Crack! The huge palm tree crashed to the ground. Boubakar needs 15 palms to make rafters for his house. He has to cut each tree with a hand saw and then split it into 20 to 30 foot rafters with a wedge. It’s a huge task for one man.
Bainouk houses are normally square mud block homes with tin roofs. Because of deterioration of the mud blocks, every ten years the Bainouk people of Senegal need to rebuild their homes. They must build in the dry season, or the rain may damage or destroy what they have built.
Across the savannah Boubakar hears the laughter and chatter of many of his neighbors helping a friend build his house. Normally when it is time for a Bainouk to rebuild his home, all of his neighbors come together to help him. But Boubakar works alone.
For a Bainouk, working by himself is almost unheard of. They have a strong sense of community and doing things together is very important.
But when Boubakar accepted Christ a few years ago he was bold in his testimony. As he walked with God, the Bainouks who had rejected Christ saw the changes in his life and began to ostracize him. They wouldn’t help him build his house and often excluded him from village meetings or other village affairs. Being left out was painful.
So he continues to cut trees and make rafters alone, preparing to build a home for his wife and two young boys.
The sweat glistens on Boubakar’s forehead as he labors under the hot sun. A cool refreshing rain would feel so good, but he asks God to withhold the rain so he can finish his home before it can be ruined. He also asks God to encourage his heart in this time of loneliness. He often asks God to let him be an example of His grace to others and that God will soften the hearts of those who are rejecting Jesus.
Pray that all the Bainouk believers will be strengthened in their walk with the Lord in this hostile environment. Pray also that God will hasten His promise to build His church among these people.
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