Doctors this morning (West Africa time) confirmed the death of Lydia (14), the daughter of Yoonus, a Christian missionary with Bibles for Mideast in Africa. She had been in a coma for six days after being brutally subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) by Muslim radicals on her way home from school  last week (see original story here). Brother Yoonus immediately contacted Pastor Paul Ciniraj, Director of Bibles for Mideast and Patron of the Assembly of Loving God.

An hour after Lydia’s death, workers removed her body from her hospital room. Her parents, brothers, sisters and other believers surrounded her, sobbing at the tragic loss of their beloved. Doctors, nurses and other hospital staff arrived to have a last look at young Lydia’s lifeless body, now draped in a white cloth.

Suddenly, someone noticed the fabric shaking. Could it be wind blowing in from outdoors? The trembling intensified, but now, clearly, the movement came from beneath the cloth.

Then, just as suddenly, Lydia herself threw off the white covering and stood from the bed. “Mummy, our Lord Jesus, our Lord and God Jesus Christ!” she exclaimed joyously.

“Ghost! Ghost!” someone screamed. A nurse and another hospital worker fainted to the floor. All, including the family, backed away in terror, believing a ghost had appeared.

“Mummy, I’m Lydia ... not a ghost,” Lydia reassured her mother. “I’m alive!  Jesus gave me my life back, and healed me! See, He’s just disappearing there on the clouds!” She pointed her finger towards the sky.

Her overjoyed mother embraced and kissed her repeatedly, praising the Lord Jesus. The rest of the family joined in, as the believers gathered round them sang and clapped ecstatically. Some even danced.

While hospital protocol forbad such rambunctious behaviour, no one dared utter a word … let alone of complaint. Amazed, the staff around the family simply had no idea what to do or say.

So Lydia continued with her story.

“My soul left my body and I was dead. Angels came to receive me to heaven. But Jesus appeared before me and said, ‘I cannot turn back from the prayers of my children. My eyes are upon my children and ears are open to their prayer. So I give you your life back, for the issues of death belong to me. You go,  and be my witness.’ Then he put his face right against and right into mine. He breathed into my nostrils, and my soul went in. Then he moved his nail-scarred hands over my body and healed me completely!”

Yoonus and his family, as well as Bibles for Mideast and the Assembly of Loving God Church thank each and every one of you who prayed for Lydia. Please keep the ministries in Africa, Asia and Middle East in your prayers always.

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Update on this story:  Jesus and Salvation in Lydia’s West African Town