Written by: Open Doors SA
Article source: JOY! Magazine
Burkina Faso has become the first nation, other than Afghanistan or Iraq, to top the Global Terrorism Index’s list of the top ten places most impacted by terrorism. Various jihadist groups are driving the violent insurgency that has forced many followers of Jesus to flee their homes in this country, which presently ranks 20th on Open Doors World Watch List of the top 50 countries with the worst persecution of Christians. The country has one of the world’s most severe displacement crises – with more than two million Christians driven from their homes by jihadist groups. With this backdrop, Christians attempting to follow Jesus in Burkina Faso must try to do so without any sense of security or safety.
Forced to flee
One of the people who experienced persecution first-hand is Pastor Soré. In February 2023, he and his family fled the jihadist insurgency plaguing northern Burkina Faso after they experienced three attacks on their village. The first time Pastor Soré’s village was attacked, extremists robbed the people. The second time, they raped the women. The third time, they burnt everything to the ground. Then he knew he was left with no choice…
“When the terrorists find Christians, they tell them the time of Christianity is over,” he says. “We had to flee to save our lives.”
Everyday life is challenging in a temporary shelter.
Leaving everything behind
Leaving behind a beautiful home and thriving church, Pastor Soré and his wife, Teresa, escaped with their own two children and 15 others who had been orphaned or entrusted into their care. After four days on the road, the group was too big to move into a camp for internally displaced people (IDPs). So, they set up a shelter on a desolate piece of land.
“We were so sad when we arrived in this empty space,” says Pastor Soré. It’s a 2 km walk to the nearest clean water pump. In the rainy season, water washes through their makeshift tent, bringing mosquitoes and snakes. And in the summer, it’s unbearably hot.
‘Jesus is always with us’
According to Pastor Soré, being displaced brings a multitude of problems – but even more than that it lays a heavy burden on the evangelist, who wants to share the Gospel but has no church.
“We are displaced, but Jesus is not and will never be displaced from our lives. He is always with us. This truth strengthens my faith and helps me in this difficult time,” says Pastor Soré. “I ask God to open doors for me to continue evangelism. Despite our miserable condition, Jesus still brings people who get saved.”
He added, “When I look in the Bible, I see all warriors encountered difficulties. It’s my turn today. An important truth about suffering is that it is never eternal – but Jesus is eternal.”
Generous support
Thanks to the generous care of Open Doors and its partners, Pastor Soré, Teresa and the 17 children now have food, farming support, and faith. The prayers and gifts, which included seeds and fertilisers to grow crops for feeding the family, provided a lifeline to him when violent persecution drove him and his family from their village. The Open Doors team also still visits them regularly.
Visit opendoors.org.za to help strengthen the persecuted Church in sub-Saharan Africa, showing them that they are not alone.
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Date published: 10/10/2024
Feature image: Pastor Soré, and his wife, Teresa, with their two children, Wenkun and Esther.
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