Welcome to our Arise Africa podcast in partnership with the Association of Evangelicals in Africa. Arise Africa is a campaign which aims to bring sustained awareness to the problem of extremist violence and its impact on Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our aim is for you to gain an insight of what is happening to our family.

The violence taking place in Sub-Saharan Africa threatens the church and weakens the body of Christ. As Open Doors, our focus is not just merely on looking at how militant violence is impacting Africa, but how it is impacting the church. Christians in Africa are severely suffering due to militant violence and are amongst those most vulnerable because of their faith in Christ.

In today’s episode, we turn our attention to a country ranked number 16 on the Open Doors World Watch List. Joining us is Lofi Bola, who brings both insight and lived perspective on the realities unfolding in his home country. Lofi serves with Open Doors and is part of the leadership of a national Christian organisation dedicated to youth development.

Thank you very much. Burkina Faso is a lovely country, a blessed country, a country which means country of upright people. This is the vision given by a revolutionary president, Thomas Sankara.

Burkina Faso is located in West Africa, bordering countries like Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, all of them are bordering countries of Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is a landlocked, it’s mostly a Muslim-dominated population. Burkina Faso has been going through severe attacks, terrorist attacks since 2015, with a huge impact on the church.

I am there serving with a youth association, trying to build up the capacities to encourage youth to continue the mission and to be the testimonies of God in our context. With a violence score of 96.7%, believers are at high risk of being intimidated and even killed. Since 2015, extremist leaders encourage communities to be hostile towards Christians.

Some of the Islamic radicals are forcefully converting people to Islam. Lofi shares how a series of attacks on Christians has become an ordinary part of their lives. As I mentioned previously, Burkina Faso has been under attacks since 2015.

These attacks are usually coming from extremist radicals who are claiming to convert people to Islam and to also instal the Sharia. This persecution ranges from discrimination, from severe persecution like ill-treating, preventing some people from going to school, for example, but also up to killing and destruction of churches. For example, since the starting of the crisis, we have over 100 churches destroyed.

We have about 22 pastors killed. We have 10 pastors who don’t know where they are, abducted, disappeared. In our fellowship, for example, we have at least three persons who were abducted, and up to now we don’t have any news about them.

One of them since 2022. Until now, no news about them. These are some situations that affect the church, but also affect the entire country because we have the youth affected and sometimes obliged to stay in a local place without moving.

These are drawbacks of all these actions of these terrorists. Because sometimes when terrorists arrive in a village, they don’t care who is from this or that. They say, all of you, or all of those who are not as extremist as them, because they combat those who are moderate.

Despite the weight of the challenges they face, Lofi shares a beautiful glimmer of hope. In the midst of hardship, the church has embraced a unique opportunity to bring the love of Christ to those displaced by violence, offering both compassionate care and the message of the Gospel. This is a powerful reminder that even in the darkest moments, the church can rise to meet the need, becoming a beacon of hope and a catalyst for meaningful, life-changing impact.

This situation has changed because there are many who were now able to go back to school, but we don’t have actually the right situation right now, how many schools are still closed. And this also implies that there are some people who are forced to move to another place, and when they go there, sometimes the school, the nearest school to them, to this new place, is very far. In response of that, for example, we collected some bicycles to offer to some students so that they can ride to their school to continue.

Some could not afford their school fees because they were displaced, not having the possibility of cultivating, having agricultural activities or breeding or business. They rely on the generosity of people, and we have, the church has been sponsoring some students, paying their school fees, offering school facilities for some schools which were destroyed to continue the schooling activities. All along this is also showing the love of God.

One of the displaced persons said one day, we are displaced, but I know that God is not displaced. God is here, and he is using people to come to us, and he sees our situation, and he is supporting us. We have a student, when she decided to give her life to Jesus, her parents said, now that you have the possibility, you think that you are mature enough to choose your own religion, you need also to face your school fees.

So she had no longer support from her family, and the different associations put in to support her, and she is now studying at university, under the support of Christians. And this is some example also of solidarity. Coming together, providing food to people, not considering from which church he is, or from which ethnic group background he is.

Collecting some support like in the book of Acts, to go back and support the poor in Jerusalem. And this is an act that is encouraging us. It is truly an encouraging message when we hear about believers coming together and loving one another even in the midst of persecution.

Luffy shares scripture very close to his heart. We are grateful that you think of Burkina Faso. You can continue to pray for Burkina Faso.

Pray also that God will allow the church to remain faithful to her calling, to go and make disciples. For the church also to trust the Holy Spirit, being with the church to continue to preach the gospel. Pray that God will give more wisdom and support, strength to the leaders, the leaders of our communities, church communities, but also political leaders, that God will keep them, protect them, and give them wisdom to lead this country as it should be.

We are encouraged by this passage of 2 Corinthians 4. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. Dear friends, thank you so much for tuning in to the Arise Africa podcast. Your willingness to listen and engage with the urgent issues facing Christians in Africa is truly appreciated.

Together, we can amplify their voices and bring attention to their plight. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take a moment to sign the Arise Africa petition. Your support can make a significant difference in advocating for freedom and protection for those who are suffering.

Thank you for your compassion and commitment to this important cause.

Transcribed by TurboScribe.