It was his eye that captivated me from the moment we looked at each other. I was probably one of the few white people that he had seen in his lifetime, but I immediately felt a bond with the man, who is a living testimony of the effectiveness of Christian media.
Now in his eighties, Papa Djato Makaai used to be a pagan farmer in Northern Togo. Most of his life he lived under the power of malicious spirits. To ensure a sufficient harvest he would bring sacrifices to the idols. To protect himself and his family he was obliged to appease the spirits in his world. His life was governed by fear. Until one day, when he heard about Jesus Christ.
No evangelist had visited his homestead. No church had reached out to him, and no pastor had lost his way into this remote part of the country. It was through the radio that Papa Djato heard of One, who was more powerful than the spirits who were oppressing him. He simply believed the message, which had come to him in his native language. As a result of his decision, he contacted a pastor in a neighboring village and demanded: “I want to see your Jesus.”
But that was only the beginning of his troubles. His family did not share his newfound faith. When he decided to no longer pay homage to the spirits who had ruled his life for over 70 years, his family was upset. When he went so far as to burn his idols, the people were certain that the old man would not live through the night. Nobody could protect him now from the deadly power of the voodoo. When Papa Djato emerged from his house the next morning, everybody was astonished. There was a power more powerful than their demonic taskmasters. In fact, the testimony of Jesus’ power over the spirit world was what convinced other villagers to put their trust in the Son of God.
Papa Djato continues to listen to Radio Reveil, the radio station that introduced him to Jesus Christ. Over the years, the radio has helped him to grow in his faith. Even Mr. Agba, the director of the radio station is touched. When asking what Jesus has been doing in the village, since he arrived here some years ago, Papa Djato looks me in the eyes and declares that Jesus has brought him peace: “When Jesus leads me into the fire I will follow him. When the Son of God leads me into the deep waters, I will not hesitate to follow him there, too. Because, since neither fire nor water will harm Jesus, neither will they harm me.”
