by an Alliance medical worker serving in West Africa
In the village of “D”, the church has been growing for the last few years, primarily through the work of a retired layperson, Barthelemy. He previously worked in the village, and although he often shared the gospel, he never saw anyone come to Christ during that time.
After Barthelemy’s retirement, a young man from the village sought him out and asked him about Jesus. This set off a chain reaction of miraculous events; many people began coming to Christ, and a solid, growing church was planted in D.
Sometime later, Barthelemy was distressed to learn that one of the new Christian couples in D had separated due to marital conflict. The wife, Dora*, had returned to her extended family in the nearby village of “Z”.
Healed Relationship, New Church
Barthelemy and Pastor Salif decided to mediate in the conflict despite insistence from extended family members that it wasn’t worth their time. The two men visited the couple, encouraging and counseling them. Eventually, the relationship began to heal.
In the meantime, Dora had been sharing her newfound faith with women in her village. Many were listening. She began to introduce them to Barthelemy and Pastor Salif—and a new church was born!
The couple was eventually reunited, and the church in Z continued to grow. The congregation acquired land from the village chief atop a nearby hill.
Hard Ground
As our team dug postholes for this new open-air church, we immediately hit hard rock. Since we were unable to dig deeply, we had to devise another system to keep the structure firmly attached to the ground.
After the roof was placed, we met under the structure to pray and dedicate it to the Lord. At the end of our short service, we asked one of the women to volunteer to pray. Women are not typically asked to lead anything in this culture, much less in religious services, so this was a real stretch for them.
Finally, an older woman hesitantly stood to lead us in prayer. Her voice became more sure and steady as she began to intercede.
As she continued, I had an image of the Father putting His ear to the edge of our roof line, listening intently to this woman’s prayer and bursting with love for this little congregation.
I am convinced that despite this village’s hard ground—both physically and spiritually—it is the Lord who will keep the church in place because of His deep love for this small band of believers.
***
Recently, I joined a small team of Alliance workers traveling to the Kenedougou region, where there has been a move of God in recent years. We went to set up open-air churches for two villages and celebrate another church building’s completion.
As we worked on the physical structures, I learned how God is building His Church in the lives of the new believers. In each case, what the enemy had intended for evil—a cult, marital conflict, and a violent wind—He used for good (see Genesis 50:20) to bring advancement. In this series, “No Wins for the Dark Side,” I’ll share several of these stories.
*Name changed
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In “From the Heart” (34:55) U.S. Alliance President John Stumbo shares how God has used setbacks and hardships throughout the 130-year history of The Alliance to advance His Kingdom.