Africa School of Missions (ASOM) sits exposed in the open desert. ASOM trains students from closed Islamic nations where they are in constant danger of persecution, imprisonment and even death. The school is committed to discipling men and women into maturity, helping them know the call the Lord has given them in missions, and equipping them to fulfill that call. The "cover" is vocational training, and a wall is needed to protect student identities and their activities. ($25,000)

"Possessing the unreached people for the Lord is a battle between God’s people and the kingdom of darkness," wrote Gabriel Barau, ministry leader of Missionary Crusaders Ministries of Nigeria (MCM).

He is aware of the battle that silently rages around him—and the enemy that diligently watches him, studying him for weakness. Attacks might be inevitable, but he knows where to find refuge.

Gabriel’s goal is to win as many souls for Christ as possible. A key player in God’s kingdom, he is stationed in enemy territory—an Islamic region in northern Nigeria.

The battle is ongoing, and most recently took the form of an attack that could have been prevented with walls.

In 2000 MCM purchased 12 acres of land in a strategic Muslim city to serve as mission headquarters. Gabriel began construction of a school of missions and discipleship—a place for new Christians to develop their faith and seasoned ones to learn the skills needed to bring light to a very dark region.

The school cost more than Gabriel had at the time it was started. But his faith drove him forward. The school’s concrete foundation was poured…and then remained vacant until resources were obtained.

Dedicated to impacting their own, as well as adjacent nations with the gospel, Christ’s Power Ministries in Benin has built a school of missions to also train students from the Islamic nations of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso as native missionaries. Subject to the scrutiny of Muslim neighbors, and open to thievery, CPM is in great need of a wall ($30,000) for protection and privacy.

Later, the wooden frame was erected, standing skeletal on the desert-like land until more funds were raised to fill it in with bricks and mortar.

Gabriel’s patience was tried, but he remained faithful to the task.

By the summer of 2007, the school was almost finished. That was when the notice came. Muslim authorities threatened to seize possession of Gabriel’s land because it had remained undeveloped for several years.

In most African nations, the state has an overriding interest in the access and control of rural land, irrespective of who may rightfully own that land. Local authorities may dispute property lines or even ignore land titles in an effort to seize property.

Gabriel had two choices: develop the entire 12 acres--impossible because of lack of funds--or build a wall around his property. The wall would declare his intentions for developing the land and protect it from seizure.

He contacted Christian Aid, who worked quickly to raise the funds needed to erect a six-foot, concrete wall.

As workers labored around the clock to lay concrete blocks, Gabriel received regular visits from local authorities. He watched as they seized the property adjacent to MCM’s land.

Three Fulani squatters had set up their tents on the property, further solidifying the need for a wall.

Today the wall is almost completed. Local authorities agreed to remove Gabriel’s name from their list of those whose land is to be confiscated.

Yet the urgent need for walls is felt by several other African ministry leaders assisted by Christian Aid.

A wall defines boundaries for those who might question them, and declares rightful ownership for those who might dispute it. It also protects from thieves, squatters and the freely grazing animals of nomadic pastoralists, who do not recognize property lines.

In Islamic regions, walls also protect Christians who are being discipled or trained for ministry from the eyes of those who would expose and harm them.

Quranic school

In the Islamic West African country of Senegal, children are the prey of Muslim radicals, intent on propagating their false beliefs. Orphaned or abandoned children are found in every street—hands outstretched in hopes of a few francs from compassionate passersby.

Marabouts (Islamic witchdoctors) have claimed large numbers of these children, forcing them to beg for money during the day and to study the Quran in the evenings.

Risking the wrath of the entire Islamic community, native believer, *Hassan, began to use what little he had to rescue these children—one by one—from the streets. He sheltered them in his own house, feeding, clothing and training them in God’s Word.

Children from L'Abri Center go from village to village presenting music and drama, drawing crowds to hear the gospel.

In 1999 Christian Aid sent offerings for a children’s center that now houses 140 abandoned children and 40 persecuted adults. These are discipled and taught how to share Christ’s love with others. Every summer Hassan takes these children for evangelistic outreach, meeting the needs of the destitute people in surrounding villages.

With donations from Christian Aid, a primary school is being built next to the center so the children can be educated in a Christian environment and context.

To meet the enormous task of feeding all who live at the center, Hassan is pursuing an agricultural project on five acres of the center’s land. Fruit, vegetables, poultry and livestock would allow the center to become self-sufficient.

A concrete wall, costing $25,000, is especially needed in this Islamic region to protect the animals and crops from looters, and the children from Muslim extremists.

*Name changed to protect safety