They found him dead this morning,” the messenger told Fidel.

Fidel was shocked that Sani had died. When we moved to our farm, Sani and his family were some of the first people we met. They are a family of Fulani (Peul) who live permanently in the village. Unlike most of the other Fulani who move around with their cows, this sub-tribe of Fulani stays in place.

Sani had helped us chop down the weeds along the path to our land from the road. He also helped in many other ways. Because he was Fulani, he and his sons took care of our herd of cows; that is their life. Sani was also our guard for many years, but he would conspire with others in the village to steal. So with Fidel, it was kind of a love-hate relationship. Fidel spent hours talking with him and praying with and for him. He would come and ask Fidel to pray for him, and he would get better, but then go back to drinking.

Almost all Fulani are Muslim, but people in the village said he was a bad Muslim because he did not go to the mosque or pray. He had actually grown up with an uncle who was a Christian pastor in an evangelical church. For a year or so, he and his kids would come to church in Tanguieta. But Sani had several problems. One, he drank considerably. He also had many demons connected to him.

Once, when Fidel was having a multi-day prayer session with a church director’s daughter, Sani witnessed the power of God throughout the house, including what he described as fire coming out of Fidel. Sani understood what was happening, but was never able or willing to be entirely for God, and thus, he kept getting pulled back into the system.

Time passed, and he stopped being our guard. However, his sons continued taking care of our herd. Now ten years later, they are adults and on their own.

Even this year, as problems began to arise in our area, Sani was still looking out for us. People from another village had been going around and attacking the owners of herds. With many people losing their herds due to terrorists, Fidel and I talked several times about selling ours. Three days after Fidel sold our herd, the people from that other village came hunting for Fidel. Sani told them that we had sold everything. After a farm worker confirmed what Sani had said, they left.

Sani continued to drink heavily and cause problems within his family. One of his wives left because she could no longer tolerate his actions. Then one morning in October, Sani was found sitting upright against a tree. He was dead. He had made choices throughout his life, and now it had come to an end. Please pray for the family, including numerous children, that Sani has left behind. May the Holy Spirit penetrate their hearts and minds and find them willing to be molded into Christ’s image.

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