Chantal is a teenage girl who lives in the village of Kouaba, where we have a little church group. Ancestor worship is strong in this area, and almost everybody whose heart is open to the gospel and starts attending church receives threats from family and community members. Many give in to the pressure, but not Chantal. She has held onto her Savior for the past five years despite persecution. Sometimes, she would come home from church and be beaten. Sometimes, she would go without food for the rest of the day as punishment. But she persisted. Many prayers went up to heaven on her behalf, and miraculously, her parents eventually gave up and let her go to church. However, there are still situations where she is forced to comply with animistic practices.

Recently, her mother announced that the family was preparing a sacrifice and that Chantal needed to give money to buy a rooster. Chantal refused, but her mother simply took her wallet. When the group who was to perform the sacrifice had left with the rooster, Chantal went down on her knees to pray that the sacrifice would be of no effect.

A while later, the men came back, swearing and insulting Chantal. What had happened? Once they had arrived in the sacred forest where the sacrifice was supposed to take place, the rooster died. Just like that. No rooster — no sacrifice. Once again, God heard His child’s cry and performed a miracle.

Please keep praying that God will continue to strengthen the faith of Chantal and the other Kouaba church members amid persecution.

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