People long for the Bible in the most volatile dangerous places

Ken Dachi has just got back from the Central African Republic, where he encountered people in volatile circumstances who are hungry for the Bible. He reflects on his time away.

You and I know that when life gets tough, people turn to God’s word. Sometimes, we need Jesus more than ever. That’s exactly what I found in the Central African Republic, a country broken by civil war.

I discovered families using scarce resources to travel to our office to get Bibles. I met women doggedly, faithfully coming together to read God’s word. I spent time with colleagues who, despite everything, press on with the mission to share the Bible.

This place is in crisis – yet amid the chaos, people want Bibles. 

I had never been to a warzone before. I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the Central African Republic. Beyond the capital, Bangui, the country is lawless. Violence and kidnappings are widespread. Three-quarters of people live in extreme poverty.

Amid the chaos, people want Bibles

I met my colleagues at the Bible ‘warehouse’ – an old freight container. It was looted two years ago and Scripture material was set on fire. We went to the office, which was cramped, hot and noisy. We couldn’t hear each other speak because of the rain hammering on the tin roof.

I realised for the first time that war affects everything. When you fear for your life, you don’t tidy your office or get organised. You focus on what really matters. And for most people here, what really matters is their faith in God.

One day, I got out of the city to meet a group of women who come together to read and learn from God’s word, using Bibles and study notes provided by our team. I watched these brave women arrive by bike and on foot, regardless of the insecurity and risk.

Their passion to understand the Bible moved me beyond words.

One woman, Nado Justine, told me, ‘Psalm 128 has finally opened my eyes to the promise of blessing through fearing the Lord. It now makes sense! My husband says I should continue attending the group as it is making me a better person.’

These women live in such a hostile place – but, for them, reading the Bible is everything. I heard of families using their scarce resources to come to our office to get Scripture. Hope is alive in the toughest parts of Africa, and people long to know Jesus through the Word of God.

Being in this broken, poverty-stricken nation convicted me more than ever: we must meet the demand for the Bible across Africa. My colleagues in Central African Republic told me their priorities are to train more women to lead Bible study groups and provide Bibles to all who attend. They also want to buy a motorbike so they can deliver Bibles around the country quickly and safely.

Think of a time you opened the Bible when life got tough. Can you remember how you felt? I met so many people who keep going, in spite of everything, because of their faith in God. Imagine their joy as the Bible you’ve provided is placed into their hands. 

Find out how you can support this work and put Bibles into the hands of people in the Central African Republic.