Cheikh, a 9-year-old boy, escaped a marabout "warehouse." He ran for help to foreign missionaries he had seen. They were afraid and sent him to an indigenous ministry leader, who led him to Christ and has protected him for three years now. 522LMA

CHAD is approximately 50 percent Islamic. Muslim converts can be killed if not protected.

Malia had been enslaved, beaten and abused from childhood by the family that took her in when her parents died. When an indigenous missionary assisted by Christian Aid told her the good news, she was overjoyed and immediately accepted Christ. Her “family” threatened to kill her, so she went into hiding during her discipleship and attended an African school of missions. Though still in danger, she is back in Chad now, having great success among Shuwa Arab women. (512SAP)

How to help? Native Sahelians are remarkably open to the gospel now, and missionaries tell us this is the time for harvest. Pray and send support for missionaries, children, needed equipment, vehicles, and projects, such as schools, churches and business ventures, to help them become self-supporting. (500AIM)

Northern SUDAN is Islamic and has systematically killed well over a million Christians in the past 20 years. Rae Burnett (photo left), visited non-Muslims, forced by the government into a camp outside of Khartoum because they refuse to convert. Removed from their home villages where they lived for generations with the know-how to farm, hunt, and build with local materials, they are unprepared to eke a living from unfamiliar and inhospitable surroundings. They are slowly starving to death.

A separate constitution for the non-Islamic south has finally stopped the outright warfare against believers there, including the bombing of relief centers, schools and hospitals. (514PERS)

In Sub-Sahara: The 41 remaining African nations

This is one of the churches planted by a persecuted Fulani missionary family.

Other than Somalia and Djbouti, where Christianity is not tolerated, there are no Islamic governments, but Muslim missionaries are invading every country with billions of dollars from the Middle East, Pakistan and Libya. They build beautiful mosques, schools, hospitals and clinics, dig wells and distribute food. African presidents make secret financial deals and throw open the doors of their nations to foreign Islamic governments.

Many convert for desperately needed material benefits, and Islam is steadily growing. No cultural change is required. Converts still practice witchcraft and polygamy and merely add going to the mosque. It is easy to get into Islam, but forbidden to get out. Throughout Africa where there is Islam, there is persecution. The form depends on what the government will permit. Here are a few typical cases:

NIGERIA: In the past few years, churches have been burned and thousands of Christians murdered. Shar’ia has been declared in 12 of 36 states. Christians must obey laws of dress and conduct or face imprisonment.