August 22, 2020
The Guseks‘ Amazing Mission
Chuck and Cathy Gusek of Hanceville, Alabama, have been using WEI to spread the gospel of Christ since 2009. This, they have done, in spite of gnawing physical pain.
As a young man, Chuck served in the U.S. Army in the 1st Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division. Chuck says, “I was what they called a ‘line dog‘ or a ‘Boonie rat.‘ I spent most of my time in the jungle on patrol. “Specifically, I was a combat engineer, a demolitions/jungle war expert. I participated in many airborne jumps and heliborne (air assault) insertions either jumping from the helicopter hovering close to the ground or rappelling down a rope to the ground with the helicopter hovering above the top level of the jungle canopy—all with a full combat load of gear (70 to 100 lbs.).“
Chuck’s time in the Army took a heavy toll on his body. Now, every bone hurts—from his skull to his ankles. In spite of the pain, however, Chuck spends much of his time and money using WEI to lead people to Christ in West Africa.
Cathy’s body has also taken a beating. After walking on a hip without cartilage for five years, she had hip replacement surgery in 2000, and it failed in 2009. Chuck says, “the failure resulted in the complete removal of her femur and replacement with a donor’s bone. This replacement resulted in her left leg being 1.5 inches shorter than her right.“
To make matters worse, in 2015 Cathy was in a terrible automobile accident while on her way to pick up homeless Veterans in Birmingham to take them to church. The driver of the other vehicle was killed, and Cathy was trapped in the wreckage with her right ankle broken in two. Since then, she has taught hundreds of WEI students while sitting in a wheelchair in pain. Chuck says she has done this “without complaint. She‘s a trooper.“
Under these conditions, Chuck and Cathy have taught WEI students in West Africa by postal mail since 2009. At first, Aniefiok Akpan helped them recruit students in Nigeria. Then, they worked with Joseph Kaipumoh in Bo, Sierra Leone. At the same time, they teamed up with Alexander Ofori in The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, and Senegal.
Chuck says, “Joseph and Alexander are on the front lines. They are the combat troops for the Lord, and Cathy is their Gunga Din [courageous supporter].“
