Bringing Good Out of Evil

“God, even out of evil, you can bring good,” prayed Kurt Selles, director of ReFrame Ministries, along with Rev. Marc Nabie, ReFrame’s French ministryleader.

“Good out of evil” aptly describes the role that Nabie and his partners play in Burkina Faso and surrounding countries amid years of political instability and violence. Several years ago, Nabie said he would describe Burkina Faso as a “poor but peaceful” country. But since 2016 terrorism has been on the rise, leading to further violence and political instability.

As a result, 1.7 million citizens have been displaced, fleeing from violence. Many pastors have lost their lives, and over 500 churches have been shut down.

Despite these difficulties, Christian ministry continues in Burkina Faso—a country where 65 percent of citizens are Muslim.

“We are introducing Christ to people, speaking to youth, speaking to leaders, and speaking toward peace,” said Nabie.

When Nabie joined ReFrame's French ministry team in 2015, Christian ministry programs were being broadcast by two radio stations in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital city. Today, 12 radio stations broadcast Christian programs in Burkina Faso and in the nearby countries of Niger, Benin, Senegal, and Mali. Nabie has also launched new programs online and, most recently, on television.

Nabie shared that the difficulties of life in Burkina Faso have made many people, even Muslims, more open to the good news of Jesus.

“They are questioning why other Muslims would choose to kill in the name of God,” he said. “That’s why we believe now is the time for us to preach Christ and make him known.”

Nabie also shared the story of a church plant in Kaya, a northern town that is now home to many displaced citizens who have fled from military oppression.

“We received a lot of follow-up calls and messages from people listening to our radio programming in Kaya,” Nabie said, “so we sent a member of our team there to talk to listeners directly and to organize a way for them to be discipled and worship together. After just 10 months, many more people have come to Christ. The church we planted now consists of 40 adults and almost 200 children; 21 people were baptized last Pentecost—and eight of those were converts from our radio ministry.”

Every convert has a unique story. Marion and her brother are great examples. They were forced to leave their village after it was attacked by terrorists. They sought safety in Kaya. There they heard a gospel radio program and got in touch with David, ReFrame’s partner there. After meeting with David and sharing their story, Marion and her brother prayed and received Christ. Both have been baptized, and Marion still attends church regularly. Her brother recently joined the army, hoping to combat the terrorism that uprooted him.

Nabie shared several ways that fellow Christians can support Marion, her brother, other new believers, and the French ministry through prayer:

• Pray for stability in Burkina Faso. The suffering and anxiety of war have made people angry and desperate.
• Pray for the safety of ministry staff. Team members, producers, and the radio stations that broadcast the programs need God’s protection.
• Pray that the gospel will speak to the hearts of people in Burkina Faso. Nabie asked that we pray for God’s blessing on their social media, radio, and TV ministries.
• Pray for opportunities to expand ministry into other parts of French-speaking Africa. The French ministry hopes to expand to other French-speaking areas of Africa where there is currently no Christian radio presence.

“We thank everyone for their support,” Nabie said. “Without it, people like Marion and her brother would not know the good news of salvation. We are privileged to be able to help many find life for their souls—and you are a part of this great adventure. Thank you for joining hands with us to reach all these souls for Christ!”