It was a typical day. Alphonse watered his garden and then went over to visit one of his friends at work. When he arrived, though, he heard the sporadic cacophony of gunshots.
“When I heard the shooting from everywhere, my friend and I ran into his storage room and hid under goods.” Alphonse prayed deeply for protection. Terrorists came and broke down the door to the storage room, but when they looked inside, they did not see the two men hiding. “By the grace of God, they didn’t see us.”
When the terrorists first entered the village, Alphonse’s wife was out gathering firewood. When she heard the ringing of the gunshots, she ran to a neighboring village for safety. She immediately tried to call Alphonse, but with no success. Her instant thought was that he had been killed.
Hours later, Alphonse was able to call his wife and let her know he was okay. They made plans to meet at a nearby village and then head to Bobo—a distant town—where they would be safe.
They met at the village and left for Bobo while it was still night, them and a small group. They had loaded food and luggage onto carts and headed out.
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Soon after they left, they heard the terrorists pursuing them. They had no choice. They abandoned their carts, darted into the bush and ran for their lives.
The terrorists came across the carts and burned them. But they lost track of Alphonse and the others.
In talking about his escape, Alphonse says, “I thank God who saved my life … We were able to reach Bobo after three days of walking in the brush. God heard my silent prayers in the deepest parts of my heart.”
Now living in Bobo, Alphonse and his family have nothing. They lost everything to the terrorists. What’s even more heart-breaking is that Alphonse’s wife is traumatized from the events; she suffers from PTSD from when she tried calling her husband and thought he was dead.
But Alphonse is putting his trust in God. He is remembering Proverbs 3:5 which tells him to trust in the Lord with all his heart. Although there is struggle and strife, he is quick to remember that through God’s graces he survived. And he’ll continue to survive.
We’re inspired by Alphonse’s faith but know there are trials ahead. Join us now in praying for him and his family.
Lord, thank you for saving Alphonse and his family from the terrible attacks in their village. We can’t imagine the emotional toll that would take. We pray You provide for Alphonse. He’s living in a distant town now; please open doors for him, that he’ll be able to find ways to not just survive but thrive. We think of the emotional damage that’s been done. We pray for Your supernatural peace to take root. And we pray for those who lost loved ones and friends during these attacks. Bring them solace in their mourning and may they somehow find eternal encouragement in You. Amen.
About the author
Tim Dustin writes for Global Christian Relief where he shares breaking news stories of persecuted Christians in Burkina Faso and around the world. Get the latest blogs and prayer requests at GlobalChristianRelief.org
