By Esther Schaeffer, an Alliance international worker serving in Burkina Faso, West Africa
Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5 that God reserves blessings just for the impoverished. In our work among the poor in West Africa we’ve witnessed this—miracles of healing, answers to prayer, provision in times of desperate need, and a great joy that overflows from a spirit of gratitude.
A Remote Setting
As an example, I recall a recent invitation to speak at a women’s conference here in Burkina Faso. It took us two and a half hours of off-road driving to reach the venue—a remote village.
It couldn’t have been a worse setting to gather more than 1,000 Alliance women—and probably half that number again of children younger than age two. We had no store, no refrigeration, no conference center or facility to house or seat everyone, and no cell phone access.
Most of the women sat on the ground on mats, the same mats on which they would sleep at night. These were scattered on the church grounds and in the courtyards of local Christian families.
Wind, Dust, Heat
Beginning at 5 a.m. the first morning, the women attended a two-hour service, followed by an hour-long parade through the village to greet the village chief. When they gathered to hear me share from the Word of God at about 10 a.m., the heat was rising to unbearable status.
Since the podium was mostly in the sun, a piece of tarp was hung from a wooden beam to prevent it from beating directly on my head. The microphone squeaked terribly.
About five minutes after I began to speak, the wind began to blow. At times I couldn’t see my audience because of the dust. I had to keep brushing off my Bible to read the words, and dust filled my mouth and eyes as I spoke.
I watched the women to gauge their attentiveness, since they also were keeping track of babies and managing toddlers who didn’t want to sit still. But no one seemed to be sleeping.
After an hour, I debated on whether to keep going. Since I had several more important points to share, I asked the women what I should do.
“We are with you,” they responded. “Tell us everything God has put on your heart to share!” So I kept going, sensing their hunger to hear from the Lord.
No One Complained
When I finished an hour later, we entered into a time of prayer that was so glorious and heartfelt, even I forgot the rough conditions we were enduring. We ended with a long session of praise—each woman on her feet, singing at the top of her lungs, “I have a friend in Jesus!”
Throughout the conference, no one complained. No one grumbled about the long hours. No one said anything about the food or lack of it or that lunch wasn’t served until after 3 p.m. We were together, God was present, we were thankful—and that was enough.
Reserved Blessings
We experienced such laughter and such fun with these women. And the parting was difficult. During our last session in that dusty, crowded space, we all joined hands and declared that with the help of the Lord we would be light and salt in our homes and communities.
As those hands were lifted up, I realized what a privilege it is for me to work in Burkina Faso. What an honor to see firsthand how our Heavenly Father reserves special blessings for those who are poor and who realize their need for Him.
Pray
Join the Alliance family in interceding for our workers in West Africa and worldwide, who are taking the good news—in word and deed—to some of the most physically and spiritually impoverished regions of the world. Use the weekly Alliance Prayer Requests to assist you.
Learn More
In “Genuine Religion,” Esther describes her team’s work among widows—Burkina Faso’s poorest of the poor.