Pray. Give through Christian Aid, which is in touch with hundreds of underground workers. They need Bibles, cassettes, vehicles for the work, funding for businesses, agricultural projects, feeding programs, wells... the list of opportunities to open doors for the gospel also goes on!! (500IUCN)

Success story: This land was desert until gifts from Christian Aid donors provided funds to an indigenous North African missionary for a well, seeds and fencing for this project. Forty families in this desperately poor area work the farm and are supported by its yield. Many have become Christians as they experienced the love of Christ in such a practical way.

In the Sahel: Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan

These countries form a narrow belt dividing or joining, depending on the point of view, North and sub-Saharan Africa. Four of the six are on the UN list of the 10 poorest nations; all are in the bottom 20.

Typical African village boy with no hope for the future. Will the marabouts carry him away from his life in this garbage dump? (500RCD)

SENEGAL, MALI, BURKINA and NIGER are secular Islamic states, meaning they are predominately Muslim, but not under Shar’ia (Islamic law). Persecution is usually from family and neighbors, who often ostracize Christians, causing real hardship in such poor countries. Islamic brotherhoods are radical and target believers whom they threaten with death. They must be hidden and protected for years while they grow and strengthen in their faith. Very rich, these brotherhoods are buying up interests in necessary goods and services (fuel, cooking gas, food imports, etc.) in order to control the country’s economy.

Christian schools are allowed, but extremely rare, as believers are poor. Though the public school is not Quranic, teachers are Muslim, the Quran is studied and prayers are observed.

There are thousands of miles throughout these countries where there are no churches. Millions of souls are dying without ever having heard the name of Jesus.

Christian Aid assists indigenous ministries in these Sahelian countries whose converts are often in danger. Many threats have come to an orphanage which saves abandoned children from victimization by the marabouts. These Islamic witchdoctors collect children from villages and virtually enslave them, forcing them to beg by day and memorize the Quran at night. The orphanage also shelters persecuted converts, as they help with the children during their discipleship.