This lady, whom I affectionately call Maman Gisèle, my godmother.


During my early teenage years, she heard about some of the suffering I was going through (alone, not even my parents knew) and chose to be concerned, even though she hardly knew me and the only thing we had in common was faith in Jesus. She “bought” my problem and decided that I would no longer face it alone, but that from then on she would be my ally in finding a solution. She accompanied me in my first steps in the faith.



Week after week, until I graduated from high school and left Cameroon, she helped me live one of the best years of my life to date.

Despite the challenges of distance, apart from my biological family, she’s one of the few people I’ve kept in touch with, or rather who has kept in touch with me on a regular basis, over the last 10 years. I’ve always been grateful to her. I learned from her how possible and beneficial it is to volunteer so much in the life of a “stranger”… A model of humility, helpfulness, generosity, courage, hard work, big heart and love.


Last Saturday, as I was trying to follow her example, I was on a bus going to another city to visit a student I’d been mentoring for a few years… I received a message saying that she had passed away. Maman Gisèle has passed away! In her forties, leaving behind 2 little boys, not even teenagers yet, and her husband (who is blind).



Just like that, she’s gone. A week before we wrote to each other on WhatsApp, a week before she left me a voice note filled with joy, a week before she prayed for me, for my future… And today she’s gone. Just like that. A loving and devoted wife, mother, sister, friend, advisor. Without warning.

Death is so disgusting and yet, unfortunately, it is the flip side of this life. We may know that we will all die, and even that it is a gain for those who are saved… But that doesn’t make it any less painful or disgusting…

We’ll do our best, Maman Gisèle.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 

2 Corinthians 4:16-5:4, The Bible