In 2012, along with church and mission colleagues, we followed the Sifirasso village chief and leaders down the road, across the bridge, out of the village, and up an abandoned hill. With every footstep my heart sank. I thought to myself, “Gifting us with property for a church is great! But why does it have to be so far out of the village? Why does it have to be land no one else wants, demon-possessed land that has been used for pagan worship and sacrifices?”
Earlier in 2012, Sifirasso, a village with more than 5,000 people, had no church. The Senufo, the predominant ethnic group in Sifirasso, had been resistant to the gospel. An animistic people, the Senufo offer sacrifices to appease the ancestral and bush spirits. They practice sorcery in hopes of punishing their rivals and enemies. They believe that, if a ritual is performed incorrectly, the spirits will bring them drought, infertility, or prolonged illness. For centuries the Senufo have lived in fear.
In response to this fear and bondage, The Alliance organized an open-air evangelism campaign near Sifirasso’s central market. Pastor John shared the gospel. Several put their faith in Christ and a small church was born on this unwanted pagan land. In March 2013, Tychique and his wife were sent to pastor this new church family.
In 2014 revival broke out in the Sifirasso church. Scores of Senufo from Sifirasso and neighboring villages on both sides of the border began visiting the church weekly, even daily. Overwhelmed by the many who came seeking deliverance from the evils spirits and their fetishes, Pastor Tychique invited one of our colleagues and Bobo District pastors to come and help. Many have put their faith in Christ.
We recently joined national church and mission delegates in Sifirasso to witness new Senufo believers being baptized. Just as the baptismal service began, it started to rain and we noticed lightning in the distance. We prayed and God held off the rain until the last of the 47 believers was baptized.
We rejoice in what God is doing among the formerly unreached Senufo! “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2a). God is building His church among the Senufo!
—By Andrew and Esther Schaeffer, Alliance international workers in Burkina Faso
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