In early December Elena, Fiona and I drove to Niamey, the capitol of Niger, to visit “Sahel Academy”. While the girls checked out the boarding school as a possible option for their future schooling, I drove with my colleagues about 20 minutes away from the fertile banks of the Niger River, right into the desert. We visited a plot of land, a gift from the government of Niger. Although this place seemed dry and barren to me, I was about to discover showers of blessings and stories of faith.
Almost ten years ago a native missionary from the DRCongo had been sent to Niger to start a media ministry, which produces Christian radio programs in the languages of several unreached people groups of the Sahel. Today, these programs in the Hausa, Serma and Fulfulde languages, are heard on commercial FM stations, on MW and SW transmitters and even on the Internet. There is a stream flowing from the desert.
To advance this ministry, the church is turning the wilderness into a house of blessing. With the help of our friends from IBRA-Media, a new recording studio is going to be built. What excites me most about this project is the local support it receives. Christians from many different churches and denominations are participating generously. Brick by brick they are giving to build “their studio”.
Mr. Mo is one of the national radio producers.
He was trained by mediAfrique in 2010.
On the plot of land, where one day the studio will stand, I encountered another miracle: a family of new believers. Mr. Ali was trained by Iranians to convert Christians to Islam! In his zeal he studied the Bible to refute Christianity. But the Word of God touched him and when he heard Christian radio programs explaining the message, he believed. He and his wife became followers of Christ. When Mr. Ali’s relatives rejected and disowned him, the radio people who had produced the programs took care of him and gave him the job of guarding over their property in the desert. Here he has built a temporary home, for his wife and children. But he also built a small house of prayer, as he calls it. It is here that he prays and meets with other people. In his church.
Note: Names and faces have been changed for security reasons.
