In 2011, five men from FEC entered a Yalunkan village in Mali, Africa. They introduced the chief and all his people to the Big Creator. Today, a church from that West Africa Initiative is growing deeper with plans to build a permanent structure and train up the next generation of leaders.
Last October, Hal Lehman and Steve Nelson, two of the five who first met the village chief, flew to Burkina Faso, a neighboring country to Mali. Their goal was to reconnect with the pastor and his wife from the Yalunka church in Falea, Mali. Due to political unrest, Mali’s borders are currently closed to expatriates, so Hal and Steve could no longer go to Falea. After a three-day bus ride, the Falea church leaders arrived in Burkina and spent two days with Hal, Steve, and the EMC Burkina Faso leadership team. “We had a wonderful time of fellowship,” says Steve Nelson. “It was just fantastic.”
Hal and Steve heard how God is deepening Christian roots in Falea, a predominately Muslim region. They were also able to challenge the Falea pastor, asking questions like, “Where do you see the church going in the future? Who will train to be the next pastor?”
Steve expects to visit with the Yalunka leaders next October, once more in Burkina Faso. “God keeps inviting us to step into what he’s doing,” Steve says. “To still have an incredible connection with these people is an indescribable blessing. I look forward to being a part of that as long as God allows.”
