They receive their first Bible after fleeing jihadists
Nearly 100 displaced people gather in an unfinished church in Ouagadougou, where most cannot read.
Global Christian Relief reported that Pastor Samuel and his congregation in Burkina Faso received audio Bibles; for many, it is the first Bible of their lives. They were displaced by jihadist violence.
One night, a jihadist called to warn him they were going to kill him. Samuel walked until dawn, about 100 kilometers, and then took a bus to another city. He left behind everything he had. His wife, Catherine, left later, when the village had already emptied.
From escape to an unfinished church
It was not the first time he had fled. A local government official would call to warn him to leave his house at night. Several times he slept in the bush, up in a tree, exhausted. Catherine said they did not sleep because they did not know what awaited them the next day.
«Where everything was lost, the Word still sustains His church.»
The jihadists came to his church more than once; one pretended to be sick so they would pray for him. Before being displaced, Samuel had planted 25 churches and trained others who became pastors. He came to faith after his mother was healed from an illness; a pastor from that region opened a church in his village.
He said God told him He needed him in the ministry and he agreed to go to Bible institute. He also said that whoever fights against the power of evil faces its counterattack.
In Ouagadougou they began gathering in a new church. The region's leaders asked him to lead his own congregation. At first there was nothing. For six months he held services under a tent; two years ago construction began on a church that is still unfinished. About 100 people gather there, almost all displaced. The floor is dirt. Catherine hopes that next year the church will be fixed up and filled with believers.
"Most cannot read"
"Most of the members of my church cannot read," Samuel said (translation by Sígueme). That is why he reads aloud to them and others translate into French, Gulmancema, and Mooré. That half-built church is the only place where many find Scripture. Back home they had to wait until the next Sunday; there was no Bible to open.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105, ESV).
Listening to the Word while working
The audio Bibles are small devices that read the Bible aloud in each person's native language. Emmanuel, a member of the church who also fled from the jihadists, said he can read a little, but outside the church he had no opportunity. Now he listens when he has no time to read and carries the device to help others.
Sita said she will listen to it everywhere. Germaine said she can work while hearing the Word, memorize verses, and carry it with her; when she gets discouraged, a verse comforts her.
On your phone you probably have several versions of the Bible and no one can take them from you. Pray today for Samuel, for Catherine, and for that congregation in Ouagadougou, and read a chapter thinking of them: where everything was lost, the Word still sustains His church. What would you do if you had none at hand?
