Boko Haram victim discovers Jesus in a unique way

By SIM USA | Niger in West Africa

After great loss, John came to a saving faith in Christ.

Nothing could have prepared John* of Niger, West Africa, for that fateful day.

For the last two years, Niger has been at war with Boko Haram—an Islamic extremist terrorist group. John had heard reports of the brutal attacks in far-off villages. Unbelievable stories of torture and murder, mass abductions of women and kidnapping of children.

So when soldiers rolled into his village, he was terrified.

Boko Haram fighters pillaged John’s village, leaving a wake of death, destruction and loss. Among the terrorists’ spoils of war… John’s precious son, stolen!

Nothing in John’s Muslim faith brought him any comfort. He could not understand why God (Allah) would allow such a thing. At a time when he needed his faith the most, it let him down. He felt empty and hopeless.

But then God worked through Jeanne, a SIM worker serving in Niger, to reach John with a hope that never fails.

After seeing a film clip of the aftermath of a Boko Haram massacre, Jeanne wondered what opportunities those who died had to hear our good news. The thought of people dying, never having the chance to hear the gospel, was heartbreaking. This spurred her on to begin a ministry using technology in Niger.

Jeanne and others distribute Christ-centred books and films, like the JESUS film, on SD memory cards that can be easily inserted into cell phones. The cards are small (about the size of a postage stamp) so they’re discreet and easily concealed in this Muslim-dominated region of the world.

John received an SD card through Jeanne’s ministry. Inserting it into his cell phone, John watched the JESUS film (translated into Makori, his own language).

As he watched the story of the gospel unfold before his very eyes, the truth about Jesus filled his heart. And without any help from a pastor or evangelist John put his faith in Jesus right then.

Today, John continues to grow in his faith. Each day brings new blessings… Healing. Peace. Forgiveness. Trust that God is in control… in all places and at all times.

Pray with us

-Pray for technologies like SD cards that make it possible to reach into closed countries with the truth of the gospel.

-Pray for John and others in Niger and this region of the world, who risk persecution for leaving their former faith to become followers of Jesus.

-Pray for the peace in these war-torn nations and for those, like John, suffering loss and heartbreak in the wake of Boko Haram.

*Names and photos may have been changed for the sake of privacy and safety of our workers, ministry partners and those we serve.