Reaching the Unreachable
Those that are easy to reach, have been reached. The people groups left in the world who have not heard of Jesus are the ones that are remote and pose a challenge a get to. You do not just stumble upon them. They are found by strategically targeting them. They don't live in populous areas. They aren't in the major cities. Those that are near the cities have heard. They may not have accepted the message, but the message has been brought to them time and time again. Our team did something that very few people get a chance to do. We shared Jesus in villages where idols are worshiped and where there is no Christian influence. We broke spiritual strongholds in those villages. We raised our voices in worship in places where that has never been done. We shifted things in the Spirit. We made way for Truth.
A mission to Burkina Faso is not for the faint of heart. It is dry and dusty, and extremely hot. Life there can be a struggle. It is a simple life, but not an easy life. The people though are loving and welcoming. They are a kind and helpful people eager to smile and laugh with you. They welcome the foreigner and honor a guest. Their ears are open to hear the gospel, and it was our purpose to go and share the message.
Our journey there and back was full of breakdowns and delays, but the Lord took care of us every step of the way. Our mixed group of Americans, Africans, and a Filipino took advantage of the travel time and filled it with worship, prophetic ministry, prayer intercession, jokes, and lots of laughter...with a community jar of peanut butter.
We traveled south from Ouagadougou toward Ivory Coast to a people group called the Doghosie (Doe-go-say). It took great effort to get to the villages, but it was worth the sacrifice and struggle. We actually had to cut down some trees to make our way but in each of the villages, we were able to meet and pray with the chief and his family. They were all very welcoming and took the time to hear our message. They shared their struggles and sought us for prayer and healing. They wanted to know who Jesus was, and what made us honor them so much to come all that way. We saw many miraculous healings and salvations as a result of our prayers. We are thankful for the small group of pastors that will continue to minister in those villages long after we are gone. Our prayer is that each village will establish a church so that the gospel will continue to spread.
Thirteen villages and over 3,000 people
were presented with the gospel!
Village life is definitely different than what any of us are use to. We slept on the ground under mosquito nets, used a latrine or a bush, bathed out of a bucket, and ate lots of rice and bread. There is no electricity, no plumbing, no furniture, and we had to adjust to a constant state of being dirty and sweaty. We slept under the stars and listened to the goats scream, the donkeys bray, and the roosters crow at all hours of the day and night. It was a unique experience that I don't think any of us will ever forget. It was a privilege to be able to share Jesus and we cannot wait to return again.
- Sheila Conley