“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32).

In late January this year, as we were preparing for our trip to the States, the Lord gave us an exciting experience that encouraged us as we faced the challenging task of being apostles to the Hassanya-speaking people, a Muslim group of 3.5 million with virtually no Christian presence.

Bobodioulasso in Burkina Faso, our last post of service, is just 62 miles from Mali where we are preparing to go as missionaries. The town is more than 95 percent Muslim, and our church and school are situated in areas known to be 99.99 percent Muslim. Our neighborhood of about seven families was entirely Muslim. Though it was not our first time living with Muslims, the seven months we spent there were divinely planned.

We had so many wonderful experiences with our Muslim friends that we are eager to be back in their midst. The most exciting one involved an imam who had two of his daughters in our primary school. The girls attended church every Sabbath. The imam and I met one Sabbath morning as he was dropping his daughters off at the church. The schoolmaster introduced us, and the imam said to me, “Man of God, I am an imam, yet I am allowing my daughters to attend your church. I am committing them to your care because I trust you people.” Yes, brothers and sisters, John 12:32 is real. Christ lifted up in the lives of those two girls is drawing their father to Him.

I invite you to join our prayer team and our monthly support team as we prepare to go to lift up Christ among the Hassanya. We have no doubt about the results of our work—it is a promise of our Lord!

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