About

My vision is to make disciples in northern Togo through compassionate healthcare. I began serving in Togo as a Nurse Practitioner in 2012, had the joy of watching the completion of construction of the Hospital of Hope in Mango, Togo in 2015, which provides health care to the underserved people of northern Togo and several neighboring countries.

Where in the world is Togo?

Togo is one of Africa’s smaller countries, sandwiched between Ghana and Benin in West Africa.

Size: Slightly smaller than West Virginia

Climate: Tropical and hot in the south, semi-arid and hot in the north. Rainy season in the north is from June to September. Dry season is October to May, including Harmattan (when trade winds bring dust from the Sahara, making it very dry, dusty, and not as hot) from December to February.

Population: 6,800,000

Language: 42 tribal languages (We see at least 6 of those daily at the hospital). French is the official language, but it doesn’t allow communication with many Togolese!

Religion: Christian 29% (more dominant in south), Islam 20% (more dominant in north), Animism (traditional African religions) 51%

Health:                     Togo:                 USA:

Life expectancy:    59 years           78 years

Median age:            19 years           37 years

Infant mortality:    51 per 1000     6 per 1000

Common diseases: Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Pneumonia, Tuberculosis, Diarrheal disease, Typhoid, Hypertension, Strokes

How did I get to such an obscure part of the world?

My journey to Togo began when I first experienced medical missions during nursing school at Cedarville University in 2002. During a month long trip, I fell in love with the Togolese people and medical ministry as my fellow nursing students and I served at the Hôpital Baptiste Biblique in southern Togo. I knew then that God was leading me to the new medical ministry reaching the northern part of the country. Following graduation from nursing school, I enthusiastically followed the approval, planning, funding, and construction of the Hospital of Hope, while longing for the day when I could return. Meanwhile, I returned to school to become a Family Nurse Practitioner to allow me to provide more advanced nursing care at the new hospital. Shortly after completing that degree, I was appointed as a missionary through the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. In less than a year, God generously provided full support through friends, family, and my sending church, Emmanuel Baptist Church in Xenia, Ohio, and I was on my way to Togo in March 2012!

What does my life look like in Togo?

I live in a neighborhood in Mango populated mainly by Hausa people (while Tchokossi people make up most of Mango’s population). By living among them, I am able to develop relationships with my neighbors and immerse myself more in the Hausa language and culture. I work five days a week in the clinic at the Hospital of Hope, typically caring for about 25 patients per day. Besides the 10-room clinic, the hospital has a capacity of about 70 inpatients (including maternity), 4 operating rooms, a pharmacy, lab, and radiology with  x-ray and ultrasound. Almost 200 Togolese are employed as nurses, aides, techs in various departments, chaplains, administration and other roles. We keep quite busy, seeing over 14,000 patients in our first year of operation! About half of my 40+ missionary colleagues work in the hospital, whether in patient care, administration, or maintenance; while others work in radio ministry, agricultural ministry, teaching our missionary kids; and all of us work to make disciples as we seek to bring glory to God in our part of West Africa.