All of us know the story of St. Thomas the Apostle, who earned the nickname of “doubting Thomas.” He famously protested that he wouldn’t believe in Jesus’ Resurrection until he saw the wounds in Jesus’ hands and feet and put his finger into His pierced side (John 20:25). When our Lord finally appeared to him, Thomas fell to his knees and exclaimed “My Lord and my God!”
Before I became a devoted evangelist for the mission of HEAL, I had to visit Nigeria and experience the mission in action for myself. I met our beneficiaries among the poor and marginalized villagers, and I witnessed the Messengers of Justice (MOJ) religious missionaries working with HEAL founder, Deacon Leo Okonkwo. As a result, my faith in HEAL and it’s mission was confirmed.
Fidelia Ndolo is an American of Nigerian descent living in Arizona. She is from Mbaise village, which is both Deacon Leo’s home and one of the three villages where HEAL’s mission work is focused. While Fidelia has supported HEAL since our beginning in 2014, she, like me, wanted to see the mission for herself. After all, there’s a little bit of St. Thomas in all of us! So, she took a leap of faith and visited our mission site in Mbaise over this past Christmas holiday.
I spoke to Fidelia on the phone about her trip. She was very impressed with the overflowing hospitality of the MOJ, who sang and danced upon her arrival and made sure she was comfortable and well fed. It was a nostalgic experience that reminded her of some positive aspects of Nigerian culture which can be lacking in America. Fidelia was impressed with the mission in Mbaise, but wasn’t able to visit our two other mission sites in the villages of Umuagwu and Kabba.
Like St. Thomas the Apostle, Fidelia and I can say we speak of what “…we have seen with our eyes” (1 John 1) in respect to HEAL’s mission in Nigeria. Let that faith inspire and move you to a one-time or monthly donation in support of our continuing programs with their associated costs.