Gospel Caravan
At the edge of the Sahara, persecuted believers advance the Gospel
June 2019
Your prayer and gifts make all this possible.
NEW BELIEVERS By Joshua Skaggs
Country foc us:
Chad
In Chad, Christian converts from Islam face intense persecution. Are they able to keep the faith — and spread it?
UNDER FIRE Djido
I
interviewed Djido six months after his imprisonment. We met in a small shack by a small watering hole outside the small city of Dourbali in western Chad. Outside, the wind was howling over the Sahara Desert, dry land ranging thousands of miles into northern Africa. Sand was everywhere. It was in my shoes and in my throat and on the floor mat where Djido and I sat crosslegged. Compared with the clichĂŠd depictions of Arabs on American TV (exotic sheiks and bearded jihadists), Djido was understated. He was young and shy and reminded me of some of my friends. He spoke in low tones,
Muslim Background Believers who have already experienced intense persecution from their families and communities.
voice barely raised above the buzzing of flies and the braying of donkeys. Before he was imprisoned, Djido used to take people around town on his motorbike like an Uber driver. He hung out with some guys who slept around and watched too much soccer. Sometimes, when a game was on, Djido used to shut himself in his house and ignore people’s texts. But in early 2018, his behaviour started to change. He snuck away for hours at a time; sometimes he was gone all day. People noticed, and rumors spread. Finally, his brother found out the truth and told their parents: Djido had become a Christian.
In picture on right, Ahmat Abdraman Moussa (left) and Djido D j i b r i n e H a s s a n ( r i g h t ) w h o c o nve r te d to C h r i s t i a n i t y i n 2 018 .
He’d met a man named Djibrine who invited him to a Bible study. Through an ongoing discourse with Djibrine and other believers, Djido had come to believe that Jesus is the one true God. On Ramadan, the largest Muslim festival of the year, he was baptised. I spoke with Abdraman, a friend of Djido’s, who was baptised the same day. He shared: “Even now, when we think about that day, there is a great joy that comes to our hearts. That day was the day we realised that God had chosen us for a new life.” Six months after Djido and Abdraman became Christians, a local imam reported them to the police, and they were arrested. Djido's family didn't visit him in prison; neither did Abraham's. They would have gone without food if not for an acquaintance who worked at the prison and brought them meals. After three days, lacking any
4
evidence of illegal activity, the police chief let them go. But they could never go back to the way things were before. Unlike many Muslims who convert to Christianity and are kicked out of their homes, Djido’s family let him stay; however, he was no longer treated as a son. “Harder than being jailed is being an outcast from society, from your family,” Djido told me. Djido’s parents revoked their cosignatures on his motorcycle lease, forcing him to abandon his taxi service — his only source of income. Worse, they stopped including him in important family conversations. Even as I interviewed him, Djido had just missed his brother’s wedding. No one had told him his brother was getting married.
We talked for a long time, relying on two interpreters to relay every sentence from Arabic to French to English and back again. We chose our words carefully, passing them to each other like fragile parcels shipped across a great distance. Sometimes I wondered if I was losing Djido in translation, but slowly it became clear that my incomprehension lay at a much deeper level. I would glance down at my interview questions and feel suddenly embarrassed by my crude attempts to understand his life. Were you scared when they threw you in prison? How did it feel when your family disowned you? Djido had known Jesus for barely a year when we met, but the losses he’d suffered surpassed anything I’d known in more than 20 years as a Christian. Talking with this man who was so recently born again, I felt concerned. I wondered if he would be able to keep his newborn faith.
“...it wasn’t the mature believers who faced the worst hardship. Most persecution fell on new converts, specifically those who converted from Islam.” Garfa
Before visiting Chad, I’d thought that persecution was for mature believers. It was the Master's course in Christianity — Paul the Apostle stuff. But in Chad I found that it wasn’t the mature believers who faced the worst hardship. Most persecution fell on new
converts, specifically those who converted from Islam. This is no surprise to Bella Assane, Every Home Ministry Director and my guide in Chad. Raised as a Muslim and kicked out of his home at a young age for choosing to follow Christ, Bella understands the price that new believers must often pay for their faith. He wants to make that faith available to his entire people. As part of the Oikos Initiative, Bella is dedicated to reaching every home in his nation with the Gospel — including the homes of more than 6 million Muslims. He has supported Djido on his discipleship journey and is discipling believers throughout Chad in partnership with the local Church. Everywhere Bella took me, he introduced me to new converts — baby Christians who already faced situations that seemed far beyond their spiritual maturity. When a woman in N’djamena became a Christian, her father retaliated with physical abuse. When a man in Dourbali became a Christian, his wife was taken away by his community. Outside a dusty town called Ati, I met a man who had fled his village after barely escaping a severe flogging. A short hop in a 10-seater plane with Mission Aviation Fellowship took me to a village called Garfa, where Bella introduced me to an entire community of new believers. I visited the home of Ahmat Maouloud and Am-Baladen, with their six children. Beds were elevated along one wall of the hut,with enough room for all eight members of the family if none of them cared about personal space. As we talked, a brown calf kept poking its head through a curtain that hung over the doorway, and I thought of the customs form I would have to fill out later (Have you been in close proximity to livestock?).
5
“When we believed, the suffering started,” Ahmat told me. At first there were only two Christian families: Ahmat’s and one other from a nearby village. They partnered with Every Home for Christ and started sharing the Gospel village to village. Then the authorities burned down the building where they stored their gospel literature. By that time, there were eight other believers. All of them were brought before the religious leaders, harassed and imprisoned. This happened multiple times, until they were finally forced to flee their homes. Bella described that day to me later: “They walked out of the village, the wives and husbands holding hands with their children, with nothing.” In Garfa, they started new lives. They shared the Gospel in nearby fericks — nomadic villages — and their own village
The village of Garfa is home to more than 70 families who were forced to abandon their homes after they became Christians.
6
grew as new believers joined them. They cultivated a new life, one that mitigated how much they had lost. “If you lack something, your brother, if he has it, will share with you,” Ahmat described. “When one of the brothers is struggling with his farm, we all go and help him. Before, we were all living every man for himself. When we became Christians, we learned how to be together and share.” But then Ahmat grew sombre. He told me about a friend who had just gotten in a serious accident and was bedridden. The community had attempted to collect enough money to send him to a doctor, but they had come up short. Because they were barred from doing business with Muslims, farming was their only livelihood. They didn’t have anything extra. “This is one of the consequences of our suffering,” Ahmat said. “It affects your ability to practically express love for people. We want to, but we don’t have the means.” Outside his home, the sun started to set. The brown calf started coming in through the door again, and Alamine, one of Ahmat’s daughters, grabbed its ear in her tiny fist and tugged it outside. It was hard to imagine all the ways her life had changed because of her parents’ decision to follow Jesus. I asked Ahmat if he ever regretted his choice. “We have no intention of going back to the way things were before,” he said. “There is no glory without paying the price.”
Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738 ABN: 88001276240 www.everyhome.org.au E-mail: ehc@everyhome.org.au New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 NZBN: 9429043322862 Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738 www.everyhomeforchrist.org.nz
Ab a n g a B a d a y, D j e d d e Rajil and Thomas Kalaytane (left to right) are Every Home missionaries and partners who are sharing Jesus’ love among Muslims and unreached peoples in Chad.
7
THE CHURCH I met more than two dozen Muslim Background Believers in Chad. Not one had met Jesus within the four walls of a traditional church. "You can't come and build the pulpit and the church and all that," Bella Assane explained to me. "It will never work in these communities." For Chadian Muslims, a traditional church service triggers fears of western influence. Sitting in chairs feels uncomfortable to worshippers who are accustomed to kneeling on mats. Elevating the pastor on a platform feels similarly foreign. Meanwhile, the Church must wrestle with its own prejudices, stemming in large part from propoganda spread during the Chadian civil war. During this decades-long conflict, political leaders weaponised religion, and many Christians came to perceive Muslims as their enemies. Prejudices like these hinder the spread of the Gospel. When Muslims will not enter a church building — and Christians are afraid to leave it — the Good News languishes. The believers I met who had managed to cross these boundary lines shared one thing in common: They had all ventured out of their churches to engage with Muslims where they lived. In return, Muslims had learned to open up and trust them. These relationships become the source of ongoing discipleship. In Dourbali, Djido routinely walks two miles to meet with Pastor Musa, a local believer and Every Home partner who disciples him. Often, Djido makes this journey two or three times a day. Roads close during the rainy season, and water rises to chest height in some places. He slogs through.
8
“You can’t come and build the pulpit and the church and all that... It will never work in these communities.”
“If you asked me the question, ‘Who is Pastor Musa?’ I would tell you — if we are sitting like this and we are talking, and somebody came and said, ‘There are some nomads over there,’ I would leave you all and I would go and try to reach them. This is who I am. This is my calling.” Pastor Musa is not a pastor in the traditional western sense of the word. He has no pulpit. His flock is scattered over a vast territory. And yet, he is a vital part of the Chadian Body of Christ, exactly the kind of person Every Home for Christ looks for in its partnership with the global Church. His passion compels him to seek those who don't know Christ outside the four walls of a church building. “It calls for some little sacrifices,” Pastor Musa told me, a playful note in his voice. “Sometimes you have to walk miles. There is nothing to eat. You are tired. Sometimes you are trekking in the wild, the rain is falling, and you have to stay under a tree, waiting for the rain to pass.” For Pastor Musa, the pain is worth it. He loves seeing people’s lives change. “There is a complete turnaround,” he told me, smiling. "We can see them starting to love other people. We can see them stopping bad behaviours that they used to have. They are meek under persecution. They reach the point where they get the understanding that now they have found the truth — a truth worth dying for.” Last year, Pastor Musa moved to a deserted place outside Dourbali, a crossroads where he has access to several nomadic Muslim people groups. When the taxi first dropped him and his family off at this site, the driver asked if they were crazy. There was absolutely nothing there. But Pastor Musa knew that to reach nomads, you have to be willing to go where no one else goes.
CAMEL CARAVAN My team hoped to intercept them somewhere in the wilderness, en route to a distant ferick. We drove off-road across a desert expanse, checking all the popular water spots (a watering hole, a cluster of trees) and consulting local experts (shepherd boys who pointed generally that way. It took us half a day, but miraculously, we found them. They appeared before us like a mirage, the camels loping slow-motion on spindly legs, the riders stoic, one arm raised in greeting, enthroned like ancient kings on the red and gold carpets that became their bed mats at night. The sight of them made me giddy. The community in Garfa had formed an Every Home camel caravan of travelling evangelists. If that sentence initially strikes you as baffling, join the club. I spoke with Soumain Abchanab, a camel rider whose favourite camel Akaresh can go for days without water. He explained to me that they were on a three-month journey to take the Gospel to various fericks in the region.
9
"Why use camels?"I asked. He gave me a brief answer how these fericks could only be reached by camel, but he might as well have waved his arm and said, "Look around you". Clearly, this was camel territory. Our visit was limited as the camel riders needed to continue on their way while the sun was still up. I watched them disappear into the desert like ice cubes melting in the warm water. I couldn't imagine where they were going. The youngest camel rider was 14. When I returned to my hotel, I knew he was still out in the desert with his fellow travellers, exposed to the elements. He would continue like that for several months, a boy with a monumental mission. During my time in Chad, I'd seen children do all manner of surprising things. I'd seen unattended toddlers stoking a campfire and a scrawny boy riding solo on a camel. I'd seen kids - kids who in the west would be scolded for running up a slide at recess - steering wooden carts behind a mule, jostling down the road on some unknown quest. Observing these children, I realised they could bear much more than I expected. They reminded me of all the new believers I had met. New believers in Chad must shoulder a heavy load, one that might seem too large for children in the faith to bear. But they are not alone. They have found a family that offers strength and support, a family that is going forth with a common mission. Their vision of the Church is a generous one, sending them out of familiar territory and into contact with people who will often reject them. They are young believers, babies in the faith.They are mature believers, leading the way. They are outcasts from their families, resilient in the midst of scarcity. They are former Muslims, compelled by love for Jesus and for those who have never heard His name. They are bold and resilient - resilient as children. They are keeping the faith.
JUNE 2019 Bible Readings: This month the daily text will be taken from the Isaiah. For those wanting to do the one-year Bible reading program these chapters are in brackets.
1
PRAY FOR DICK AND DEE EASTMAN. Dick is the International President of Every Home for Christ with a large responsibility for EHC ministries across the world. Isaiah 36 (Psam 11 - 16) PRAY FOR DIPLAVE POKHREL Please continue to pray urgently for the Immigration Department to approve Every Home for Christ's application for a Labour Agreement so that we can sponsor Diplave to continue working with Every Home for Christ. He needs permanent residency and without the granting of a Labour Agreement he cannot continue in his application for permanent residency. Pray for favour on Every Home for Christ's application which was submitted in 2017 and still hasn't been approved. Isaiah 37 (Psalms 17, 19) PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILY Sons, daughters and grandchildren, plus others to come to Christ. Get a piece of paper and write down their names. Get their photos and pray every day for their salvation; eternity without Christ is a long time! Isaiah 38 (Psalms 20-22) LIBERIA Pop. 4,700,000 Map. 42 A Muslim businessman was healed of severe stomach pain after EHC workers prayed for him. He had suffered with this pain for 14 years. The man wept with joy and gladly gave his life to Christ. Praise God for His healing power that leads to salvation. Isaiah 39 (Psalms 24 - 26)
2
3 4
5
MYANMAR Pop. 53,4000,000 Map. 135 Pray for
all the people who accepted Christ and were baptised last month. May God continue to speak to them and reveal His powerful love to them. Pray that they will grow to full maturity in Christ and be ready to fellowship in His sufferings. Isaiah 40 (Psalms 27 -28)
6
REP. OF THE CONGO Pop. 5,300,000 Map. 20 Pray for leaders and pastors to take to heart the vision of reaching every home in this nation with the Gospel. May God raise up courageous workers and give them a passion for evangelism that cannot be quenched. Isaiah 41 (Psalms 29, 31) CREATIVE ACCESS Pray for E, a convicted criminal and drug addict who became a believer several years back. Since then, he has had little contact with other believers. He has strong faith in the Lord but recently has been feeling ill. Pray for God to strengthen him physically and spiritually. Isaiah 42 (Psalms 35 - 36)
7
8
COTE D'IVOIRE Pop. 24,300,000 Map. 41 Most people who received EHC gospel literature in the city of Treichville are Muslims. They need God to enlighten their hearts and minds. May God reveal His Son to them in dreams and visions. May He also touch their hearts through the literature that was left behind. Isaiah 43 (Psalms 37 - 38) KYRGYZSTAN Pop. 6,200,000 Map. 110 Please pray for those who are faithfully bringing the Gospel to people in this nation. May God renew their strength so they may soar on wings like eagles, run and not grow weary, walk and not faint. May this team see the fruit of their labour in 2019 Isaiah 44 (Psalms 39 - 40) PHILIPPINES Pop. 104,900,000 Map. 169 Pray that the Lord will help EHC Ministry Director Emer Evangelista to be faithful and courageous in serving Him through the OIKOS Initiative. Also pray that she will be guided by the Holy Spirit in managing this huge task and the resources that have been entrusted to her. Isaiah 45 (Psalms 41, 53) CREATIVE ACCESS Pray for the four brothers who were recently appointed to network and connect with underground churches. Pray that they will be able to raise up more workers to go home to home, even in this difficult context. May God give them grace and courage in this task. Isaiah 46 (Psalms 55, 58) VENEZUELA Pop. 31,900,000 Map. 214 Praise God for the desire of EHC workers to share the Gospel. They truly understand that our citizenship is not earthly but heavenly, and they continue to teach and practise the Great Commission. May the fire and passion they experience now always burn bright within them. Isaiah 47 (Psalms 61 - 62)
9
10
11 12 13
URUGUAY Pop. 3,500,000 Map. 224 The spirit of suicide runs rampant in this nation. Pray that God will deliver the young and old alike. May they see life as a precious gift and not follow through with suicidal thoughts. Pray that the message of the Gospel will give them hope. Isaiah 48 (Psalms 65, 68) INDIA Pop. 1,400,000,000 Map. 129 Pray for eight EHC leaders in one state who will be responsible for the OIKOS Initiative in their regions. Pray that they will be able to have good relationships with churches and other Christian organisations. May the Word of God run swiftly in this sta te. Isaiah 49 (Psalms 72, 86) CREATIVE ACCESS Thank God for all He has done during recent months. Many people have heard the Gospel and have accepted Christ. Many EHC workers fasted this month and have been particularly blessed. Praise God for His mercy and kindness. Isaiah 50 (Psalms 101, 103)
14
15
24
16
CZECH REPUBLIC Pop. 10,600,000 Map. 82 Pray for God to send new workers who will be prepared to bring the gospel message to Czech households. Pray that God will give every believer in this nation the courage to share the Gospel without shame or fear. Isaiah 59 (Proverbs 15 - 20)
17
SIERRA LEONE Pop. 7,600,000 Map. 3 Pray that the gospel message will touch many lives in this nation through the OIKOS Initiative. Faithful EHC workers need God's guidance and protection as they enter strongholds of hostile people, who are sometimes prepared to shed blood for their faith. Isaiah 60 (Proverbs 21 - 24)
THAILAND Pop. 69,000,000 Map. 136 On International Women's Day, an EHC team shared the Gospel with 305 inmates at a female prison. Nearly all of them accepted Christ as their Saviour. The team left Bible lessons for them to study and will follow up with them at a later time. Pray that they will mature in Christ. Isaiah 51 (Psalms 108 - 110)
BANGLADESH Pop. 164,700,000 Map. 132 Please pray for safety and travelling mercies as EHC workers share the Good News. Many face challenges or persecution every time they go out. May the grace of the Lord be sufficient for them. Pray that many will come into the Kingdom of God. Isaiah 52 (Psalms 138 - 141) CREATIVE ACCESS Churches are struggling with fear after a bill against preaching the Gospel was passed. Many believers are very frightened, and therefore, we have fewer workers. Please pray for the Bride of Christ to rise up in boldness and proclaim the Good News no matter the cost. May God's Word go forth with power. Isaiah 53 (Psalms 143 - 145) ZIMBABWE Pop. 16,500,000 Map. 9 Pray for Mobile Training Coordinators as they travel to communities throughout the country. Pray that those being trained will grow in their understanding of God's Word and be ready to share the love of Jesus with others. May God's Word go forth. Isaiah 54 (1 Kings 1- 4) CAMEROON Pop. 24,000,000 Map. 24 Pray for 72 new converts who have left Islam and are now wholeheartedly following Christ. They are experiencing violent persecution from their friends and families. May the God of peace give them strength and joy in the midst of their suffering. Isaiah 55 (Proverbs 1 -3) HONDURAS Pop. 9,600,000 Map. 182 Please pray for the work of Every Home for Christ in northern Honduras. Pray for open doors in the cities of San Pedro Sula, Puerto Cortes, El Progreso, Tela, La Ceiba and Villanueva. May God have His way in these cities. Isaiah 56 (Proverbs 4 -7)
18
19
20 21
22
CREATIVE ACCESS Pray for the new king who recently came into power in this nation. Pray that God will give him wisdom for all he will face in ruling the nation. Pray for righteousness to prevail so the Word of God may run swiftly and so many people may come into a relationship with Jesus. Isaiah 57 (Proverbs 8 - 9)
23
MOZAMBIQUE Pop. 29,700,000 Map. 8 An influx of Islamic extremism and the spread of a counterfeit gospel are affecting the country. The government has had to be tough on all religious activities, and this has greatly affected EHC work. Churches are being closed, and witnessing is becoming difficult. Please pray. Isaish 58 (Proverbs 10 - 14)
25
26
CREATIVE ACCESS Please pray that the believers in the city of Q will grow in faith and maturity. Pray also for those who have heard a gospel presentation during the last month. May the Holy Spirit give them understanding so they will turn and be saved. Isaiah 61 (Proverbs 25 -29)
27
BULGARIA Pop. 7,100,000 Map. 77 There are 470 Muslim communities in Kardzhali Province, of which 185 have already been reached. Now an EHC worker is targeting the remaining 285. Pray for him to do God's work with joy and an abundance of grace. Pray that many will come to Christ through his labours. Isaiah 62 (Proverbs 30 -31)
28
TANZANIA Pop. 57,300,000 Map. 16 Pray for churches and leaders involved in outreaches in Rombo-Mkuu, Dodoma and Tengeru. They want to reach many more homes with the Good News. Pray that Jesus will be glorified in the preaching of His Word and many will come to His Kingdom. Isaiah 63 (Song of Solomon 1 - 8)
29
GERMANY Pop. 82,800,000 Map. 83 Over 40,000 families received gospel booklets in the district of Dithmarschen, which is located near the North Sea. Two churches now are involved in follow-up, and two people ordered a Bible course. Please pray that many more people will accept Christ in Germany. Isaiah 64 (1 Kings 5 - 7)
30
BURKINA FASO Pop. 19,200,000 Map. 40 There has been much persecution against the Church in the eastern part of the nation. Pray for protection over pastors and their congregations so they can find a way to meet for prayer and Bible study. They want to build each other up and encourage outreach. Isaiah 65 (1 Kings 8 - 11)
Write your prayer request and we will pray for you too!
PRAY FOR ISRAEL