MISHAWAKA, Ind. — The wife of an American missionary killed in Cameroon in October is expressing gratitude to God and those who have prayed for her as she has now learned that the masses on her liver are not cancerous.
“[W]e met the liver specialist to go over everything, and he finally informed me that all the tests and labs had come back with no cancer! There are no words to describe how I felt at that moment. All I remember thinking was, ‘God did it!'” an update on the Praying for Stephanie Wesco Facebook page outlines.
As previously reported, Wesco went to the emergency room last month to have herself checked for appendicitis due to pain, but a scan found that she rather had a lesion on her liver.
“My doctor ordered an MRI, just to double check the lesion, and it revealed 4-5 masses in my liver,” she announced on April 6 in a status posted by a family friend.
Wesco asked for prayer for herself and her eight children, and noted that she would be obtaining testing and a biopsy at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. A later update outlines that she obtained a PET scan and other tests, and upon meeting with a specialist, she learned with much relief that she does not have cancer.
“I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for your outpouring of love, prayers and support. The Lord heard and answered those prayers, and to Him be the glory!” Wesco exclaimed.
She also shared a photograph of Scriptures that she had written in a journal with the notation, “Declared cancer free!”
“And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee, for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee. Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion; declare among the people His doings,” Wesco wrote in her journal from Psalm 9:10-11.
As previously reported, the Wescos moved to Cameroon last October after selling their house and possessions in Indiana. They had been working for two years to raise support to conduct missions work in the nation, and had previously served in South Africa in 2003 and 2004.
However, just two weeks following their arrival, while the couple was out for a shopping trip, Charles was tragically shot in the head with his wife sitting right behind him in the car.
“My precious husband, Charles, is now with the Savior he adored and faithfully served for many years,” Stephanie Wesco wrote on a GoFundMe page that had been set up for the family. “His life focus was seeking to cause others to love Jesus and serve him. My prayer is that somehow someway Jesus will be glorified through my precious Charles’ death and that God will not let his death have been in vain.”
Wesco had served as assistant pastor at Fellowship Baptist Church in South Bend, where his father was pastor emeritus. His brother is state Representative Timothy Wesco, R-Osceola, and also serves as a pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Elkhart.
Stephanie Wesco says that she still mourns the loss of her husband and some of her children do not understand why their father is not here.
“As I woke up this morning, a huge part of me wanted to just curl up and cry for an hour, as the nightmarish scenes from that fateful Tuesday replayed again,” she shared on April 23. “My little girl climbed up in bed with me and asked where daddy is. I told her that Daddy is in Heaven with Jesus. ‘But why [is] Daddy not at our house with Jesus?’ Oh, how my heart broke, as I tried to tell her that Jesus thought it was best for Daddy to go live in Heaven.”
But Wesco also says that she will never forget the words the doctor in Cameroon spoke to her when she learned that her husband had not survived.
“I think back to the day he was killed and will never forget what the doctor said to me, shortly after finding out that Charles was with Jesus: ‘Thank you for coming to my country. Thank you that your husband was willing to give his life for my people.'”