Aliu (not his real name) is one of the leaders of a small group of Fulani Christians living in a region in West Africa. Formerly a devout Muslim, Aliu now serves as an evangelist.
A Fulani man with his cattle.
His transformation began when he went to a spiritual conference hosted by Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM).
He attended only because he wanted to learn to read. But the conference gave him more than he had imagined.
Although Aliu did not trust the missionaries or like what they said, he could not ignore the feeling that he had heard the truth being spoken. Afterward, he sat in the bush for three days, fasting, thinking, and praying.
When he returned to his village, Aliu told his family that he did not know much about following Jesus, but he couldn’t follow Islam anymore.
That decision was difficult for his family and village to hear. To them, being a Fulani meant being a Muslim. They shut him out, beating him and taking away his job of herding cattle. His wife wanted to leave him.
Through it all, his faith remained strong. His witness eventually led several family members, including his wife, to put their trust in Jesus.
CRWM missionaries in the area say that Aliu and his wife are leaders of the Fulani believers in their area. They hold a worship service in their hut every Sunday and a Bible study on Tuesday evenings.
