News & Stories

By Andrew and Esther Schaeffer, the Alliance leadership couple in Burkina Faso, West Africa

And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14b–15)

Alliance international workers have ministered to unreached people groups for nearly 100 years in Burkina Faso. Our teams have learned languages, traveled to remote areas, trained leadership, and launched radio programs in more than 15 languages to share the gospel with the unreached.

One unreached group came to our attention for whom we had no tools to tell about Christ. Its members cannot hear the good news as others can—they are Burkina Faso’s deaf.

But the One who said that He is “not willing that any should perish,” brought to Burkina Faso a team of Christians from the Salem (Oregon) Alliance Church deaf community. Earlier this month, the team shared the gospel with the children and their families who are associated with a school for the deaf in Bobo-Dioulasso.

From the minute team members piled out of the van at the school, they were signing and trying to figure out what the differences were between their language and that used by the Burkinabé.

Beautiful Feet

But the Salem team didn’t just join us to sort out the differences between American and Burkinabé signing—they had an urgent message that the deaf needed to hear.

Team members’ unique gifts enabled them to bring light to those living in darkness, to show love to a marginalized group of people in this culture who have been labeled a burden, odd, demon possessed, useless.

Parents of hearing impaired children listened intently to the message and were given tracts explaining the gospel. And as the Spirit of Christ began a work, spilling over into the Sunday morning worship service that 50 deaf people attended, more than 20 young people made decisions to follow Christ.

Six parents returned to the church the following Sunday. And our Central Alliance Church is now working to put some structure in place for signing.

We are thankful for the Salem team members who were willing to make huge sacrifices to come to Africa to share the good news with those who otherwise would not hear it.