Dozens of Yalunka people respond to Gospel, await baptism

By Jeslyn Lemke

MALI, West Africa -- The Gospel is moving powerfully among the Yalunka people of Mali, West Africa.

Around 30 people have raised their hands to be baptized in the local rivers within the past year, in a country where most people practice Islam. Dozens more are actively learning about the Gospel.

The movement started after several mission trips made by the First Baptist Church in Keller, Texas. The word has also spread quickly as new Yalunka Christians share about the Bible between villages.

After driving deep into the African bush for two or three days, church missionaries passed out cassettes of the Bible in the African languages on their first trip in January 2007.

Once the missionaries were known among the community, more members of the Yalunka people began to come to them, asking specifically to be taught about Jesus.

Missionaries and members of the church said the breakthrough is because of God’s grace. They also have a passionate community of U.S. believers praying fervently for the Yalunka.

“They are on their knees for these people,” said Rita Salter, an International Mission Board missionary. Salter originally told the First Baptist Church about the Yalunka people at a U.S. conference on West Africa ministries.

The land of the Yalunka is tropical in places and rugged mountain terrain in others. On their mission trips, the missionaries eat the local food along with the people. One man even killed a warthog and shared two hams with the missionaries (who said it was tasty).

They often sleep outside in mud huts. There is no running water in the bush and the bathroom is an outdoor latrine or just the ground.

The people have been very friendly with the missionaries and very open to receiving the Gospel.

“They [the missionaries] eat with the people. They go to market with the people. They go to the fields with the people. What the people do, they are walking beside them,” Salter said.

Salter said the trips are challenging, but they are definitely reaping a harvest.
“They went in faith and the Holy Spirit met them there,” Salter said.

On the church’s fourth trip, a man ran out to meet them with a petition listing all the people in his village who wanted to learn about Jesus. At one baptism, a man actually dove into the river because he was so enthusiastic.

“We rejoice that God is using us as witnesses to the power of the Holy Spirit and the way He has been at work in the hearts and lives of the Yalunka,” wrote pastor Keith Arnett in an e-mail interview.

Most people groups in West Africa have practiced Islam or African Traditional Religion for many generations. Converting to Christianity is frowned on and often met with persecution.

Because of this, the rush of Yalunka people wanting to be baptized is rather unusual. Salter maintains their passion to hear about Christ is being fueled by the church’s strong prayer team back home and the church’s commitment to sharing Jesus with these people.

Salter, whose job is to find unreached people groups throughout Mali and pair them with U.S. believers, said she knows many more groups eager to hear about Jesus. All they need is someone to come share, she said.

“We need more churches like this because we have hundreds more people groups that are waiting,” Salter said.