On to Timbuctoo by Rebecca Steiner

On to Timbuctoo

Rebecca Steiner

SIMPSON'S VISION The Dark Continent - Darkest Africa - these words were used in the past about Africa, especially Africa inland from the coast. For many people these words suggest images of dense jungles where monkeys swing from tree branches and dea dly snakes lay coiled in footpaths. Others envision masked dancers gyrating to the beat of tomtoms, imploring the spirits to reveal themselves. Still others think of secret societies and mysterious ceremonies at which young men are initiated into the life of the tribe. Those familiar with life in what was British colonies see immense expansions of grasslands where elephants, giraffes, gazelles, zebras and lions roam freely and a white man is seldom seen.

The founder of The Christian and Missionary Alliance, A.B. Simpson, was concerned about a different darkness, a spiritual darkness that surrounded the hearts of m en, not onl y i ndi vidual s but oft en whol e villages. In his poem "Meet Me in the Dark Soudan", Simpson spoke of Christ, the Light of the World, comin g into this darkness: Christ is coming to the dark Soudan That lies by the Niger's shore, And the glory of the Son of man O'er its valleys and its plains shall pour Land of deepest, darkest heathen night, Thou shalt yet be called the Land of Light; And in that millennial morn so bright Africa's sons at last shall weep no more. 1

Dr. Simpson• was a man of great vision who by God's spirit caught a glimpse of Africa and particularly the Niger River region and its people without ever having seen it.

He longed for God's servants to claim this land for Christ. He dreamed of mission stations established all along the Niger from its beginning in the Funta Djallon Mountains of Guinea up through Bamako, Segou, Mopti, Timbuctoo and Gao in French Soudan. This vision, and the dedication of Dr. Simpson to it, consumed the energy and personnel of the Christian and Missionary Alliance for years. Alliance people prayed, gave financially and sent their young people that the "Dark Soudan" might hear of God's Son, the Light o f the- World.

In 1890 a party of missionaries, commissioned by the Christian and Missionary Alliance, sailed for West Africa. Their desire was to enter the western Soudan. Arriving at Freetown, Sierra Leone, they started for the interior. Calling themselve s the Soudan 1

R.S. Roseberry, The Niger Vision (Harrisburg, PA: Christian Publications, 1934), preface.

Mission, they pressed deeper and deeper into the interior as new workers arrived to take over already established stations.

The terrain was treacherous and the climate inhospitable. One after another of these young recruits fell to tropical diseases. The mission decided to send Dr. LeLacheur, a pioneer missionary from Tibet, to the field on a deputational visit. Drawing on his pioneering experience in Tibet, he would encourage and give guidance to these discouraged recruits. He made his way upcountry, but was stricken with fever before reaching the interior and died there.

The brave group who remained eventually reached Faranah on the Niger in what is now Guinea. They requested permission to begin work there, but the French government refused. Repulsed but not defeated, the group continued to work in Sierra Leone, awaiting a more favorable time to enter the French Colonies of French Soudan and French Guinea.

More than 30 graves dotted the hillsides of their mission compounds in Sierra Leone, which became known as the "Land of the White s \) Man Graveyard."

Many back home thought the mission should be abandoned altogether, but Dr. Simpson stood firm and insisted that the effort must continue to a victorious end. As the years passed, the vision grew dim.

The closing of World War I brought about conditions that caused France to open up her territories to Protestant missions. Rev. A. E. Loose, returning by boat from furlough at this time made important contacts that enabled him to obtain authorization to enter French Guinea. He also received the heartening news that the French government would not oppose the entry of Alliance missionaries into their African colonies. 2 Without delay, the first expedition up the Niger was made by Mr. L. E. Ryan and his brother, Clifford. They completed a long trip up the Niger by boat and came back to report great crowds attending to their preaching. They discovered that many of the villages bordering the river were Moslem. They had no way of knowing that those inland from the river were still pagan.

People in the homeland were electrified by this news, and the fading vision took on new fervor. Once again the supporters at home rallied around the cry "On to Timbuctoo".

In 1919, an extended trip up the Niger was made to explore the country for possible mission sites. On September 5, 1919, Rev. R. S. Roseberry and Mr. L. E. Ryan reached Bamako, the capital of the Soudan. There they preached to large crowds for several nights before returning to the Guinea. At long last the Sou dan Mission had reached the French Soudan!

In 1921, Dr. A. C. Snead, the Foreign Secretary of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, visited the field. He and Messrs. C. C. Ryan and D. C. Rupp made a survey trip to Bamako, consulting with Mr. George Reed of the Gospel Missionary Union. The GMU had entered the Soudan in 1919, beginning work in Bamako. Mr. Reed shared with them information that he had gathered in his preaching trips to Timbuctoo in 1913 and 1920. He also told them of his more recent trips into the San-Mopti area as well as the SikassoKoutiala region. 3

2

2 Mrs. Michael Kurlak, "Pioneering for Christ in Guinea, West Africa, Guinea PANORAMA Fiftieth Anniversary,_ Vol.7 No.1, Spring 1969.

3

Dick Darr, They That Wait ... Shall Run, (biography of George Reed, unpublished), pp. 52-53,

On returning to Guinea, Dr. Snead encouraged the mission to go forward much faster than it had planned. He suggested that instead of concentrating its entire force in one area, missionaries should open many sections. He pinpointed Sikasso as a possible first station in this outreach. He also urged the mission to press on to Timbuctoo, the objective of the mission from its early days.

While in the Guinea, Dr. Snead also had an interview with the Governor in Conakry. The Governor told him the mission must undertake to raise the standard of the country as well as evangelize. To this Dr. Snead agreed. 4 Dr. Snead's visit was to have far reaching influence upon the work in West Africa. His counsel regarding the opening of cities facilitated the advance. Up to this time, the mission's , policy had been to avoid governmental centers and locate on some commanding hill outside of a local town. Many missionaries felt that the work would be more successful if it began far from other influences. But in practice this was very difficult because rural concessions were hard to obtain. Property could be purchased in the cities easily from traders, but the government had no clear procedure for granting concessions in the districts to foreigners. It often took months to get property matters straightened out. An emphasis on governmental centers eliminated these problems.

During Dr. Snead's visit the need of an automobile was impressed upon him. All the earlier advance through the rain forests of Sierra Leone and over the Funta Djallon Mountains in the Guinea had been done on foot. When the missionaries reached the Niger River, some trips were made by native boat or launch, but even here such territory was covered by foot.

Once in control in West Africa, the French quickly developed a road system between the various centers, facilitating travel and communication. Dr. Snead saw that a car would enable the mission to extend the work into the interior more rapidly. Money was raised and a Ford truck was shipped to the field. It was used in the first trip to Sikasso and Bobo-Dioulasso in 1923, and thereafter greatly facilitated the advance.

At long last the work in the French Soudan was launched. One of Dr. Simpson's objectives was to establish a chain of stations from the mission's base in Sierra Leone across Africa, thus forming a barrier to the onslaught of Islam from the North. The realization of this was to take several years, but the Soudan had been reached, and Dr. Snead had reinforced the objective "On to Timt,uctoo". The light had come into the darkness and the darkness was not to overcome it.

4

R.S. Roseberry, Crossing Fontiers With (Autobiography, unpublished), p. 33.

Christ

SIKASSO The decision of the mission to initially enter centers led to the first expedition in 1923, to the centers of Sikasso and Bobo-Dioulasso. Rev. Roseberry and the two Ryan brothers travelled from Kankan into the French Soudan looking for property in these cities. In Sikasso they found an excellent piece, reasonably priced, in the center of town near the market. Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Ryan spent their first year there building two bungalows. Many of the building supplies were hauled from Bamako, 225 miles away, in the mission Ford, but the stones for the bungalows were taken from the old city wall which surrounded the town. During their short stay in Sikasso, the Ryans lost their small daughter and buried her in the official French cemetery there.

After the Ryans, the Rudolph Andersons and the Fred Joders moved to Sikasso to take over the work, using the Bambara language. Progress in Sikasso itself was very slow, due to the strong Muslim influence. So the missionaries turned their attention to the fetish worshippers in the villages around Sikasso. They began studying the Senoufo language to be able to reach these villages.

Mr. Anderson and his wife spent several months in Fanterela, 40 kilometers from Sikasso.

They studied the Senoufo language and faithfully witnessed to the villagers. Because this was a strong fetish area, they saw no results for some time.

The first man to respond to the gospel was Mpere, a cripple. He was the first Senoufo to be baptized, and he remained faithful to the Lord despite persecutions. Even his wife left him because of his religious zeal. All his old friends turned against him. The Moslems offered him wealth and honor if he would leave the Christian way, but he said no.

When he was asked why he would not turn back, he held up his worn New Testament and answered, “This is what kept me from turning back. If I hadn't had this Bible I would not be a Christian today." .. 5 In the spring of 1931, Rev. Roseberry and Mr. Anderson toured the Senoufo district, and they spent their last night in Fanterela. They showed a filmstrip depicting the life of Christ and an old soldier translated the message in the dial ect of the town. The message was understood and God's presence was evident in the meeting. This seemingly unresponsive area was beginning to respond. The missionaries were encouraged and filled with new hopes for the Senoufo people.

In July 1931, an epidemic of yellow fever broke out in the Sikasso area. Mr. Anderson returned from Executive Committee meetings at Kankan to find Mr. Joder ill and Mrs. Joder near death. After visiting the Joder bungalow, he returned to his own house to find his wife unconscious. Mrs. Joder died the next night, and Mr. Anderson was left alone to care for his wife, Mr. Joder and the small Joder children as well as his own 7 month old baby. French officials from Bamako arrived and quarantined the area. On Tuesday, the 14th of July, Mr. Anderson contracted the illness, and the following morning Mrs. Anderson died. On the 16th, Mr. Anderson joined her. The doctors from Bamako were able to bring the epidemic to an end.

Neither the children nor the other missionaries who had come to he lp became sick.

Gradually Mr. Joder recovered.

5

Ruth Herber, "Mpere, The First Senoufou Christian", Mali-Upper Volta TIDINGS, Vol II, September, pp 8-9.

Once the quarantine was lifted, the Elroy Roffes came to join Mr. Joder. When the news of the untimely deaths reached the homeland, a call went out to pray for the Senoufo people that God's name might be glorified in the death of these three. The Lord began to work in the village of Fanterela. The missionaries had often encountered resistance to their witnessing there. At times during their visits, the drums would beat all night and the fetish men would yell an d fire their guns, inviting the spirits to be present. But the prayers of the homeland constituents brought a moving of God's spirit. Twenty-five young men turned to Christ despite fierce persecution. One of the men, Lamini, was later killed for his faith. Another man, Fatogoma, later became town chief and allowed the missionaries to build a hut on his property.

During the late 1930's and early 1940's, the missionaries were not allowed to return from furlough and the work was carried on by national worke rs. During this time, Farakala was opened to the gospel. When the Roffes returned in 1945, they visited Farakala to find that almost all the people in the village had repented, at least nominally.

The old chief, Mfa, had led his people in coming to the Lord. He had been a strong fetishist and made charms for all that area. When he became a Christian, the other fetish leaders were quite upset. One came to visit him, begging him to return to the fetish. When Mfa refused, his old friend threatened to kill his and all the Christians at Farakala by sending hyenas to eat them. The old friend then started home. When after two or three days he had not arrived back at his home, a search party went out looking for him. All they found was his head and a few bones; he h imself had been eaten by hyenas.

The Roffes continued to visit Farakala and decided to build a house there so they could stay longer periods of time and teach the believers. The house was ready in the fall of 1946, and the Roffes went there to stay for several weeks.

About midnight that first night, idrs. Roffe awakened her husband struggling for breath and whispered, "I'm dying." Mr. Roffe awakened the native believers and gathered them together to pray for his wife. They stayed there until morning, pleadi ng with God to spare her. The Lord answered and she lived. They found out later that the fetish people in a small village nearby had spent that night offering sacrifices to the devil and asking him to kill the Roffes.

Other attempts were also made on the missionaries' lives. Once when Mr. Roffe was witnessing to nationals in the city of Sikasso, they spat on the ground, drew their swords and threatened to chop his head off. At another time the Roffes were stopped from going out in the district by the French administrator. He had been informed of a plot to kill the white people and would not allow them to leave the city. That very day men streamed into town with guns, swords, spears and other weapons. The uprising was averted, and no harm came to anyone.

The work continued to progress slowly. The French administrator had warned the Roffes that they would never convert the Senoufo, not in a hundred years. Mr. Roffe reported that when he and his wife began their work in 1931, there were only 2 or 3 Christians. When they went home for health reasons in 1947, there were 125 names of believers on the district roll.

TIMBUCTOO AND GAO From the time of Dr. A.B. Simpson's first vision for the Niger, Timbuctoo was always the mission's ultimate destination. That mysterious city of the desert had for centuries been a spiritual and cultural center for Islam. Dr. Simpson wanted to establish a mission station there and to plant a church among those strongly Moslem people in perhaps the most isolated part of the world. As a result, Rev. R. S. Roseberry and Mr. Paul Freligh felt a good bit of emotion as they entered the ancient city in October of 1924.

Rev. Roseberry and Mr. Freligh were surveying the lay of the land and also searching for suitable quarters where they could open a mission station. They found that the Songhrai language was the most widely used in Timbuctoo and its surrounding area. A grammar of the Songhrai language was available in French, written by a former Catholic priest who had lived and worked in the area for many years. They were also interested in reaching the inhabitants along Lake Debo and as far east as Gao. They rented a house situated near the market, and work was begun by Messrs. William Martin and Michael Kurlak.

The residents of Timbuctoo were strong Moslems and not receptive to the gospel.

The city was known as the Mecca of French West Africa and the center of Moslem learning for that part of the world. At first many would come to the mission station and listen to the message. However, when they learned that these missionaries did not accept Mohammed or the Koran, their interest dwindled.

The two missionary men changed their tactics and began visiting different ones or meeting them on the streets. There was always much discussion as the inhabitants were well versed in the Koran and knew of Jesus as a prophet. The idea of accepting Jesus as God's Son was acceptable. However, one of these inquirers, Mamadou Keita (originally from Kouroussa in Guinea) obtained a Bible and subsequently became a Christian.

The missionaries traveled in the surrounding areas to distribute scriptures and preach. The reception in Goundam was typical. Upon arrival Mr. Kurlak greeted the chief and explained his mission, asking permission to preach to the men of the town the nex t day. The chief seemed pleased. The next day he returned to the chief, who promised to call the men together about 8 pm for a service. When the hour arrived the chief sent word that the men were too tired to attend and it would be better to wait until the next day.

Accordingly, the next day Mr. Kurlak asked again when the service could be held. The chief responded that the men were working and it could not be until noon. A short time afterward the service began. Mr. Kurlak preached about Jesus' birth, death, resurrection and ascension. The men argued as to what they should accept and what not. Finally a Moslem teacher got up and expounded what the Koran taught about Jesus. He concluded his remarks by saying. "This is the true message that came from God to o ur prophet Mohammed, and if any of you want to believe the white teacher, he may, for he is at liberty to do what he wishes. Furthermore, we have no power over anyone, but you know the consequences." 6 In other small villages the people were scared of the white teacher. Some hid themselves so they would not hear what was being said. But in some instances, the fear was more because of the power of the white man under the French colonial system.

Despite these reactions, the Kurlaks were encouraged by the trips and felt other trips would bring better attendance as people grew acquainted with them. These first trips

6

Michael Kurlak,"Timbuctoo and Goundam", The Alliance Weekly, Oct. 6, 1928, p. 648.

were made in a native boat, but the mission eventually bought a steel launch which was named the EVANGILE. This boat facilitated the work in the surrounding areas greatly. 7 In 1928, another station was opened on the buckle of the Niger at Gas. Here several turned to Christ and remained faithful despite much opposition. One man, Mamadou Keita, a mason, became a real leader in the church and eventually became an evangelist in the San district.

Mamadou first heard the gospel in 1913 when Mr. George Reed, a missionary with the Gospel Missionary Union, made a survey trip to Timbucto. He gave him a New Testament in French, but Mamadou got of it and destroyed it. Mamadou, originally from Guinea, worked in the Timbuctoo area and was sent out into the desert on a well digging job.

Several years later he returned to Timbuctoo. The CMA had just opened here, and he came by the mission station to see what was happening.

The next day he returned to talk with Mr. Martin. They discussed the Bible for over an hour. He was again given a New Testament and Mr. Martin pray for him. He read and studied the Bible for six months. God’s word spoke to his heart as he read it.

He returned to Timbuctoo and transferred to Gao. About a year later the mission opened a station there and Mamadou came regularly to visit. He accepted Christ and became an elder in the church. His wife did not appreciate her husband's stand and told him so. She was determined to get a divorce. She went to the Administrator and asked for a divorce. When he asked her what her husband had done, she said that he a Christian and would not keep the fast or say Moslem prayers. The Administrator would not give her a divorce on those charges. She went to the Moslem judge, and he too refused to hear the case. Mamadou fasted and prayed, and his prayers won out. He continued working there in Gao years before becoming an evangelist in the San district.

In 130 Dugald Campbell of the National Bible Society of Scotland visited Alliance missionaries, Mr. and Mrs. Martin in Gao. Mr. Campbell had traveled all over the Sahara, witnessing to the Tuaregs, the nomads of the desert. He encouraged the CMA to begin a work among this tribe. He felt that since the Alliance had stations in Timbuctoo and Gao (among the Songrhai),it was - in a perfect position for such an advance. He desired to help in this endeavor. Although he had no money to give, he handed over his deceased wife's wedding ring. It had been one of his cherished possessions, but he gave it as his part to take the gospel to the Tuaregs. 8 The CMA eventually appointed two single men, Floyd Bowman and Furman Sauve to this work.

In the 1930's, a change occurred in the attitude of the people inMoslem centers.

The Arabs, the Songhrais, and the Tuaregs who frequenteed these cities listened intently to the gospel without the old anger and malice previously exhibited. A Tuareg, Lamini of Timbuctoo, was converted and was so changed that his own people said, "When the Lord saved Lamini, He took the Tuareg out of him." 9 An old Bambara woman also became a Christian and witnessed faithfully to those around her, bringing a neighbor to Christ.

7

Miss

8

Rev. David Mason, "Pioneering in the Sahara", The ice Weekly, Oct. 13, 1930, p. 683.

9

Miss C.C. Klint, "Our Foreign Mail Bag" (letter), The Alliance Weekly, September 29, 1934,.

Lucy Hillman, "From Timbuctoo to Mopti", The Alliance Weekly, August 10, 1935, p. 513.

In Gao, Barika, an old white-bearded slave trader, turned to Christ and marveled at the change God made in his life. As a young man, Barika had been disowned by his family because of his infamous acts. He left home and joined a group of marauders who plundered passing desert caravans. He later left these bandits to join another bandit who was particularly famous in warfare. Later when this chief died, he joined a group of five brothers. Continuing in this pattern, he wandered from tribe to tribe, en riching himself with plunder and finally settling in an oasis of the desert.

With the arrival of the French in the desert, Barika was chosen as a guide. He consented to lead the French into the Hoggar mountains where the Berber tribes were hiding. Because of his help, the French were able to subdue these war ring tribes and Barika was well paid for his services.

On one of these many trips across the desert, Barika met Charles de Foucauld, the Catholic priest who was the apostle to the Tuaregs. Through conversations with him, Barika lost all faith in Islam, but was not ready to accept Christianity. He continued to serve as a guide to the French until he grew too old, then he settled in Gao. When the missionaries came to work in Gao, they found a house next door to Barika. Now an old man, he visited the missionaries and heard again the message of Jesus Christ. He reasoned in his heart that this must be the true word, for here were other white men telling the same message he had heard out in the desert. One evening while conversing with the missionaries, he prayed, telling God he had sinned and begging Him to pardon him in the name of Jesus Christ. Before he became too infirmed he guided the missionaries to the desert camps of the Tuaregs where they preached the message of eternal life. 10 During a visit to the Bingoton District, missionaries presented the gospel to a large camp of Tuaregs. When the old chief heard the gospel for the first time, he just laughed. The second time he listened and then responded, "I am old, my day is about past, and it is growing dark for me, I have studied, see, I am going blind. I have never heard this news before, and I am too old to start over. I have always believed that Mohammed was The true prophet and the Koran God’s book‌ can I be wrong?� Tears welled in his eyes, and he was filled with emotion.11 Many of the men who came to work in the French Soudan came out single. Such was the case with Mr. Michael Kurlak and Mr. William Martin. Both men married after about two years and returned with their wives to Timbuctoo. Mr. & Mrs. Kurlak worked there for five years. During the conference year 1929-30, she became sick with Black Water Fever and eventually died there in Timbuctoo. As the Martins were not on the station at the time and as communication was very difficult, Mr. Kurlak had to bury his wife, Helen, himself with the aid of a few African friends. Mr. Kurlak eventually left Timbuctoo and moved to Kankan to continue his missionary work.

The harvest among the Songhrais and the Tuaregs was very small. With large numbers of people turning to Christ among the Bobos, Dogons, the Miankas, and the Bambaras, the mission was forced to concentrate on these more receptive areas, while

10

Grace M. Wright, "Isaka, the Thankful", The Alliance Weekly, May 4, 1935, pp.280-81.

11

F. J. Sauve, Our Foreign Mail Bag (letter), The Alliance Weekly, May 19, 1934, pp. 313-14.

keeping a smaller force in the Moslem centers. With the beginning of World War II, the missionaries were forced to pull out of various stations. The Bow mans were the last Alliance missionaries to serve in this northern area, leaving finally in 1942. After World War II, the CMA ceded this northern area of the Niger to the Evangelical Baptists. They began work in Gao in 1950.

A FISHER OF MEN From an obscure tribe along the banks of the Niger came an African evangelist who worked alongside the early missionaries in evangelizing much of the CMA area in Mali and also in Burkina Faso and Guinea. Born and raised a Bozo, Bokari Saba learned to fish and navigate the Niger River as a child. He became an expert boatman and left his village to work on the river. He gained good wages but spent much of this on nice clothes and women. He was known for his loud mouth and quarrelsome ways. He fought often and enjoyed it. Once he threw his opponent into the river and fought him under water, nearly drowning him. For this he earned the name Mona Mona Bokari -the wicked Bokari. 12 One day Rev. Harry Wright, a missionary with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, came onto his boat. He had booked passage for a trip to Kouroussa.

During the fifteen day voyage, Mr. Wright took every opportunity to tell the boatmen about Christ. At the end of the journey, Bokari wanted to know where Mr. Wright was going, as he wanted to hear more about Jesus.

M. Wright was headed for the coast to meet his family, but he promised to return.

Bokari said he would wait for him and travel with him and his family to learn more about Jesus. Mr. Wright protested that he could not pay the kind of wages Bokari could earn on the river. Bokari said it did not matter, and he would wait for him. He returned to Bamako to wait. Even when his money dwindled away he continued to wait.

Finally Mr. Wright arrived. He told Bokari the journey would be long and would lead him far away from the river. As Bokari was determined to go, he was given the job of looking after the 40 heavily laden donkeys and keeping them from straying. The trip overland from Mopti to Ouagadougou took 25 days.

When the party finally arrived at their destination they had to begin at once to construct suitable quarters for living before the rains came. Bokari was made foreman of the workmen and pressed them hard, even as he himself worked. When th ere were disputes, Bokari settled them. Efforts to stop him were to no avail. Yet each evening as the Word of God was taught by the missionary, he listened carefully. He longed to be free from the sins which bound him.

One night, as Mr. Wright spoke, he was interrupted by the voices of men praying, one of them was Bokari, praying for forgiveness. From this i began to grow in his faith, slowly at first but then step by step with more and more maturity. On hearing a missionary tell how the Lord had him from the habit of smoking cigarettes, Bokari asked if God could deliver him from the kola nut habit. He was assured that God could. Bokari returned three days later to testify that God had indeed set him free.

When he learned of the filling of the Holy Spirit, he began seeking for this infilling power.

One night while praying with fellow Christians the Holy upon him with great joy. He began from this point to testify with power and to see God use him in bringing others to Jests.

One night Bokari dreamed that he should return home and help his old mother find Jesus. He determined to return to his people and bear witness to them of Christ.

12

Roseberry, The Niger Vision s pp. 226-27

Rev. Roseberry took him with him on a tour through the Ivory Coast and then by sea to Conakry, Guinea, where he found a boat d own river to his home in Mali.

Hi mother was delighted to see him. The walls of her house and yard broken down, and Bokari set to work at once to repair them. His mother wanted to find him a wife, thinking he would then stay in their village. Bokari did no t want to marry an unbeliever and so began to pray for God’s direction. A girl by the name of Pali was found who was willing to believe on Jesus Christ, so Bokari married her.

Day after day Bokari witnessed to his mother, but she did not respond. She grew ill, and Bokari knew the end was near. Sitting by her bed as she lingered, he daily told her about Jesus. He was sitting next to praying when the end came. She moved her head to say she understood him and then passed away.

A year passed, then Bokari returned to KanKan to learn to read. He could not seem to grasp what he was taught. He decided to return to his village and farm with his brother and be the messenger of God to his people. The rains had failed in his home area, and he knew he would face problems at home. The missionary gave him some grain to take home.

When he arrived the situation was very difficult and this grain was soon gone. He began to pray to his Heavenly Father for his daily bread. The Lord heard and spoke to three different missionaries who sent him aid. It arrived in time to meet his need.

One day he set out with his older brother and wife to look for trees with which to enlarge his boat. Too many trees were placed in the boat and on the journey home, the boat began to fill with water. Finally it sank. Neither his brother or wife could swim. Bokari rescued his sister-in-law and placed her arms on the bundle of palm branches that had floated. He then dove again to save his brother.

After a struggle he pulled him to the surface and place his arms on the bundle as well.

However, they were a long way from shore. Holding the rope in his teeth, Bokari towed them for some way, but his strength gave out. He cried out to the Lord for help. Even his brother and wife agreed to trust the Lord if He would save them. The day wore on with no help in sight. Toward evening they saw a boat approaching, and Bokari cried out for help. His cry was heard and they were rescued. Once safe and sound, however, his brother and wife refused to follow the Lord.

His brother divorced his first wife and took a second. In a fit of anger he nearly killed this second wife. Bokari chided him for this action, and his brother asked him to leave. He had been invited by the missionaries to return to KanKan and make a fresh attempt at learning to read. Finally his wife consented to accompany him, and they set out for KanKan. After a difficult journey they arrived at KanKan and began to learn to read. The Lord helped them and opened their minds to grasp the letters and sounds. Bokari would read for a few minutes and then, for joy, say, "Just think of it, I am able to read." 13 The Lord also brought understanding to Pali's heart, and one evening she too opened her heart and asked Jesus to come in. She began to witness to other women aro und her of what Jesus had done for her.

While Bokari was out on an evangelistic trip, her baby became sick. The missionary asked if they should send for Bokari. "Why should I send for Bokari? Will not God answer my prayers?" she demanded. Indeed God did. Bokari, not knowing of the need, had been impressed to pray for the child and did so until the burden lifted. Reunited they shared experiences and rejoiced in how God had answered their prayers. 14 13

Ibid, pp.236-37

14

lbid.

Bokari was powerful in prayer. Once when the bread failed to rise due to the neglect of the cook, the missionary jokingly said to Bokari, "If you make this bread rise, I'll raise your pay." The bread rose. The astonished missionary asked him what he did.

Bokari responded, "Did not Jesus say 'If you ask anything in my name I will do it?' I asked him to make that bread rise, and He did it. He answers prayer."15 Another time, while doing evangelism in the San area with the missionary there, Bokari saw some honey for sale. He thought it looked good and wanted some. Howev er he was reluctant to ask the missionary for money to buy it. He and his fellow African worke r decided to pray. "If the Lord wants us to have honey, He will speak to Monsieur." They knelt and prayed.

Shortly afterward the missionary was thinking of all t he good things God had done for him and decided to give his workers a little extra money. He gave them each a franc, exactly what they needed to buy the honey. On the way home in the evening they were laughing. When the missionary asked why, they told him how they had prayed and how God answered their prayers. The missionary was glad that h e had responded to God's voice. 16 While in KanKan, Bokari went regularly to minister in the surrounding villages. lie was tireless during these evangelistic tours. He would be sent to one town, but he would not return until he had visited eight or ten towns. He returned weak, his voice hoarse and his legs shaking from exertion. As he preached people recognized that he spoke with authority, and they listened attentively.God used him to bring many to Christ.

After his stay in KanKan, he returned to his home. His older brother had disappeared, and their farm land had been given to others. As it was too late to start farming, he decided to return to his wife's village and fi sh. He fashioned a spear from a piece of iron which he had, but he had no boat. When Pali asked him where he would get a boat he replied that God would provide.

A Fulbe man urrered him a boat if he would work for him cutting grass for the horses of the paramount chief. Bokari said he was not skilled in cutting grass, but he would give the man half his catch if he could use his boat. The Fulbe was very pleased and said Bokari could use his boat whenever he wanted. He continued to fish and caught more than his family could eat. His wife dried the extra fish and took them to market to sell. Thus they were able to buy their other supplies and grain.

Their baby became sick. His Moslem father-in-law wanted Bok.ari to see the Moslem leader to buy some charms for the child. Bokari refused, saying that God would answer his prayers and heal the child. God did just that. His in -laws were amazed at this and asked if his power came from the book which he carried with him.

Bokari replied that it was not the book but the Lord Jesus that gave the power.

Recognizing that Jesus was more powerful than their Moslem le ader, they too accepted Christ. 17 15

lbid.

16

Ibid,

17

pp.

241-42.

Rev. H. M. Wright, "The Lord Will Provide", The Alliance Weekly, April 26, 1930, p. 264.

Bokari continued to serve the Lord in evangelistic endeavors. He ministered alongside the missionaries in the San region, on the Dogon plains in Mali, and in Dedougou, Burkina Faso. In the Dogon area he traveled over a wide area by horseback, preaching the good news - in town after town.

While accompanying missionaries on a trip in the Dedougou area in the spring of 1934, he was imprisoned. He sent word to the missionaries that they should not worry about him; he was alright. He added that two men had been saved in prison. He was eventually released and continued to preach the good news wherever he went. Bokari accompanied Rev. Roseberry to Timbuctoo. There he met an old Moslem teacher with whom he discussed God and Jesus. He gave this account of their conversation: I said, "Teacher, good morning."

He replied, "Good morning. Sit down."

"Teacher, you have a fine book."

"Yes," he replied, "It is a fine book."

"Would it be possible to get that book?" I asked him.

He said, "It is a big price."

"What is the price?" I asked him, as he turned over the bcok.

He said, "This part costs seventy-five francs."

"What will that book do for one?"

He replied, "If you write the contents on a slate and wash off the writing and use the water to bathe your body, when your enemies see you they will run off into the wilderness and never return." Will an evil spirit enter the person that runs away into the wilderness because of this medicine?"

"Yes", he replied. An evil spirit will enter the person, and he will run away."

"Yes, but Teacher, would that be pleasing to Go d? If a person does that has he not killed the other person?"

He had to reply. "Yes, that would be killing a person and would not be pleasing to God." The teacher was caught in his own net. "You have asked me a question that no one has asked me since I was child up to now. You have troubled me greatly.

Who are you, anyway, and where did you come from?" the teacher inquired. His head hung down, and with a troubled countenance he said over and over, "You have troubled me."

"Will that medicine help one?" I asked him further.

"Yes", he said "It will."

Then I told him that there was One who could help him. Jesus is the one who came to save.

He asked, "What about Mohammed? Was not the world made for Mohammed? He will become my saviour.

"Wait," I replied, "and I will tell you. What will you do with your sin in the next world? Where will you leave it? Will you take it to heaven?"

"No", he replied, "That will not be possible."

"Where will you put it, Teacher?"

He could not reply, except to say, "You have troubled me greatly with your questions."

"Now what about Mohammed?" he asked, I told him a parable.

"Teacher, if a man has a sheep that follows him and it goes with him

everywhere and then dies, can it eat or travel anymore? Will you not throw it away?"

"Yes, I would throw it away." he replied.

"Now Mohammed lived and died," I told him, "And he is still in the grave. How can that help you?" He was angry, very angry.

"Leave me," he said. "Leave me at once. You have troubled me. I do not want to hear your words again. Go!" If the white man had not been here to protect me I would surely have been killed. 18 During his stay in Timbuctoo, Bokari had similar discussions with other religious leaders. They repeatedly asked him "Where did you come from? Who was your teacher?” He replied, “God is my teacher, He has spoken to my heart through Jesus.” 19 Bokari was widely used of God among the various tribes in the Soudan with whom the Christian and Missionary worked. Yet despite his frequent trips home, a church was never established among his own people, the Bozos. There is no Bible in their languages. There is as yet no body of believers among them.

18

Roseber. - y, The Niger Vision, pp.238-39.

19

Ibid, p. 241.

SAN - NTOROSSO San, a government center on the Beni River, was to prove the starting point for a movement of the Holy Spirit among three tribes - the Bambaras, the Red Bobos, and the Miankas. The Alliance entered San in the spring of 1924, renting a ten room house.

It seemed a real luxury for the three men appointed the re, Messrs. George Bell, Rudolph Anderson and William Breidinger. However, when they arrived and began living there, problems abounded. Every time it rained, water came in and part of the ceiling fell down. Nearby, the hyenas hunted the village dogs, givin g them little peace.

These "luxurious" quarters were replaced with a permanent building as soon as possible.

In 1931, the first response to the gospel came among the Bambaras. Before that time this tribe was strongly pagan. The name of Jesus Christ had nev er been preached among them until the CMA mission entered. The evangelist, Bokari Saba, was greatly used of God in this region, preaching in many of the villages. The village of Ntorosso was the first to respond to the gospel. When one new Christian burned his fetishes, others took courage and followed his example.

Rev. Roseberry recounts the burning of the big fetish, called the 'Nye'.

The owner of the "Nya" was willing to have it destroyed but was fearful of what might happen. The evangelist, Bokari Saba, volunteered to open the hut where it was kept and bring it forth. It was too big for one man to handle; two sacks filled with all sorts of junk, smeared with the blood of numerous sacrifices. These sacks were loaded into the car and taken outside where they were burned. A bonfire was kindled and the "Nya" was thrown into the flames. At first the people were timid about gathering around, but as nothing happened they came forward and helped in its destruction. The largest fetish had to be hacked to pieces with an axe before it would burn...Five men knelt that night in the open field and prayed for forgiveness. Then they went back to the town and destroyed the but where the fetish had been housed, Not all the fetishes in town were burned that night, but the power of the fetish was broken. It had a great effect on the whole region. 20 As the response to the gospel grew, the mission felt a need to establish an out station in the region. The old chief of Ntorosso donated a field. Before anything was built there, the fetish people planted a charm in the ground to drive away this new God and his teachers. Their efforts were in vain, temporary buildings were erected and two lady teachers came to work and teach the people.

The burning al - fetishes became a daily occurrence both in Ntorosso and in many of the surrounding villages. People came from 17 villages to worship together on Sunday mornings. The services continued to grow in number until the congregation reached as high as 250 believers.

Missionaries also taught reading classes, and the people made rapid progress. The development of leaders in the different villages was of the Spirit. These men sacrificed time and energy to come to Ntorosso to learn to read. Then they went home and began teaching others, thus becoming the recognized leaders in their villages.

20

Ibid, pp.138-39.

From the beginning the new believers were persecuted. The testimony of Koniba, a believer from the village of Jegena, shows the attitude of the unbelievers in the villages.

Mr. Bell and a recent convert came to preach in Jegena. Sixty people converted, Koniba being one of them. Some of these turned back, but he remained faithful. He went to Ntorosso to learn to read and then he came back and taught others. Tne village decided to make these believers give up this "Jesus way." They tore up the grass shelter where the believers met, and they came with sticks and clubs to beat them. As their leader, Koniba bore the brunt of the attack. His mother and father were not allowed to draw water from the village well, so they left and went to Ntorosso for a few weeks until the matter could be brought before the commander.

The commander decided for Koniba and he and his parents returned to Jegena, but he continued to go to Ntorosso to study. He wanted to be the pastor at Jegena. He built himself a big house and the villagers came and tore it down. However, he stayed true through all the persecutions. About Five years later the attitude of the villagers changed and he was welcomed home. Old men called him to come and sit under the village tree and teach them about God. Even the paramount chief called him and said that he had nothing against him or the other believers. He remained in Jeena as pastor, teaching and training his flock until his death. 21 As village after village turned to Christ, Mr. Bell and Mr. Howard from San were kept busy itinerating in the district. They visited the new believers, sometimes traveling by foot, sometimes on bicycle. In 1933, a conference for national believers was held at San. One hundred Christians from 20 or more widely scattered villages gathered at San. One group of 12 walked 65 miles to be present. All brought their food with them. God was rapidly building his church and the need for trained pastors was evident. Many lay le aders were trained to read and were prepared for more teaching.

Returning from furlough in 1936, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Howard were asked by the mission to leave their work among the Fulbes at Mopti and begin a Bible school in Ntorosso. The mission had no authorization to teach in Bambara, only in French, but they began the school anyway. There were no buildings and no money with which to build them, beyond a few hundred dollars. The Howards built a house for themselves and a few outbuildings. The student dormitories were built by the students themselves. Finally everything was ready and word went out to the districts that school would open.

Mrs. Howard gives this report of those early days: We began to realize what it meant to Abraham when God said, "Get thee out from thy father's kingdom." Family ties were very binding to our African believers. Sons cultivated their fields with the same hoes their fathers had used. As sons were married, another room was added and life continued in family tradition. A national conference was called. Mr. Roseberry, our Chairman, was to be the speaker. .. His message was from 1 Peter 2, "Living Stones". ..

When the appeal was made for Christians to surrender their lives wholly to God to become His building, there was a hush and ev en an awesome quietness. I started to play on my little Esteg organ

21

"Siratigi, "Testimony of Koniba", translated by Rusty Eramo, March 9, 1986.

"Where He Leads Me I Will Follow." Then, one by one, volunteers stepped forward, some of them with tears streaming down their faces, until about twenty men were kneeling with their faces to the around. Many were sobbing aloud. They were counting the cost.

Damissa began praying, glibly at first, but he could not be glib for long in the conscious presence of God. Gripping the post nearest him and shaking his head, he brokenly pled his cause, "0 God, how can I leave my father's house? How can I give it all up, forsake my parents, break the home ties and go into Thy service? I can never do it in my own strength."

Then Duba sobbed. "0 Lord what can we say now?" He could go no further.

Speechless, he buried his face in the dust, as sobs shook his frame.

Then the sound of many voices raised simultaneously in prayer was like waters rushing together with an irresistible force. There was no confusion no fleshly emotion - but an awesome sense of God's presence. African men, usually stoical - never shedding tears - not even in the presence of death mightily moved by the Spirit of God. I shall never forget that meeting. It was really the beginning of our Ntorosso Bible School. Seventeen men from the group really came to the place where they were willing to "leave their father's house" among them Duba, Damissa, Mpe, Fadyigi from Ntorosso - Bokari Kalilu from Sebanso. By conference time 1937, the Bible school was in full operation and word had been sent out to all the districts - groups came from Sanekuy, Sangha, Dedougou (Burkina Faso), Somasso, Baramba, later Attino from Gao. , 22 In an effort to make the school self-supporting the mission required the students to farm and attend classes at the same time. In 1972, the school changed to a five month, dry season school, allowing the students to farm at home and then come to school and study after the harvest.

The translation of the Old and New Testaments into Bambara started at Ntorosso.

With the opening of the Bible School at Ntorosso, there was an immediate need for the Bible in Bambara from which to teach the students. Mr. Reed of the Gospel Missionary Union was invited to come to Ntorosso to do his translation. He would stay at Ntorosso during the school year and work on his translation, asking the students about various meanings in Bambara. Duba was his helper for years, plus many other students. Some of the Ntorosso staff helped with the translation during the school vacation periods. Mr. Reed finished the New Testament before his furlough in 1935. Miss Marie Freligh (CMA) and Miss Caroline Campbell (GMU) edited and prepared the manuscript for production. In 1937 the New Testament in Bambara was printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

22

Ernie

&

Eva Howard, "Letter to Rusty Eramo on the Beginnin g of the Ntorosso Bible School", no date.

In 938, Mr. Reed started translating the Old Testament. However, a good bit of work was needed to edit and prepare it for printing. Once again Miss Freligh and Miss Campbell were called in to work on it. Eventually Miss Freligh was released for full -time work on it, and Miss Campbell was given by the Gospel Missionary Union. In 1963, th e first complete Bible in Bambara was printed. Mr. Reed was given national recognition in 1950 for his services rendered in translating the Bible by being made a Chevalier in the National Order of the Legion of Honor. 23 The work in San itself was often carried on by Mrs. Bell while her husband itinerated in the San district. She invited schoolboys to her house after classes. She told them exciting stories about her friend, Jesus. The group grew until it reached a hundred, many of whom put their faith in Christ.

During this time the director of the school at San was Protestant and allowed these boys to freely visit the mission. However, he was replaced by a strong Catholic who did all he could to hinder the boys from attending her Bible classes. He finally forbid the boys to visit Mrs. Bell's home. A group of 100 students declared that they would leave the school if they could not freely go to her house, The director was forced to allow them to continue their visits two nights a week, but he looked for a way to stop them. One day he called them to his office and explained to them that all Americans were racist and hated blacks and that if they continued to frequent the mission, these Americans would ship them to America as slaves like they had done with their forefathers. This troubled the students and most of them were too afraid to return to the mission. Mrs. Bell could not understand what happened.

Several months passed and one day a European visited the school. He had a bag of books to distribute; the new teacher had given permission for this distribution. The students were amazed to realize that these books in French were French Bibles, the very book that Mrs. Bell talked about so often! How happy they were to discover that this man, Mr. Bonjour, who sold books for the Bible Society, was staying at the Mission.

From that day on, many of these boys began to visit the mission again and learn about Jesus. Several of these young men returned to their villages with this good news.

They witnessed faithfully and remained true despite persecution and much family pressure. Through their witness several villages among the Bambaras and Bobos were opened to the gospel.

The first Christians among the Red Bobo tribe were led to Christ through the testimonies of two of these young men, Jacques and Panka. They gathered the new Christians around them and began to pray that God would send them a missionary to teach them more.

23

Dick Darr, They That Wait ... Shall Run, p. 81.

MINISTRY AMONG THE MIANKAS Once the work was established in the San-Ntorosso area, the Lord directed Rev. Bell and his colleagues to the Mianka tribe. The Paramount Chief invited him to visit his town, Dounjo. From the first visit people responded with one young man repenting and bu rning his fetishes. This was the beginning of a wide movement among the Miankas.

Mr. Bell travelled into Somasso to look for a man called Bakari who had accepted Christ some years before in KanKan and who had subsequently returned home. Through Bakari permission by the chief to hold meetings in Somasso and thus the gospel was preached. 24 A second visit was more productive. This time the evangelist Bokari Saba went along and preached. About thirty men responded to his spirit anointed message. These men were the beginning of the Somasso church.

When news of this event reached the Paramount Chief, he was irate. He threatened the new believers, saying he would not have this way" in his kingdom. One of the new believers from Somasso worked for him, and he commanded this man to take part in a fetish celebration. When the new believer refused, the chief had him beaten. Eventually news of this persecution reached the French commandant, and the chief was soundly rebuked.

The governor granted the mission a concession on the outskirts of town. Two single ladies, Ruth Liebmann and Lucy Hillman took up residence in the two grass roof huts on this property. These ladies faithfully taught the new believers to read and discipled them in this new way". Eventually 28 were baptized. Some who were merely curious dropped away, but those who were baptized were strengthened and began to witness to their neighbors. The surrounding towns heard of the Christian movement in Somasso and others came to talk with the single lady missionaries. 25 In 1934, a first "chapel" was dedicated. A simple grass roof shelter, the "chapel" was, none the less, the weekly gathering place of the believers. Gradually others were added to the group, and the church was established.

In 1935, the mission continued its thrust into Mianka territory with the opening of the work in Koutiala. This work was greatly aided by the French Commandant, Mr. Morel, a Christian.

Mr. Morel met the missionaries (the Franklin Ballards) when they arrived and entertained them in his home until their house was ready. He had chosen a nice piece of property for the mission with a grove of mango trees on it. Here a three room house was soon completed.

The first convert was a man from the bush who had been sent by the chief to guard the yard while there were no doors. After finishing his work for the chief, he stayed to work on the mission building. He did not understand Bambara well, but through a translator 24

R.S. Roseberry, The Niger Vision, p. 134-35.

25

R.S. Roseberry, The Niger Vision, p. 137.

the gospel was explained to him. Sometime later, after a preaching service, he said he wanted to pray for forgiveness. Again the gospel was explained to him and he prayed. Just before leaving Koutiala he came to Mr. Ballard and asked him to pray for him before he left. In subsequent visits to his village and to Koutiala he continued to show signs of spiritual growth despite opposition. 26 One of the greatest hindrances to spreading the gospel among the Miankas was their language. It is a very difficult language to learn, and several dialects are used in the Mianka territory.

However, Mr. Morel, the French Commandant continued to encourage the Alliance to open another station among these people. At his encouragement another couple, the Leroy Kennedys, came to Koutiala in December 1936 to open a new station in the district.

The expected imminent return of the Wrights from furlough meant that the Kennedys must obtain other housing arrangements immediately. Mr. Morel had pinpointed Baramba as the next logical place for a station. So after only a few days stay in Koutiala, the Kennedys moved out to Baramba, at first living in an African hut.

Eventually the mission sent word that Baramba would not be a new station but rather an outstation of Koutiala, and a sum of $75.00 US was sent for a building. The new building was a mud brick building with tin roofing.

In July of 1937, Rev. R. S. Roseberry, the Mission Chairman, came for three days of evangelism. Many were invited from Baramba and the surrounding villages.

On the third day, several repented. By the end of that day more than 60 had repented and accepted Christ. Many of these burned their fetishes. The Ke nnedys began night classes to disciple the new believers. Night after night the new believers came to study, despite working all day in their fields. 27 One of the first four converts here was Bla Coulibaly, who helped build the mission house. He learned to read in a short time and went to Ntorosso for more training. As a carpenter he faithfully served the Lord a s a layman throughout his life. 28 Some of the Baramba believers witnessed to friends and acquaintance in Zambilela. These people came and asked the Kennedys to come to their village and preach, which they gladly did. On the second visit eight of these villagers repented and burned their fetishes. From then on they walked to Baramba ' each Sunday for services.

These Zambilela Christians asked for someone to come to their village to teach them.

Finally a Christian French school boy from Mpessoba was found. A Mianka himself, he was very effective in training these new believers.

As in Somasso and Koutiala, these Mianka Christians were persecuted by thei r families and neighbors. Despite this persecution, many remained faithful and were baptized before the Kennedys went on furlough. The Larry Wrights replaced the Kennedys and the work continued. Once a chapel was built, Mr. Morel and his French friends donated a fine toned bell for it. In response to a growing need for training young

26

Franklin Ballard, "The Opening of Koutiala, The Alliance Weekly, Dec. 7, 1935, p. 785.

27

Leroy Kennedy, "Brief Resume of the Baramba Work", unpublished.

28

Leroy Kennedy, personal letter, June 9, 1988.

Christian women, a girls school taught in the Bambara language was opened at Somasso in 1938. This moved to Baramba in 1939.

Shortly after the dedication of a chapel at Zambilela, there was a real awakening among the people of the surrounding villages. Each Sunday the church was filled to capacity. A key man in this awakening was Bala, a blacksmith. He was very helpful in getting the new chapel built. At the dedication, he came forward with his wife to dedicate themselves to the Lord. He, too, enrolled at the Bible School at Ntorosso. 29 The opening of a French primary school in Somasso in 1946 was an important part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance work. Bla Coulibaly, a national worker, had started a catechism school in the vernacular, teaching boys (some 48 of them) to read and write and to sing! Bla came to Fred Joder and begged for a boy's school in French.

What to do? Had the mission promised these boys a French school? If a French school was not started,. what would happen to the boys? Most of them had spent 2 or 3 years in the catechism school, and Bla had taught them all he could. The mission had to either send them back to the old life or do something about further schooling.

The main problem was where to get a trained teacher. After much prayer, missionaries decided to go ahead with the school. Ernie Howard sent Thomas KonatĂŠ, a French teacher to the school from Ntorosso. Within a week about a dozen boys arrived, and the school was opened.

That first year the school facilities were very limited. "There was no school room, no teacher's house, no dormitory, no slates, no blackboard, no nothing! The Joders moved their car under the trees, and the garage became the dormitory. The dispensary was moved into a corner of the workshop, and that became the teacher's quarters. .. Missionaries gave their tithe. .. Some of the work was donated. .. Step by step the Lord was leading." 30 The conference report of 1946 records that 57 boys attended the French school that year, and 20 were in the catechism school. When the French Inspector came to look over the school, he was very pleased.

After two years the Joders went home on furlough, and the Lord graciously supplied the George Berthalons, a French couple, to take their place. Christian and Missionary Alliance regulations stated that workers from other countries who desired to work with the CMA overseas must spend one year in a CMA Bible School in the United States. The Berthalons could not do this. Mr. Roseberry wrote to all the missionaries on the field and got their opinion on the matter. They were overwhelmingly in favor of accepting the Berthalons without the year in the states.

This request was sent to the Alliance headquarters in New Y ork and officials there gave their permission. The Berthalons arrived on the field before the Joders left for furlough. 31 The Berthalons did not stay many years because of health problems, but God provided another French couple, the Charles Bosserts, to t ake their place. Both couples did much to upgrade the education offered by the school and also to improve the buildings and grounds. They were also active in ministering in the surrounding villages.

29

R.S. Roseberry, Training Men For God in French West Africa, 1940, p.20.

30

Fred Joder, "Somasso Station Report", 1946, p. 2

31

R.S. Roseberry, Crossing Frontiers with Christ p. 135.

The school remained open until 1961 with enrollments of 300 or more in the 4 primary grades. Key young boys were trained in this school and grew up to be strong church and lay leaders in the newly independent Republic of Mali.

MOPTI – A CENTER AMONG THE FULBE Up until the spring of 1924, the Soudan was without any evangelical Up until the spring of 1924, the Soudan was without any evangelical ministries from Bamako to the Sahara. The Roman Catholics had a strong work at Segou, but north of there for more than 400 miles, no work was being done by Catholics or Protestants.

A survey trip in 1924 surveyed this area, especially the town of Mopti. Mopti is actually an island on the Niger River, where the Niger and Bani Rivers meet. It was once a low island, but was filled in to make it more habitable. A raised 7 -mile dike crosses the delta of the Niger to Mopti. This center and its surrounding delta region is the homeland of the Macina F ul bes.

The Fulbes are herders and keep large herds of cattle, wandering with them all over West Africa searching for pasture and peddling their milk in open calabashes. An intelligent and proud tribal group, they were often used by the French as guides and translators during the earlier colonial days. Many were given good educations and found good places in the government. In addition they are a strongly Muslim tribe.

The mission wanted to buy poperty in Mopti to begin its work among this tribe.

However, most lots which were available would have required a fill o f ten feet before one could begin building. After much searching, a partially filled lot was located and purchased for $1,360.

The Charles Stamms’ ministry at Mopti began by tackling the difficult Fulfulde language. The work was very difficult. These stron g Moslems clung to their own religion and culture. The first convert proved unfaithful and returned to his sinful ways.

Despite these problems, this region produced two of the strongest witnesses and evangelists in the church: Bokari Saba, a Bozo, and Bel ko, a Fulbe. Both spoke several languages fluently and were excellent interpreters. They often traveled with various missionaries and sometimes by themselves, preaching and sowing God's word.

Belko was an ex-soldier who served 15 years in the French army. He came to the mission as a gardener. He worked for the mission for 3 years, working and watching the missionaries' lives. In his testimony he talks of those three years and what he observed.

"Men, I do not want you to think that I am getting paid for what I am about to say, but I want every man present to open his ears to hear what I must say so that he will understand me clearly. I am not yet (putting emphasis on the yet) a follower of Jesus, but I am thinking about it.

Until now I am Moslem, but I do not say it boastingly. Our forefathers were Moslems; our acquaintances are Moslems. But how did they become Islamized? Was it not by the edge of the sword?

And since we are following Mohammed, what have we in life? Have we peace of mind?

Yes, because the Government protects us. Have we peace of heart? No. Have we deliverance from sin? No! What spiritual benefits do we realize because we follow Mohammed? We realize none. We gain nothing, nothing, nothing; and again with sadness I say, nothing. Remember men, I am not yet a Christian, but listen to me for just a few moments longer.

I worked for the missionaries for three years, and for three years have watched their lives. I saw nothing in them but what is worthy of admiration; therefore, I hasten to say that I believe salvation is in none other than Jesus Christ. The way of Jesus is holy, clean, and white. Mohammadanism is the contrary; it is unholy, unclean, and black. We grope in its darkness and cannot find our way out. Men, I want to ask this question, 'If I came with something and compelled you to take it at the point of the sword, would you not accept it?' That is just what our forefathers did. Now then, could the God of love command murder when He said, 'Thou shalt not kill?'

Now listen again, if you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, don't do it if you expect reimbursement from the missionaries; don't do it if you expect to get work from them, to be fed or to be clothed by them. They do not buy followers for Christ, nor is the giving of gifts part of their ministry. If you accept Christ, do so because you want Him, because you need Him, and because He is the only Savior between God and men. I am not yet a Christian; I still say there is no God but God, and Mohammed is His prophet, but I urge you to listen to the truth.

Men, for three year I have watched the missionaries; for three years I have measured Christianity and Mohammedanism, and with this I conclude my testimony. .. Think seriously, men. This is not a game that we are playing, but we must choose between Christ and Mohammed, between life and death, and between heaven and hell. The only ray of hope that I can see is in Jesus Christ. He is the only Savior." 32 Shortly afterward, Belko became a Christian. He was soundly cursed by his former Muslim teachers, but he stood his ground and gave them sound answers regarding his faith. "Baptize me in a public place," he said. "I want everyone to know that I have accepted Christ." He was a strong witness, preaching fluently in French and in nine different languages. His messages dere sprinkled with a wealth of illustrations, stories and native proverbs. The Moslem teachers seemed to fear him, as he could out talk and out argue them.

His wife, Aisita, remained faithful to him despite family protests, but she woul d not accept Christianity for many years. At first she promised to accept Christ if being a Christian would stop Beiko from drinking. However, even after Belko stopped drinking, she was not prepared to accept Christ. However, Belko continued to pray for he r and live a godly life before her. Their two little girls prayed regularly with their father, and eventually they too confessed their sins and became Christians. Seiko's son, too, confessed Christ and for a time followed in his father's' footsteps.

The Stamms continued to work in Mopti and also itinerated among the Fulbe villages of the Macina region. Often the reception was warm, but there was little response. In Barbe, the Stamm's reported that they drew a large crowd as everyone was curious about white folks. But after hearing the gospel and finding it so contradictory to their religion, the crowds tapered off and were mostly children and young people.

The chief was very friendly, but indifferent to the gospel.

32

32

Rev. Michael Kurlak, "A Sinner's Testimony", The Alliance Weekly, February 14, 1931, pp.104 & 106.

At Sufurlahi, they were received royally. Someone had informed the chief of their arrival, and he had stayed home the entire day waiting for them. Each meeting was well attended with no less than 30 men. The Lord's presence was evident in the services. Stamms reported, "This is one village where the people really seem hungry for the gospel." 3333 Tenekou seemed the logical place in which to open an outstation. It was the most central Fulbe town in the Macina district and had the largest market. The area was thickly populated, and all the villagers around were Fulfulde speakers. Twenty-eight smaller villages were visible from the town of Tenekou. A request was made to the chief for Stamms to live here, but it was denied at first, because of the strife between the Fulbe and Tuareg herdsmen. Later permission was given, and the Stamms began their work. They took up residence in a native house and were optimistic about a real moving of God's spirit among this tribe. However the response was not forthcoming. The Stamms were finally recalled to help take care of the people coming to Christ in the great spiritual awakening among the Dogons. A few days after they left Tenekou, the roof of the house where they had been living collapsed.

This section on the Fulbe work would not be complete without mention of one strong Fulbe church that was established in Kolo in the Ntorosso district. Mr. George Mabille wrote about his visit to this church in his book L'Appel du Soudanais.

The wife of the chief of Kolo, Ba Hawa, was the first to become a Christian. She had become disillusioned with the hypocrisy and evilness of the Moslems around her and desired to worship a God who would make people better. A visitor came to their village and talked of a God who had so loved the world that He sent His son to die for them. When she heard this, she realized that was what she wanted. She asked that someone come to teach her people more about God. After several months she came to the church at Ntorosso with her daughter and son-in-law to be baptized.

Her husband told her she would never get to heaven by this door. She replied that he would not be at Heaven's door to keep her from entering. After about 2 years her husband, too, became a Christian. A year later he was baptized.

The Paramount Chief of the region called him in and asked him why he had left the religion of his fathers. The Paramount Chief warned him that he would throw him in jail for several days and take his harvest of sorghum from him. (These were farming Fulbe.) He answered that the chief could put him in prison but when he was released he would still follow Jesus; they could take away his harvest but he would go out in the bush and live with his cattle and continue to follow Christ. Happily, none of these things came about. This old chief, his wife and all his villagers followed Christ. The y called in a mason to help them build a church where they worshipped regularly. 34Even among these proud Fulbe, there were those who would dare follow Christ.

33

33 Charles F. Stamm, "Itinerating Among the Fouta Macinas in French Sudan", The Alliance Weekly,. August 26, 1927, p. 520.

34

George Mabille, L'Appel du Soudanais, (Paris: SocietĂŠ des Missions tvangĂŠliques), pp.43-46.

34

THE GOSPEL AND THE DOGON TRIBE In the Eastern part of Mali, a range of perpendicular cliffs stretches out over a hundred miles. Here the Dogon tribe has made its homeland with dwellings clinging like bird's nests to the sites of the cliffs. Little land on these cliffs is arable, but this does not discourage these Dogons who bring in soil in baskets balanced on their heads so they can plant their onion gardens. A part of the tribe has spread out onto the plains surrounding the cliffs. Here, too ; the ingenuity of these people has enabled them to produce a living in desert like conditions.

In 1930, Mr. Stamm and Mr. McKinney made survey trips from Mopti into these cliffs. In one village the chief assured them that his people would be very happy to have the missionaries come to their town, learn their language and tell them about God. 35 In 1931, Mr. & Mrs. F. W. J. Foley were appointed to open the work among the Dogons. Mr. Foley's heart was burdened for the Dogons, and he was anxious to begin work. However, he had contracted tuberculous while studying French in France, and after only 6 months on the field he returned to the States for treatment. He was never able to enter the Dogon tribe, but he was instrumental in bringing Belko to a full decision for Christ. Belko in turn was to be used by God in this new work, preaching in many villages and translating for the missionaries.

With Mr. Foley's departure, the McKinneys were sent to start the work among the Dogons. The government gave them permission to occupy a deserted caravansary in Sangho.

Much work went into making the place habitable. They repaired the grass roof and mud walls, cut new doors and windows, and applied a liberal coat of whitewash over the completed work.

In June of 1931, they moved in. Their Fulbe houseboy, when he heard of their intention to work among the Dogons, refused to go with them. He was afraid that he would be offered by the Dogons as a sacrifice to their fetish.

God was not only working in the hearts of the missionaries to draw them to the Dogons, but he was also at work preparing the way among the Dogons. The famine of 1914 had wiped out one third of the population, despite all their sacrifices to the fetish. Many like Asegarama, a village blacksmith from Dini, lost confidence in the fetish.

However, Asegarama went one step further and destroyed his mud gods. In his heart he still longed to know God. One night in a dream a white man appeared to him and asked where he was going. He replied t hat he was going to God. The white man said that he would show him the way to God. Asegarama spoke aloud in his sleep, "Thank God, Thank God." His wife, awakened by his voice, asked him what was the matter. He told her his dream. A feeling came over both o f them that something was going to enter their lives which would show them the way to the true God. When the McKinneys began their work, they were unaware of this. However, they were constantly aware that they were in Satan's territory. Nightly the tomtoms beat and the Dogons screamed and rang bells as they invoked their gods asking for rain and a good crop. Witch doctors using their black magic, put curses on various

35

35

Roseberry, The Niger Vision 1 p. 128.

objects and left them on the McKinneys' doorstep. What should they do? They resolved to spend much time in prayer, asking God not only for His protection but also for an opening among these fetish worshippers.

Their language study progressed, but even during this time, they were able to preach the word through interpreters and national evangeli sts. In addition they reached out to those in dire physical need.

This slowly began to win for them the confidence of the people. One woman came asking for some medicine for her daughter's smashed leg. When the McKinneys arrived at her house, they found that the child's leg had been completely severed from her body.

Giving what help they could, the McKinneys also used the occasion to share the good news of Jesus with this lady. 36 Slowly interest began to grow. On the 21st of August three men came to their house to learn more about Jesus. Before leaving they prayed and asked for forgiveness.

The next day another group came and were dealt with. That evening another young man accepted Christ. God was beginning His work among these people.

The next day, Sunday, the McKinneys witnessed in three villages surrounding Sangha. They returned home about eleven o'clock. There they found the big chief and seven of the old men of the village waiting for them. A crisis had arisen; rain had not fallen for a week, and their crops were drying up. These men had tried all their fetish methods to bring rain to no avail. Now they were coming to the McKinneys asking for their help.

We have done all we can to secure rain and have failed. You have been telling us that when you pray to God in Jesus' name, He hears and answers your prayers.

Will you pray to your God to help us?" 37 The McKinneys told them about Elijah and how God withheld rain because of the people's sin. When the people confessed their sins and acknowledged the true God, rain fell in answer to the prophet's prayers. The old chief answered, "If God in answer to your prayers will send rain and save the crops, we will repent and believe in Him." 38 About noon the men left and the McKinneys began to pray. They pled with God for more than two hours, claiming His promises, and interceding before God for rain and for the souls of these people. At two o'clock the sun was shining as brightly as at the noon hour, but forty minutes later, the sky was completely overcast, the thunde r rolled and rain fell! That evening their Moslem cook, Mamadou, accepted Jesus as His Savior.

The next morning before six o'clock, the people began to come. They thanked the McKinneys for praying and acknowledged that the God of the missionaries had answered prayer. The McKinneys spoke to them about their sins and need for salvation. That day 17 men prayed for forgiveness. Among them was Asegarama, the old village blacksmith of Dini. He believed that the white man had come to show him the true way to God, just

36

36 Rev. & Mrs. F.J. McKinney & Rev. R.S. Roseberry, Among the Cliff Dwellers of French West Africa (The Christian and Missionary Alliance, 1936), p. 22.

37

37

38

38

Ibid, p. 23.

I b id .

as he had dreamed. The first Dogon woman prayed that day as well. By the end of August, over forty men and six women had accepted Jesus as Savior. 39 The missionaries at Sangha who had formerly worked among the Fulbe, were encouraged to see this openness to the gospel. As the work progressed, other missionaries came to join the McKinneys, the Franklin Ballards, the Charles Stamms, the Torn Burns, Marian Pond, and Elaine Battles. Travelling on horseback, the missionaries visited village after village on the cliffs and down into the plains preaching and evangelizing.

On November 3, 1935, Christian Dogons met together at Sangha for the first time. One hundred and fifty attended. That same year the missionaries conducted their first short term Bible school with 30 students. After completin_ their course, four of these students asked to be baptized.

In 1936, fifty villages were reached for the first time. In 1937, the first church was dedicated at Sangha. The gospel of John was translated and printed in the language. 40 However Satan did not give up his stronghold easily. Believers were persecuted and even the missionaries were tested. When the McKinneys went on furlough, the Ballards and Stamms continued the work. Mr. Ballard suffered a complete physical collapse and had to return to the states for treatment. The Stamms 6 year old daug hter, Doris, contracted yellow fever and died. It was a trying, testing time for all, but God's work continued to advance. 41 As the church continued to grow, God began to raise up Dogon leaders. One such man was Monbalu Kodio, an ex-soldier from Sogo on the plains. Monbalu first heard the gospel in 1935 when missionaries visited and preached in his village. He was so touched by the message that he returned the next morning to consult with the missionary. He then prayed and accepted Christ as his Savior. When he was informed of the first short term Bible school to be held at Sangha, he decided to attend. His father told his he was too old to study, but Monbalu was determined. He astounded everyone by learning to read in one month's time. Hearing about baptism, he decided to follow Christ all the way and was baptized with 3 other students at the end of his course.

When he explained the meaning of baptism to his father, his father predicted that Monbalu would die. His mother cried and would not eat that night. Despite the family's displeasure, Monbalu stood firm. He was sorely tested. Infected with guinea worms, he suffered as one by one of the 50 or so worms had - to be lanced and drawn out. During this time of sickness and pain, his three year old boy grew sick and died.

The fetishers around him told him his problems were because he had left the fetish.

They taunted him by saying If your wife has another child, it to o will die." 42But God kept watch over him and restored him to good health and even granted his another son.

Yadomion, his wife, was not ready to follow Jesus, but she did not try to stop him. She even allowed him to dedicate his new son, Peter, to God. 39

39

Ibi d.

40

40

Ibid, p. 27.

41

41

42

Breidinger, "Compiled prayer letters", unpublished, Feb. 21, 1939.

Monbalu's faith grew, and he became a strong witness for Christ. In his neighboring village, sixty repented through his faithful witness. Later his wife also prayed and accepted Jesus as her Savior. In 1938, he felt the call to serve as a pastor.

His father was not at all pleased with his decision. Then in 1939, he was summoned again to serve in the French army. Not wanting to leave his wife and children with his heathen father, he left them at Sangha in the house which the missionaries had given him.

Monbalu served faithfully in the French Army in the defense of Lyon, Frank e.

His battalion was outnumbered and forced to surrender. He and others were taken prisoners by the Germans. They were eventually transferred to Dijon, where Monbalu worked in a munitions factory. One night one of his fellow prisoners from Sangha complained, You claim that your God answers prayer in Jesus name. Why can't he send us something to eat?" So Monbalu prayed definitely for food. The next morning Monbalu was singled out to work in an officer's house. At the end of the day, because of his good work, he was given a whole loaf of bread.

Monbalu's Dogon friend exclaimed in wonder, "Verily God has answered your prayers!"

43 Because of his Christian life and testimony, he was entrusted with the key to the storeroom where the wine and food supplies were kept.

Monbalu spent almost a year as a prisoner of the Germans. lie noticed that through the help of the Red Cross, sick prisoners would often he released. He prayed that he might become sick so that he could go home. He soon discovered a swelling on the side of his neck. The doctors said it was not serious, but through the Captain for whom he worked he obtained his release.

He spent 10 days in the Mt. Olivet Hospital in Marseilles, France. There he learned that the Americans had entered the war, and he feared for his American missionary friends. He was then transferred to the Colonial Hospital in Frejus, and found fellowship with about 400 Protestant Christians from Madag ascar. He sent a telegram from this hospital to his family informing them that he was released. When he received a reply from Mr. McKinney, his worries about his family and missionary friends were put to rest. After treatment he was dismissed from the hosp ital in April of 1942 and allowed to return home. It was with great joy that he returned to Sang ha.

He still had a strong desire to serve the Lord, so, despite the pressures from his family, he went to Bible School at Ntorosso. Returning from Ntorosso in 1943, he was given the oversight of 9 villages along the cliffs, one of which was his home village, Sogo. His father continued to challenge him regarding his commitment to Christ over his commitment to his family. Shortly before his father died, he did acc ept Christ as Savior.

Monbalu too was faithful in witnessing and serving the Lord throughout his life.

The entrance of the United States into the war did cause problems for the missionaries. Initially entry visas became quite a problem, but thanks to the h elp of Mr. George Mabille these were eventually granted. Then in 1942, Mr. McKinney and others were interned for several days. Once again Mr. Keller and Mr. Mabille assisted in having them released. 44 The work among the Dogons continued despite these prob lems. In 1943, a double wedding was held for two of the Dogon students at Ntorosso Bible School, both of whom 43 44

Ibid, p. 37.

44

R S. Roseberry, Crossing Frontiers with Christ, p. 38.

married girls from Baramba Girl's School. Another Ntorosso graduate, Asegerama Dougnon, was also involved - in the translation of the New Testament in Dogon, collaborating with Franklin Ballard and Enyelou Dolo. Missionaries and Dogon Christian workers continued to itinerate on the cliffs and down in the plains. During one short trip by missionaries in May and June of 1944, sixty-one people prayed for forgiveness of sins. The missionaries carried on a strong program of instruction among the new believers. Sangha became a center for short term Bible schools where literacy and basic Bible doctrines were taught. The Dogon church grew and in 1950, elected its own committee of laymen and pastors to govern the church, thus being the first tribal group to so organize as a church.

GOD'S WORD AMONG THE BOBOS Several of the young men who became Christians under the ministry of Mrs. Bell in San were from the Red Bobo tribe. These young men left their studies to return home and tell their families and friends about Jesus. Others among the tribe were added to their group.

As the efforts of these young men produced fruit, the chiefs and old men of the village became concerned and began pressuring the new believers to leave their new faith. They tried to force them to return to their idols and old customs. When these new believers would not succumb to these pressures, persecution began in earnest. The new Christians were forced to abandon their meeting place in the village and go out into the bush to meet. Even there their hymns were heard by the villagers, and they were chased even further into the hush.

When these tactics were not effective, the chiefs redoubled their efforts, singling out the leaders. These young men were threatened and mistreated.

Eventually Panka Dembele and others were beaten with whips. The situation became so difficult that some returned to their old ways, but the majority of the new believers stood firm.

For three years these believers prayed that the Lord would send them missionaries to come and help them. The chief taunted these new Christians saying that no white man would ever come to help them, but God was indeed raising up missionaries to come to their aid.

A young Swiss Christian, Marius Bonjour, after having travelled extensively in Northern Africa selling gospel tracts and Bibles, made a trip for the Bible Society through the various countries of French West Africa. During this trip, he came in contact with the Christian and Missionary Alliance work, visiting many of the stations in Senegal, Mali, Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) and Ivory Coast. He was impressed with the need to evangelize and plant churches in this part of Africa.

Wanting to serve with the CMA, he and his bride, Mamy, went to the States to attend the missionary training school at Nyack. A church in Chicago volunteered to take on his support, thus enabling him and his wife to return to Africa.

After a short visit to Algeria, where his wife's parents lived, the Bonjours crossed the Sahara Desert in a Ford station wagon, arriving in Gao in 1936. A telegram from the Chairman of the West African field awaited them there. They were instructed to proceed to San, survey the area and allow the Lord to lead them. In San they met Jacques Diassana, a Red Bobo Christian, who was one of the first to be baptized in this area. He became their interpreter, speaking both Bobo and Bambara as well as French.

With his help, the Bonjours were able to preach in San and throughout the surrounding area.

Not too long after their arrival in San, a delegation of Red Bobo Christians from Sanekuy came to visit them. They explained how they had become Christians and all the persecution that they had suffered since that time. They also told how they had prayed, asking God to send them a missionary to help them. They were now at the Bonjours' door saying that the Bonjours were the response to their praye rs. The Bonjours agreed to pray and seek God's will in this matter.

A week later the Bonjours made a trip to Sanekuy to investigate the situation.

The Christians were delighted to see them and gave them a warm welcome. The village

chief and leaders, however, were more reserved in their welcome. The Bonjours explained to these men that they intended to respect the laws and customs of the Bobo people, but that these Bobos should also respect theirs. They stressed that the new Christians should be allowed to serve God without persecution. They presented a short message cf salvation and returned to San: The next week they returned. The believers had used the intervening week to talk with the village elders and chief about the Bonjours settling in Sanekuy among them. Thus at this second meeting, this proposal was discussed and finally agreed on.

Then a piece of property about 300 meters from the villaue was chosen as the new missionary station. The Bonjours contacted the mission chairman in Guinea and also the French colonial administrator about this move. Permission was quickly received from both authorities and the work was started.

First suitable living quarters had tc be built. It was hot season, and the house had to be completed before the rains came. Since planting had not yet begun, plenty of labor was available. Teams wer? formed to work at the various tasks: making mud bricks, drawing water for the making of these bricks, removing rocks and brush from the property, and cutting wood for the rafters. After several weeks of bi-weekly trips from San to oversee the work, the Bonjours took up temporary residence in a hut provided by the chief. The house at Sanekuy once completed provided a permanent residence for the Bonjours and space for classes and services on the large veranda.

When the Bonjours began this construction, all the necessary water was drawn from the village's one well. Recognizing their need for more water and water closer at hand, the Bonjours suggested digging a well on the mission property.

The Christians were somewhat concerned about this suggestion, but did not oppose it. However, the village chief and elders were adamantly against it. They feared the wrath of the evil spirits with whom they had formed a pact to assure a continual supply of wa ter in the village well.

The Bonjours explained to these men that the new well could be far enough away from the village that it would not interfere with this pact. They proceeded with arrangements to dig the new well.

Among the Bobo tribe only the blacksmiths were skilled in digging wells. None of the blacksmiths in the area were willing to risk breaking with tribal customs to dig the well, despite the offer of high pay. Finally a Christian blacksmith from a neighboring tribe was found who was willing to come do the work. Recognizing the power of the evil spirits and witch doctors, this young Christian first began by prayer, asking God's help before starting to dig.

The work progressed slowly until he reached rock. Despite this difficulty the young Christian continued chipping away at the rock. However, one morning he arrived at the site to find that witch doctors had been there during the night and had thrown certain objects into the hole, calling on the devil spirits to stop the work.

The blacksmith was overcome by this attack of the spirit worshippers arid abandoned the job. When the Bonjours learned of this they wondered what they could do to strengthen the faith of the Christians and enlist their aid in finishing the well. Finally they issued an ultimatum: either the Christians would have enough courage to continue the digging despite these attacks of the spirit worshippers or the missionaries would pull out and go elsewhere. The Christians unitedly promised to continue digging until they found water.

That evening the missionaries and Christians met for a prayer -neeting, imploring God to help them break through the rock and find water. The Christians were much encouraged,

but the work was still very hard as there was more than six feet of rock which had to be chiseled away bit by bit. After many days of work, they broke through the rock and found soft dirt. However, they quickly came to another layer of hard rock. The Christians stuck with it and faithfully dug day after day often marking no more than 4 to 8 inches of progress. Breaking through this second layer of rock, the Christian's faith was rewarded with a strong flow of water, spilling out from under the rock. These courageous Christians dropped on their knees to thank God for giving them this water.

With ample water from the new well, the work on the house continued rapidly.

Once in their new home, the Bonjours began the work of teaching the new Christians to read and write. First, of course, the Red Bobo language (Boomu) had to be put into writing. Then they prepared simple primers. It was essential that these new Christians learn to read so that they could read God's word for themselves and thus teach others.

Hand in hand with teaching the new converts to read, the Bonjours faced the need to translate the scriptures. Three young Christian students from the French school at San - PobanuJacques Diassana, Panka Dembele, Niambe-Barthelemy Tienou - were instrumental in aiding in the translation.

The translation started simply with key verses, then parables and parts of the gospels, then the gospels and eventually the whole New Testament book by book. The gospels and other individual books were printed at the mission headquarters in KanKan, Guinea. Once completed, the entire New Testament was published by the Societe Biblique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest.

The Bonjours faithfully taught the new Christians to read and instructed them in the faith in 15 day short term Bible schools. In addition, they made regular visits to the surrounding villages to preach the gospel and to encourage and help establish the Christians.

For two years the work continued with few results. Then suddenly the word that had been planted began to sprout and bring forth new life. A real moving of God took place among the Bobo tribe. Village after village sent messengers to Sanekuy, asking the missionaries to come and preach. As they went from village to village, hearts were open and responsive to God's word. Where there had been no iaterest before, suddenly there were new Christians needing to bs discipled.

The Bc ijours began immediately to teach the new converts to read. However, the task was too much for just two. So, using their translator and other more established Christians, the Bonjours sent out lay preachers (catechists), two by two, to these receptive villages to teach the believers. These new believers once instructed were also sent to train others. Later many of these lay preachers felt called by God and went to the Bible School in Ntorosso to train as pastors.

The use of these lay preachers enabled the new converts to be established in their faith rapidly. Thus the greatest possible number of converts were discipled and the church grew in number and maturity. The Bonjours visited in the villages as they could when not involved in teaching and medical ministries on the station. However much of the work done in the district was carried on by the lay preachers. Even to this day the use of catechists is very prevalent among the Bobo tribe.

Although not trained in medicine, the Bonjours were actively involved in medical work from the beginning. At first they just cleaned and put medicine on sores and wounds, but gradually their work extended itself to eye problems (very common among the Babas), goiters, leprosy and eventually all sorts of sicknesses. They were given medicines and instruments by the French Colonial government, which recognized their work as a

dispensary. A small house was built to facilitate the work. This was the beginning of the dispensary and maternity which are still operational at Sanekuy.

Bothered by continual bouts of malaria, Mr. Bonjour was forced to leave Mali for a more suitable climate. In 1941, he and his wife left Mali, returning across the desert to Algeria. The war years were difficult for those' missionaries remaining in Mali. In addition persecution arose against the Bobo church. Jacques Diassana was falsely accused of certain political acts by those against the church. He was taken into custody and brought to trial in San. Found guilty, he was sentenced to jail.

However one of the missionaries interceded on his behalf, stating that if Jacques was imprisoned, the authorities would have to imprison him as well and suffer the diplomatic consequences (as he was American).

Jacques was released, but the problems continued. Christians were maligned and accused, indirectly, of being enemies of France, sold out to the Americans. Rev. Floyd Bowman was sent by the mission to Sanekuy to encourage and help the Christians during this time.

Mr. George Mabille of the Paris Evangelical Mission had traveled through Sanekuy on his tour of the CMA mission stations. On his return to France, he passed through Algeria and alerted the Bonjours to the problems in Sanekuy. He suggested that they return to Sanekuy to encourage the Christians and help rectify the problems. After much prayer, the Bonjours did just that. They returned to Sanekuy and worked with the 'hurch there until 1950, encouraging and establishing the believers.

DIPLOMACY AND THE PARIS EVANGELICAL MISSION From the beginning of the C&MA's work in Mali (French Soudan) the Alliance mission was faced with problems in dealing with the government. When it first applied to enter French Guinea in 1917, Mr. Newry, chief of the Department of Agriculture of French Guinea aided the Alliance greatly. He made arrangements for an interview with the government ufficials in Conakry.

As the C&MA's work was focused in Sierra Leone at the time, the missionaries did not speak French, a situation which was corrected later. Mr. Newry, who spok e good English, was invaluable in obtaining the interview and in securing the Governor's permission to enter French Guinea. 45When the mission entered French Soudan (Mali) in 1919. and applied for permission to work there, the Governor quickly gave his approval in light of the C&MA's work already begun in Guinea.

However, a new element was at work as well in 1919, the Treaty of St. Germaine.

In this treaty France promised its allies of World War I full protection for those organizations involved in religious or charitable work in her colonies. 46 This treaty contained several provisions which directly affected the operation of missions in French West Africa. Missions were allowed to preach only on mission stations. If public services were to be held elsewhere, permission must be granted, or at least government officials were to be notified. Missions were asked to report their travel within the district to the government. Religious teaching was to be carried out in.

Some French officials did not pay too close attention to these regulations, but Mr. Elroy Roffe in Sikasso recalls several run-ins with the French officials there.

Most of these problems were due to lack of understanding. He, as well as most of the other missionaries, were ignorant of the provisions of the St. Germaine Treaty and assumed that since permission had been given to open a Protestant mission center in Sikasso the mission was free to carry on missionary work as it wanted.

One day Mrs. Roffe went out to visit some women in an African part of tow,i. She had her autoharp with her and began singing some hymns with the ladies. The administrator heard about this and sent a couple guards to escort her home. Mr. Roffe was also called before the administrator and reprimanded for his itineration in the villages around Sikasso. 47 These problems were not unique to the C&MA mission. Mr. Reed, of the Gospel Missionary Union in Bamako, was also called in by the Governor and told to cease preaching in public and restrict his preaching to his station.

"Mr. Reed was warned by the officials that he should not preach in public. It was very difficult when selling Gospel portions in the market to always keep the crowd small. One day as he stood in the midst of a group of interested people, Reed saw the Governor pass by and look very sharply at his activities. Before long he drove by again for a second look. Not unexpectedly, the missionary was 45

R.S. Roseberry, The Niger Vision p. 63.

46

46

Dick Darr, They That Wait... Shall Run, p.

47

47

Elroy Roffe, "Sikasso Past", unpublished, p. 2.

called in again before the government authorities and told to confine his preaching to the mission property." 48 As the work of the C&MA grew larger, the problems grew. One source of frustration was the matter of purchasing mission concessions, especially concessions in the districts. Some of its papers were pigeonholed for months. The mission could not purchase property in its own name, so most of the properties were in the name of the chairman. With the aid of Lawyer Reyess, a French Protestant, the mission drew up articles of corporation. This allowed the mission to purchase property in its own name and thus settle these property matters satisfactorily.

Another area of difficulty came about as the mission transferred missionaries from the English speaking country, Sierra Leone to French Guinea and French Soudan. Rev. Roseberry, the chairman of the French West Africa field (Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Mali) for most of these years, did not speak French, having come initially to work in Sierra Leone. When the field asked that Rev. Roseberry be given time to study French, the headquarters in New York felt he was too needed on the field and instead sent out an interpreter for him, Rev. Paul Freligh. Rev. Freligh traveled with Rev. Roseberry whenever he was to meet French officials. 49 Later Michael Kurlak was also used as translator.

The mission corrected this problem by sending new personnel to France for language study before coming to the field. Once on the field new missionaries began the study of the local language.Most missionaries were stationed in isolated, rural areas and had very little contact with French officials or other French personnel. In addition their work was so time consuming, and they were so immersed in the African culture that they did not have time for socializing with other whites. Often the French officials in their respective regions knew very little of what the mission was doing and were quite frustrated with this lack of communication. In contrast, the French Catholic priests and sisters were in good standing with the government officials.

When the Alliance first entered the Soudan in 1919, it agreed to be involved in social work. From the beginning individual missionaries were engaged in some medical work, even if they were not doctors. The Mckinneys at Sangha actively treated those with guinea worms and other diseases, and the Bonjours even established a dispensary with the help of the French Officials in San. However it was some years before the mission officially became involved in medical work. Neither did the C&MA become involved in primary school education until the opening of the Somasso school in 1946. Thus for many of these difficult years, the Fr ench officials felt the mission was not fulfilling its agreement.

In 1942, the Paris Evangelical Mission, a French missionary society, sent out Mr. Mabille and Mr. Keller to help various missions in French West Africa. One Methodist missionary, Mr. Taylor, had been imprisoned in Dakar and had died there, and several other missions were experiencing problems. Since the C&MA was one of the largest missions in French West Africa, Mr. Mabille and Mr. Keller worked closely with it. Mr. 48

49

49

48

Dick Darr, They That Wait... Shall Run, p. 58.

R.S. Roseberry, Crossing Frontiers with Christ, p. 81

Mabille was a French Army Chaplain and was able to make several tours throughout the Soudan visiting French Army personnel. Both Mr. Mabille and Mr. Keller were well received by the French authorities and were able to help th e CMA and other missions with their difficulties.

Mr. Mabille and Mr. Keller especially addressed the problem of primary education during their work with the C&MA after 1942. They encouraged the mission to establish "bush schools" for Africans in the various districts, teaching children to read and write in the vernacular and also teaching local history. For several years the C&MA did adopt this concept.

Rev. Roseberry in his autobiography speaks of how the mission incorporated this project of "bush schools " into its program.

"Mr. Keller encouraged our Mission to open schools in which French and the vernacular were taught. We launched the program. Our school effort was recognized by the government and we have had no questions since then of being in line with the government on that score. Mr. George Mabille, who was loaned to us at that time, did excellent work in initiating the school program." 50 Mr. Mabille reported that 42 "bush schools" were open in Mali, 14 in the district of Ntorosso (13 in Bambara, 1 in Fulfulde), 5 were in Menke, Koutiala district, 9 were in Bobo in the Sanekuy district, and 14 among the Dogons in the Sangha district. 51 From the beginning of the turning to Christ of the various tribes in the 1930's, there was much persecution for the new believers. Some were beaten, others forced from their homes or refused permission to draw water from the village wells. Many were hindered from attending church services.The French government guaranteed religious liberty but in some cases the chiefs an d even the local military commanders were involved in the persecution, or at least closed their eyes to what was happening.

Sometimes even the intervention of the American missionary proved little help. Mr. Mabille and Mr. Keller were able to deal with sev eral of these cases during their time in the French Soudan.

Mr. Mabiïle visited around the C&MA field and several times spoke to the French officials on the mission's behalf. While visiting in the Ntorosso area, Mr. Mabille visited a small church where most of the Christian men were not in attendance because they had been ordered by the chief to work on Sunday on road construction.

(African villages by law were required to provide a certain number of man to work on large public work projects like roads. Th e chief was responsible to set up these work crews.) When Mr. Mabille visited the chief later that day, the chief realized that he was a French chaplain in the army and thus could demand of him an explanation for his actions. Without any mention of the situation by !.{r, Mabille, the chief spoke up and promised to no longer require Christians to work on road crews on Sunday. He also promised to make a search for two Bibles that had been stolen from the Christians. 52 Mr. Mabille's rank in the French army made even the strongest fetish chief reconsider his treatment of the Christians.

50

50

51

51

George Mabille, personal letter, April 28, 1986.

52

52

George Mabille, L'Appel du Soudanais (Paris: Socièté des Missions Evangéliques),

Ibid, p. 31.

pp.23-24.

Because of World War II, it became increasingly difficult for furloughing missionaries to return to French West Africa. The missionary staff was diminished by two-thirds. Mr. Keller was especially helpful in his work in Dakar in granting permission for some of these missionaries' new visas.

As the war progressed and the Vichy government came to power, Americans were the enemy. Under this government, several of CMA missionaries wer e interned or put under house arrest. Rev. Roseberry was traveling at the time, and was not immediately aware of what happened. However Mr. Keller found out that these missionaries were interned and quickly appealed to officials and had them released. Than he and Mr. Mabille joined Rev. Roseberry at San to discuss the problems and make necessary arrangements to avoid similar problems elsewhere on the field. 53 As these two men traveled in French West Africa visiting various missions, they came to believe that a Council of Missions would be of great help to everyone. As several were in agreement, such a council was formed and Mr. Keller was elected the first Secretary-at-Large. (This was the forerunner of the Association of Churches and Missions now operating in Mali.)

After Mr. Keller's return to the Camarouns, Mr. Mabille became the acting Secretary-atLarge.Rev. Roseberry was also very active in this Council of Missions even after the departure of these two men. In 1952, he was recognized for his work with the federation of missions by being made a Chevalier in the National Order of the Legion of Honor.

With the establishment of this federation, the matter of getting visas was speeded up, and concessions and sites for schools became more easily available and at minimal prices. From 1942 to 1945, these two men traveled 'throughout West Africa aiding the various missions when they needed them most. Rev. Roseberry said it best in his autobiography, Crossing Frontiers "No one who has not been through those trying years can understand what these men meant to our Missions." 54

53

53-

54

54Ibid., pp. 38-39.

.S. Roseberry, Crossing Frontiers With Christ, pp. 3738.

IN SUMMARY When French colonies opened their doors to Protestant missions after World War I, this enabled the Christian and Missionary Alliance to attain its founder's goal of introducing the peoples of the Niger River to the light of Christ. A.B. Simpson dreamed of establishing mission stations all along the Niger from the Djallon Mountains of Guinea up through Bamako, Segou, Mopti, Timbuctoo and Gao in French Soudan. In so doing he hoped to form a barrier against the Islamic onslaught from the North.

To accomplish this goal the C&MA sent men in to survey the land. As they travelled up the Niger to Bamako, they preached in several cities, all of them predominantly Moslem.

In September of 1919, they reached Bamako and preached to large crowds there. In 1921, Dr. A. C. Snead, the Foreign Secretary of the C&MA undertook another survey trip. In Bamako Dr. Snead and his companions met with Mr. George Reed of the Gospel Missionary Union who shared with them information gained from his trip to Timbuctoo in 1913, and from his most recent trip into the regions of Sikasso/Koutiala and San/Mopti. As a result of these meetings, the C&MA decided to open work in the eastern part of Mali (French Soudan), as well as pressing on to Timbuctoo. Upon his return to Guinea, Dr. Snead met with the French Governor and assured him that the mission would not only evangelize but also attempt to raise the standard of living in the French Soudan.

In 1923, the C&MA opened its first mission station in Sikasso, buying property near the market for the construction of a residence for the first missionaries, Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Ryan. A few months later in 1924, stations in Timbuctoo and Mopti were opened. Gathering momentum, the mission expanded its work from Timbuctoo to Gao in 1928; and in 1930, a survey trip in the cliffs of the Dogon paved the way for the opening of the work in Sangha in 1931. Thus, in ten short years, the C&MA had begun to penetrate these Islamic centers in its at tempt to realize Dr. Simpson's God-given dream.

If the decade of the 1920's provided the foundation for this mission's work, then the 1930's ushered in the initial response. In 1931, at Ntorosso the first response to the gospel came among the Bambaras. As one Christian courageously burned his fetishes openly, others quickly followed. Soon Africans from 17 surrounding villages came to Ntorosso for teaching and worship. Initial trips into Somasso also bore fruit and the work among the Miankas advanced. The first "chapel" was built in 1934; in 1935, missionaries opened a station in Koutiala; and in 1936, an outstation in Baramba. Missionaries entered Sangha in 1931, and here too God had prepared the way and a moving of the Spirit brought some 40 to 50 people to profess faith in Christ. The work among the Bobos came through the faithful witness of young African men who became Christians while attending school in San. They retur ned home and shared what they had found with their families and friends. Their fervent prayers for a missionary to come and teach them were answered in 1936, when Mr. & Mrs. Marius Bonjour began work in Sanekuy.

However the 30's were also times of difficulties. The yellow fever epidemic in Sikasso in 1931 took the lives of three of the four adult missionary working there. As a result of their deaths, an outpouring of prayer for Sikasso and its surrounding villages brought about the first response among the Senefou people in Fanterela. Unfortunately many of these initial converts were later lost to the gospel.

Work among the Songhrai in Timbuctoo and Gao was also very difficult. These cities, which were religious and cultural centers for Islam in West Africa, were not responsive to God's Word. Missionaries did report a new openness in the 3 0's, as more and more listened attentively to the preaching of God's word, but only a handful

responded. In 1930, Mrs. Michael Kurlak contracted Black Water Fever and died in Timbuctoo. Mr. Kurlak eventually moved to Guinea where he continued to serve with the C&MA. One of the single men, Furman SauvĂŠ, assigned to work with the Tuaregs was forced to leave the field due to medical problems.

Work among the Fulbe in the Mopti area was also slow, Early converts went back to their sinful ways. Itineration was do ne in the Niger delta area, but the staunchly Islamic Fulbe had little interest in Christianity, as it seemed so contradictory to their religious beliefs.

By the mid 30's two very definite patterns had appeared: a real openness among the animistic tribes -Bambara, Mianka, Dogon, Bobo; and resistance among the strongly Moslem tribes - Fulbe, Songhrai and Tuareg. As the number of new converts among the Dogons, Bobos, Bambaras and Miankas increased, the mission faced a growing need for personnel to disciple them. Some new personnel were available, but eventually older personnel were redeployed. The Stamms were pulled out of Tenenkou and sent to Sangha to work among the Dogons.

Additional problems occurred with the beginning of World War II. When the Floyd Bow mans left Timbuctoo in 1942, the mission closed its work there and in Gao. The Bowmans returned to Mali and worked among the Bobos in Sanekuy for some years.

Dr. Simpson's vision was twofold: to establish mission stations along the Niger, and to form a barrier to the onslaught of Islam from the North. To the extent that mission stations were established in San, Mopti, Timbuctoo and Gao and either the C&MA or the Evangelical Baptist continue to work there, this goal was met. However there would be much debate as to whether by so doing the onslaught of Islam has been diminished.

Certainly the predominantly Islamic tribes (Tuareg, Songhrai and Fulbe) are still strongly Islamic. All are considered among the unreached people groups of the world.

Renewed interest in Moslems has brought renewed efforts to reach these groups in Mali.

The Evangelical Baptists continue to work among the Songhrai and Tuareg. In the 1980's, the C&MA as well as the Christian Reform Mission sent missionaries to learn Fulfulde and work among the Fulbe people in the Niger delta area.

Yet the response among the animistic tribes has developed a strong Christian community among these ethnics and a vibrant Christian witness in Mali. In a predominantly Moslem country, Christian pastors and lay leaders continue to stand out as lights penetrating the darkness. Dr. Simpson's desire for the French Soudan to be called "the Land of Light' has not been accomplished. However, there is light in this land now and "in that millennial morn so bright " many of Africa's sons "shall weep no more."

Bibliography Chapter 1 “Simpson’s Vision”     

"Africa", Francis Allison, The Alliance Weekly, March 21, 1931, p. 184.

Crossing Frontiers with Christ, an Autobiography of R.S. Roseberry, R.S. Roseberry, 1958, unpublished.

"Pioneering for Christ in Guinea, West Africa", Mrs. Michael Kurlak, Guinea PANORAMA,_ Fiftieth Anniversary, Vol 7, No. 1, Spring 1969.

The Niger Visiones R.S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, PA, 1934.

They That Wait...Shall Run Dick Darr, biography of George Reed,

Chapter 2 "Sikasso"    

"Missionfieid, a Battleground", by Barrie Doyle "Mpere, the First Senoufo Christian", Ruth Herber, Mali-Upper Volta TIDINGS, Vol II, September, p. 8-9.

"SIKASSO- past", Elroy Roffe, unpublished report, mission files - Koutiala.

The Niger Vision, R.S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, PA, 1934.

Chapter 3 "Timbuctoo and Gao"    

"A Look Into Timbuctoo", Michael Kurlak, The Alliance Weekly, October 16, 1926, p. 670.

"How an African Savage Found Christ", W.S. Martin, The Alliance Weekly, October 19, 1929, pp.

680,683.

"Isaka, the Thankful", Grace N. Wright, The Alliance Weekly, May 4, 1935, p p. 280-81.

"Pioneering in the Sahara", Rev. David Mason, The Alliance Weekly, Qdnber 18, 1930, pp.

680,682.

Chapter 4 “A Fisher of Men”           

The Niger Vision, R.S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, Pa, 1934.

"Timbuctoo and Goundam", MichaelKurlak, 1928, p. 648. The Alliance Weekly, October 6, The Niger Vision, R. S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, PA, 1934 "The Lord Will Provide". Rev. H. 1930, p. 264. M. Wright, The Alliance Weekly, April 26, 1930, p. 264.

Chapter 5 "San - Ntorosso" L'Appel du Soudanais, George t-labille, Societe des Missions Evangéliques, Paris.

Personal letter Eva Howard to Rusty Eramo, "The Beginning of the Ntorosso Bible School" Testimony of Koniba, by Siratigi, an old man from Jegena, March 9, 1986, translated from Bambara

by Rusty Eramo.

The Niger Vision, R.S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, Pa. 1934.

They That Wait...Shall Run, Dick Darr, Biogrphy of George Reed, unpublished.

Chapter 6 "Ministry among the Miankas"    

"A Brief Resume of the Koutiala Baramba Work" Leroy Kennedy, unpublished report - mission files Koutiala.

Crossing Frontiers With Christ, an Autobiography of R.S. Roseberry, R.S. Roseberry, 1958, unpublished.

Personal letter, Clara Joder to Or, & Mrs. Tom Burns, "Our Time in Somasso", Sept. 27, 1980.

"Somasso Station Report", Fred Joder, 1946.

Chapter 7 "Mopti-A Center Among the Foulas"     

"A Sinner's Testimony", Michael Kurlak, The Alliance Weekly, February 14. 1931, pp. 104 & 106.

"Itinerating Among the Fouta Macinas in French Sudan", Charles F. Stamm, The Alliance Weekly, August 6, 1927, p. 520.

L'Appel du Soudanais, George Mabille, Société des Missions Evangéliques, Paris.

"Sowing the Seed in French Sudan", Mr. & Mrs. Charles F. Stamm, The Alliance Weekly, December 8, 1928, pp. 809, 811 & 816.

The Niger Vision, R. S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, Pa, 1934.

Chapter 8 "The Opening of the Dogon Tribe"          

Among the Cliff Dwellers of French West Africa,_ Rev. & Mrs. F.J. McKinney & Rev. R.S. Roseberry, The Christian and Missionary Alliance, 1936.

"Compiled prayer letters", Breidingers, unpublished.

Crossing Frontiers With Christ, An Auto-biography of R.S. Roseberry, R.S. Roseberry, 1958, unpublished.

"First Fruits Among the Habbe Tribe", Mrs. Francis McKinney, The Alliance Weekly, November 14, 1931, pp. 749-50.

God's Light in an African's Heart, Mrs. Francis McKinney, The Niger Vision, R.S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, PA, 1934.

The Gospel for African Children", Charles Bossert African Witness, June 24, 1958.

The Niger Vision, R.S. Roseberry, Christian Publications, Harrisburg, PA, 1934.

"The Opening of Koutiala", Franklin Ballard, Alliance Weekly, December 7, 1935, P. 785.

The School is Born", Mrs. Clara Joder, April 1958, unpublished report - mission files Koutiala.