Welcome to West Africa. The Mossi people of Burkina Faso have a greeting that says, “Zi be neeré,” which figuratively means your coming has made the place more beautiful. Thank you for visiting this web site and having an interest in West Africa. Your coming has made the place more beautiful.
From the rain forests of Guinea, Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Ghana, to the desert sands of northern Senegal, Mali and Niger; West Africa is a place of vast contrasts.
The church, for example, can be found in all kinds of places and stages of development. The Burkina Faso Assemblies of God has over 4,000 Assemblies while the Gambia has only six.
Church buildings contrast greatly in shape and size. They vary from the new church plant group that is meeting under a tree to very beautiful, multi-storied buildings that are found in the heart of some of West Africa’s cities.
The people filling these churches offer contrasting ethnic and social backgrounds. See the Fulani nomad who has found Jesus Christ and is faithfully listening to tapes in “Fulfulde,” his native tongue, as he travels the countryside with his cattle. He may worship alongside the bank official who has aspirations of becoming the next president of his country.
In our churches you will find the child who has lost both parents to HIV/AIDS and is being cared for by relatives, but faithfully attends church at every occasion. You may even locate, in some congregations, the woman who is the third wife of a Muslim man, but is raising her children to follow “Isa” (Jesus). Don’t overlook the student who came to church to dissuade his friend from following Jesus and found himself at the altar giving his life to this Jesus. And near the front, if someone points him out, you will find the latest young man who was rolled in a ditch of water because there was not enough water to baptize him by immersion.
These people with contrasting personalities, lifestyles, economic standing and ethnicity all have one thing in common. They have found a community of faith that is nurturing them as they learn to walk with Jesus.
Come explore the work God is doing, through and with His servants, in 13 countries across West Africa. In all this we say, “To God be the glory.”
Randy and Becky Tarr
Area Director