{"id":46021,"date":"2025-02-05T13:28:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T11:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.opendoors.org.za\/?p=46021"},"modified":"2025-02-05T15:21:41","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T13:21:41","slug":"pray-that-our-children-will-return-to-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.opendoors.org.za\/afr\/pray-that-our-children-will-return-to-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Pray that our children will return to us (Slegs in Engels)"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Over the past three years, Boko Haram has abducted at least six Christian children in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The children were taken during separate attacks between 2022 and 2024. To date their families have received no news, and don’t even know if they are still alive. The parents have reached out to our local partners and asks if you will stand with them in prayer. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSince I started working in Mayo-Tsanaga in 2014, I have not heard of any Muslim children being abducted. Every time, it’s just Christian children…\u201d says Pastor Jean of the evangelical church in, Mayo-Tsanaga division of the Far North Region where the children were taken.<\/p>\n

One the kidnapped children is 10-year-old Joseph. His family lived in Goldavie when Boko Haram took him. \u201cIt was one Wednesday in May 2023 at about 8 pm; I can never forget that day\u201d, his mother, M\u00e9d\u00e9k\u00e9 (pictured above), who is in her forties and has five children, shares. Joseph is her 3rd child.
\nThe boy had the habit of sitting with his father every evening as they waited for their evening meal. \u201cHe sat on his father\u2019s leg, I could hear them laugh while looking at my husband\u2019s phone. It did not take a long time for the Boko Haram men to surround the village and start with the gunshots.\u201d<\/p>\n

No one saw the men coming, but the gunshots in the air were enough to know they had to run away. M\u00e9d\u00e9k\u00e9 explains that usually in such situations, the villagers will run to the mountains to hide. \u201cSo, I started running to the mountain. When I turned around, I saw Joseph holding my husband\u2019s hand. Both were also running to the mountain\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

In the chaos, Joseph lost sight of his father and decided to run back home to look for him. \u201cA neighbour explained that he saw the young boy run back home and shouting his father\u2019s name everywhere, but when he [the neighbour] tried to tell him [Joseph] to run, one of the men carried him away\u201d, M\u00e9d\u00e9k\u00e9 shares with tears in her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came down from the mountain and waited for all my children with my husband to come back, but Joseph did not come back. I even thought he was with a neighbour. That’s when that other neighbour came and told us that he was kidnapped.”<\/p>\n

\u201cI have waited for a call for ransom till date, but no one has called me. I don’t know what has become of my son. I feel so much pain whenever I think of him\u201d, M\u00e9d\u00e9k\u00e9 told OD partners.<\/p>\n

After the attack, M\u00e9d\u00e9k\u00e9 refused to eat for three days. She kept hoping that her son would somehow return. \u201cI fell sick, very sick. The pain was unbearable, but I needed to hold on. I prayed and asked God to strengthen me and I had little strength. Sometimes I ask God what I have done for You to let them take my son away. But I get no response from Him. I can never forget what happened to my son\u2026”<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes, I wake up at night, and I weep\u2026 I can\u2019t forget. Please pray for me!\u201d M\u00e9d\u00e9k\u00e9 pleads.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/bJtD_BRDyXc” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]The six children abducted between 2023 and 2024 are between the ages of 7 and 18. Like Medeke, their families remain in pain, yet continue to hope for their safe return someday.<\/p>\n

Pastor Jean is the head of the Evangelical church in the area where Joseph was kidnapped. He shares that \u201csince 2014, till date, if I count the number of children abducted by Boko Haram, from us Christians since 2014 till date, it\u2019s more than 14 children. We have 3 in Mozogo, 1 in Korsamba, 1 in Goldavie, 1 in Gabass, and the others, I do not know exactly\u2026 and in Kiriwa-Mafa, they were children of Christians that were kidnapped\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want peace in our hearts, in our village, in our country\u2026 till date, we don\u2019t know where our children are. They don\u2019t call us to ask for money (ransom); they do not call to say here are your children. Till date, we do not know, no news, no trace of our children. Yes, right now, we are asking for prayers that you will pray for us\u201d, he pleaded.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1700662557233{margin-top: 40px !important;margin-right: 5px !important;margin-left: 5px !important;padding-top: 40px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #87bcd2 !important;}”][vc_column_inner]