“Your word preserves my life and is my comfort in my suffering.”
Burkina Faso believers who lost their base of living and became refugees due to attacks by Islamic Jihadists are gaining strength through the Bible in their native language. The Voice of Martyrs (VOM) Korea, which distributes the Bible to major conflict zones worldwide, said it has distributed the Bible to each Burkina Faso family in cooperation with Polish VOM and local churches in Burkina Faso.
They provided 2,713 evangelical Christian families with the Bible in the languages of More, Gourmachema, Diula and Fulflude. Among the saints who received the Bible is Zalissa, a Christian refugee from north-central Burkina Faso.
She fled with her family to save her life when jihadists attacked her village. Zalissa confessed, “When we lost our living and became refugees, we rose back to our feet through this gift and our local brothers and sisters.”
According to the Korean VOM, though Burkina Faso’s Christian population is only one-fifth of the total population, Christians are the most targeted by Muslim extremist attacks. Since 2023, thousands of Christians have had to flee their homes, and many have been attacked and killed.
According to Conseil National de Secours d’Urgence et de Réhabilitation (CONASUR), Burkina Faso’s government agency, the total number of refugees currently exceeds 2 million, and more than 300,000 people have been displaced in the first week. In response, the Korea and the Polish VOM have been working with local churches to care for minority evangelical Christian refugees in Burkina Faso. They are one of the world’s most neglected refugee groups.
Hyun Sook Foley, CEO of VOM Korea said, “During the extreme persecution, many Christian families lost their most valuable heirloom, the family Bible. Without the Bible, Christians like Zalissa can’t understand the persecution and hardships they are experiencing.” She explained, “Their faith was shaken to a certain degree when they had to flee their homes to escape persecution. However, they gained strength as they received the Bible and hospitality from local churches.”
“Christians received the Bible not only for their families but also to distribute it to their neighbours who were not saved,” CEO Hyun Sook-Poly said. “We decided to do this ministry because Christian refugees directly requested the Bible.”
She added, “Burkina Faso Christians highly treasure the word of God. Even if they continue to be pursued by Islamic Jihadists, these saints are focusing on spreading the word of God and glorifying God rather than focusing on their safety.” (Source: Gospel Prayer Newspaper)
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life. Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me. (Psalms 119:50,175)
God, we praise the Lord for giving comfort and strength in the Bible to those who were displaced overnight by the attack of the jihadists, and for giving them the power to glorify the gospel! However, to the refugees who are still in distress because their faith is weakened by the incomprehensible persecution they have suffered, let the Bible be delivered above all and may You protect their safety. Thus, their weakened spirits are restored by the Word and not only worship the Lord again but also spread the Word of the Gospel to other souls who have not been saved so that they may praise the Lord together.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
