celebrate my youngest daughter, Carol's wedding to Jesse Parker on January 2! What a joyous occassion to return to!
I will miss being with Mercy Ships and being allowed to be a part of this amazing work of God. 
A few parting photos of my time here including being a "Stairway Guide" during ship fire drills, the surgeries, the Presidential Dinner and the unique way of Benin and the love and laughter of so many.
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