How Barnabas Is Helping “Pocket Pastors” Take God’s Word to Muslim Herders in West Africa The Chebar* are a Muslim-majority people of around 12 million in West Africa. They are traditional cattle herders and many do not like to enter buildings, so most will not go to church. Chebar converts to Christianity are heavily persecuted. Barnabas has helped fund 14,000 New Testaments ($5.20 each) in the Chebar language and 1,600 solar-powered audio players ($21 each) with 80 hours of Gospel content. The players are often called “pocket pastors” because many Chebar people have only heard the Gospel that way. Audio players are the centerpiece of scripture listening groups whose members gather around the campfire to hear God’s Word. Children especially love singing the Gospel songs that accompany the Scriptures. An elderly member of a listening group said that, when he dies, he wants to be buried with an audio player because it contains “the word of life” and with it he will enter heaven. His friends and family now want to join listening groups. *Name changed for security reasons.
Two Chebar Christian women listen to their “pocket pastor”.
$27,040 Contribution to the Project Project Reference: PR362 (Bibles and Scriptures Fund)
Displaced Converts in Burkina Faso Thank God and Christian Family Overseas for Food More than 440 Fulani Christian families, displaced by persecution in Burkina Faso and impoverished by the impact of Covid, have received three months’ food aid from Barnabas. As converts from Islam, the Fulani families are especially likely to be targeted by jihadists who are stepping up attacks across the beleaguered country. Oumnou is grateful to God for providing food for her and her children through Barnabas. Together with Oumnou’s husband, they fled their home in eastern Burkina Faso to the regional capital after jihadists threatened to wipe out Christians from the area. With no money for food or shelter, the family survived on what Oumnou received from begging. In desperation, her husband left the city to find work, but she has heard nothing from him since. Our project partner said the food aid has encouraged Christians and the church locally to feel part of the bigger Christian family as “they were remembered in their struggle by family members" from around the world.
Christians displaced by jihadi violence receive Barnabas-funded food aid.
$20,340 for Three Months’ Food for 441 Families PR1530 (Covid Emergency Fund)
Funding for New School Clothes is Answer to Prayer in Kazakhstan “I have now lost my job and your help is manna from heaven for us,” a parent with three children told us. Another said, “We prayed in our church that God would solve our financial problems … and then a miracle happened.” A disabled mother added, “I thank the Lord and Barnabas. I have a leg injury, so such help for the school year is a huge grace for my family.” These are words of thanks to Barnabas from Christian parents in central Kazakhstan after we provided 105 children, aged between six and 17, with clothes suitable for school that their impoverished parents were unable to afford. Many parents lost their daily wage jobs because of Covid and are struggling to meet their families’ needs. Other children are from single-parent households, or from families where a parent is disabled. “The main thing is that people were able to send their children to school with dignity,” said our church partner.
A Kazakh Christian girl with her new school shoes, shirts and leggings.
$3,225 Project Reference: PR1558
