Christians are being slaughtered in Burkina Faso as jihadist groups compete for the allegiance of potential terrorists. Families are fleeing in desperation, carrying very little, if anything, with them. It is believed that more than one million displaced people currently require relief assistance as the violent, deadly attacks continue to escalate. They urgently need our help.

Of course, numbers like "one million people in need," don’t tell much about the actual people impacted. As we were praying about and discussing this crisis recently, I asked Suzanne Buchanan, one of our administrative assistants, to share about her experience growing up in Burkina Faso in the 1970s and 80s...

The people of Burkina Faso are incredible. I have traveled all over the world and have never met a kinder people than the Burkinabe. They are warm, friendly, kind and self-sacrificing even though they live very difficult lives. They are very relational and love to just sit and talk. They are the hardest working people you will ever meet, yet they are also some of the poorest people in the world. Everywhere you go, you see camels, miles of bare dirt land, very little green, mud huts with thatched roofs, lots of donkeys, goats and chickens, and extremely malnourished children.

The life expectancy in Burkina Faso is only 56 because life is so hard, and the medical care is so poor. The hospitals are so bad you only go there to die. My dad used to take containers of first aid supplies to rural villages so he could bandage wounds and provide basic medical care to cultivate relationships with people and try to reach them for the Lord. They are very open to the gospel, and if you build a relationship with them, they open their hearts easily. 

The Christians in Burkina Faso are more devout than most Americans. When they are given a Bible, they act like they have been given the greatest treasure on earth. They will walk miles and miles to get to church and they do not miss church for anything. I am convinced that the worship in heaven will be led by Africans because there is nothing like it. They worship with their whole being. Christianity has grown by leaps and bounds over the years in that predominantly Muslim country. Their faith is strong. They would never denounce Christ.

I left in 1987 and I still consider my African friends some of the dearest friends I will ever have. What is happening now is heartbreaking. One thing I know from living among the Burkinabe is that they would be so grateful for any assistance that they receive. The country is already in a state of poverty and these people have no money, no homes, no food, no water and the need for help is urgent. The churches are trying to help but they cannot keep up with the rapidly rising number of displaced people.

We must respond to their urgent pleas for prayer and assistance without delay. In the past six months, more than 170,000 people have been uprooted from their homes, adding to the rising number of displaced refugees. Over two thousand schools have been forced to close because of the violence, depriving 330,000 children of an education.

Will you partner with Liberty Relief International today to help minister to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters suffering such harsh persecution?

Your secure, tax-deductible gift of 50, 100, 500 dollars or more will enable us to send urgently needed aid to our partners in the field who are working with families fleeing the threat in Burkina Faso, and others whose faith puts them at constant risk from violence, torture, false imprisonment, kidnapping, rape or even death.

Your generosity will help provide for immediate humanitarian needs like emergency food and water, as well as safe houses and trauma counseling; literacy and job training; restoration assistance to rebuild churches and homes; Bibles, Bible study materials and discipleship training for new believers.

And as you pray for Christians around the world who are suffering violent persecution—even facing eradication in many nations—remember to share this information with family, friends and fellow church members to raise awareness of the plight of persecuted Christians in these harsh regions. You can also follow LRI on Facebook and share the updates that are reported there.

Please let me hear from you today. Our prayers and our practical help are a lifeline for our persecuted family facing horrible threats like this. Thank you in advance for standing with LRI to pray for and care for our hurting family all over the world.

God bless you,

Mat

P.S. You can help LRI minister to the urgent needs of persecuted Christians and others in unbelievably desperate situations with your generous gift today.