The Mengen man had a rough start in life and became a thief and troublemaker.

Bobo, a Mengen believer, has overcome some tremendous obstacles to come to faith in Christ.

Bobo’s father died when he was a baby. Many say that his father was killed by an aborou, a person with the ability to perform black magic. His mother, overcome with grief and shame, committed suicide shortly thereafter.

Bobo and his older sister were found in a room beside his dead mother. His extended family raised him. His grandmother and uncles were his main caretakers.

“Because of these circumstances,” wrote missionary Lourens Laureti. “Bobo grew up to be a difficult boy, who was even regarded according to Mengen culture as being bad-mannered, a thief and trouble maker.”

Bobo set out to take advantage of the missionaries from the first day they arrived in the tribe. He offered to help carry their supplies which gave him the opportunity to steal some of their supplies. Then he broke into their house and stole sugar and yeast to make a homebrew so that he could get drunk. He was a constant troublemaker over the years.

The missionaries were amazed that when they began teaching Firm Foundation Bible lessons, Bobo listened to all of them. Then he attended the next series of Bible lessons on the books of Acts and Romans.

As Bobo listened to the teaching, the Holy Spirit began to work in his life making him aware of his sin and his need for a redeemer.

So this young orphan was adopted into the family of Christ with God as his Father.

“God has done a remarkable work in this young man’s life,” wrote Lourens. “He joined the literacy class and learned to read and write and now he is even being trained as a literacy teacher. He is also in the beginning stages of being evaluated to become a teacher trainee in church. God has truly turned his life around.”

Pray that the team of missionaries ministering to the Mengen people will continue to see lives transformed. Pray also for Bobo. He is just 16 years old and has many years to devote to his Lord and Saviour.