February 17, 2012
By Esther Schaeffer, serving in Burkina Faso
Thousands of Tuareg people have recently fled to Burkina, driven by unrest in northern Mali. Alliance people are sharing Christ’s love with Tuareg refugees , who are now camped at an old stadium in Bobo Dioulasso.
We received a huge answer to prayer this week.
Imagine my surprise, halfway through church last Sunday morning, when an usher came to the front of the church to tell me: “Two of your women are here!”
Sure enough, two of the Tuareg women had come to church. I had invited them but never imagined they would walk the distance and make the effort to find us.
I moved to sit by them, and they listened well to the message. Of course, they received a celebrity welcome and special prayer. Both already knew the pastor’s wife and Madam Sawadogo, who had visited them at the stadium with me, but they were especially glad to meet Rebekah, my daughter. After the service, we drove them “home” to the city stadium.
School Begins
This is how God works. That afternoon I had a scheduled meeting with our church’s young women; two volunteered to get involved with the little school I had been hoping to start for the Tuareg children. I then got a call from a young man I know very well, Dieudonne. He agreed to oversee the school.
On Monday, we arrived at the stadium at 8 a.m. to find much disorder. As promised, we were given a room, but it was filthy. So, we swept it out with brooms we bought and borrowed a black board from the church. Dieudonne quickly arranged chairs, and school was in session.
That first day we had eight children who were thrilled to be in school and have something to do. We have provided the children cahiers (notebooks), pens, books, maps, crayons, and snacks. I also bought 10 mosquito nets for the families who are living in tents at the stadium.
Our colleague, Mary Crowgey, began English classes this week with 14 high school-aged youth. That went very well. We have a wide open door, and we are thankful for how well the classes have been received. May the Lord bring many of these Tuareg children and youth into His Kingdom.
Community Recognition
We are in now looking at how we can help with the different medical needs that are being brought to our attention.
A big meeting was held Wednesday evening with all the heads of local government and relief groups; I later received a report that they had noted Alliance people were the only ones who had been consistently helping the refugees.
We continue to count on your prayers that this work would have a spiritual impact upon the Tuareg community and that Christ would receive all the glory.
What You Can Do
When you give to the Great Commission Fund, you support Alliance workers like Esther Schaeffer who often give of their own limited resources to assist those in great need of material and spiritual help.
Please continue to pray with Alliance workers in Burkina that this refugee crisis will work together for the salvation of many Tuareg families and children. Pray, too, that our team will have wisdom as they seek to respond to the needs and share the good news about Jesus with these people whom God has not abandoned.
Learn More
Read an article about this crisis that is proving to be an open door to reach the Tuareg people for Christ.
Check out “Break a Leg,” an article by Esther Schaeffer about her work among Burkinabe widows.