Engage Burkina

01/17/2026

A life destroyed, hopeless, wanderers, death, then hope, and eternal life found. This is Amadou's story: real life, beyond our comprehension, a worthwhile read.

“My name is Amadou Yembi, I’m 78. Here is my story.

I had five children aged 57, 54, 52, 50, and 47, respectively. I lived with my children, their wives, and my grandchildren in Burkina Faso. My grandchildren were playing around me. They were making a lot of noise as they played as children do, so I quietly withdrew under a large tree in a corner of the yard to rest. I was dozing off. Everything seemed normal on this day, a day I will never forget, October 15, 2025, the day our world changed forever.

I woke up with a start to gunshots. The children’s laughter suddenly became loud crying.
People began running around with cries of distress. Gunfire had invaded the entire
environment.

I understood that it was jihadists who were firing these shots with bursts, danger was all around us.

Many of my grandchildren clung to me because they didn’t know where their
mothers were. I rushed as best I could into the middle of the family courtyard, where I
discovered with horror the lifeless bodies of 2 of my grown children.

Yemboiro the eldest and Tiho the third were both lifeless.

Two hours later the firing of the weapons stopped and the silence was as deafening as the gunfire had been. I waited in vain for my 3 other children to come back to us. My strength had suddenly deserted me. I was in shock and my whole body was trembling. I don’t know if it was t I couldn’t even cry.

I desperately asked those who were running, concerned with saving
their own lives, if they had seen my other three children. Of course, they no longer had
ears to hear or respond to my question. I felt like they didn’t even see me.

An hour later, the shooting had started again. We had to leave and flee as quickly as possible with my five daughters-in-law and sixteen grandchildren. Some of these children were still
nursing.

We walked for hours and hours, covering more than seven miles through the
bush into the pitch-black night. As we walked we could hear the gunfire slowly fading into the distance. We knew the danger remained in our village, and our hearts broke as we did not know where our other family members were. Were they wounded and suffering? Were they dead? Had they gotten out safely?

We no longer had the strength to keep walking so reluctantly we decided that we would stop to rest in the forest. I could not sleep though I was exhausted both physically and mentally. I was worried about my three missing adult children.

We had left everything behind us. The children were so hungry when they woke up in the
morning, but we had nothing to give them. How and where could we find food for
twenty-two people, those of us who fled together. We became beggars in every village we passed through. This was truly unimaginable for us.

Sometimes our condition aroused the pity of some people, but most people had nothing
to give us.

Two of my young grandchildren died during our flight. One of my grandchildren who was 11-year-old had been bitten by a snake in the bush, and the 9-year-old boy, who had been sick since we left our village, died from lack of medical treatment and exhaustion. We were living in a nightmare beyond comprehension. We were hopeless wanderers.

We walked for 2 months before finding ourselves in the village of Toma, where we had heard
about the garden initiated by Engage Burkina and its partners.”

( An explanation of the Engage Burkina Garden Projects”

In the northwestern region of Burkina Faso, the humanitarian situation has been critical
for several years: armed conflicts, massive displacement, and food insecurity disrupt the
daily lives of millions of people. In this context, Engage Burkina focuses its action as
close as possible to the needs. In Toma, in particular, thanks to the generosity of our
donors, we have often organized distributions of food and essential goods to meet the
immediate needs of families who have lost everything. Engage Burkina and its partners
have created a vegetable garden and made it available to churches for vulnerable
people.)

The testimony continues:

“Pastor Mathieu and his wife welcomed us. They welcomed my wife, our daughters-in-
law, and our grandchildren, finally we saw a glimmer of hope.”

We had been living day in and day out for 2 months in fear of not having enough to eat, with all the risks of illness and death but finally we had found relief. We received food from Engage Burkina, enough to feed the family for three months! (Can you imagine their existence, hunger, and relief at having food to sustain them?)

We were given plots in the garden to cultivate for our own needs and then are allowed to sell the surplus to make money for our other needs, such as healthcare.

We thank Engage Burkina and all of you who donate, because this vegetable garden greatly has improved our daily life, it has saved our lives, and we have been able to regain our health once again.

From our Business Agent who oversees our projects in Burkina:

Behind this garden are hundreds of families who regain dignity and hope. By reducing
hunger and malnutrition, Engage Burkina and its donors help ease a complex
humanitarian situation.

As I listen to the stories of these hundreds of displaced people, as I hear their pain, and look into their eyes as they recount what they have experiences, and as they recount how these garden projects have brought them hope and life, I thank God for all of you in the US who continue to partner with our people. Without you their suffering would not be eased.

A few months after their arrival in Toma, Amadou learned that his other three sons had been killed in the attack on their village. All of his daughter in laws were widows, and his grandchildren had lost their dads.

Because of the demonstration of the love of God to them, the witness of the pastor and his wife, the way they were welcomed, embraced, and cared for, Amadou and his entire family gave their lives to Jesus.

These garden projects have brought many, many lost souls into the family of God. This is your harvest, thanks to your generosity and your prayers. Please continue to pray and to give. We appreciate you and need you.

Amadou and his family continue to share their story with many other families who have been
welcomed into the garden.

Marthe, the wife of Pastor Matthieu, who primarily cares for the refugee women, said that working with women in the garden is a full-time ministry. In less than 3 years, the garden has reached 312 people, 276 of whom have given their lives to Jesus.

01/07/2026

Just got off the phone with Pastor Yusuf and there is a HUGE praise. Estra, his son, who was kidnapped has been found and returned one from Ghana. He was taken by a group who kidnaps youth and then sells them into slavery, often to terrorists.

The Burkina Military police working with the Ghanian police were able to recover and save him along with 2 others who were taken at the same time.

He is now in Ouaga and is being questioned by the local authorities to see what exactly he and the others went through.

Thank you all who have prayed for Estra. Please do continue to pray for Estra, the other two who were rescued, and the others who are still missing who were taken at the same time. Pray for their families also.

Another huge praise is that the disabled garden project in Ouaga will have a bumper crop of tomatoes that they can sell and eat. The garden project builds a community for them, provides food, work and money as they sell the surplus.

Burkina and the US now will not issue visas for each other. Please pray for this tiny nation of wonderful people as they are in a war against the terrorists who want to conquer them. We pray that the visa issue will be resolved as soon as possible so we can return.

However, the ministry, the work, the projects continue thanks to our local pastor network, and our faithful business manager. And thanks to all of you who continue to pray and give.

We cannot thank you all enough!

10/28/2025

Still no word on Estra and the other youths taken by the terrorists. Also a missionary pilot was kidnapped last week in Niger.

10/21/2025

Pastor Yusuf, whose name you have seen often and many of you have met, was in his field working near our disabled school, and he and we were informed yesterday that 15 other youth were also kidnapped from that same area by Islamic Extremists right in the capital city.

Someone phoned Ouaga a few days later from Estra's phone, Yusuf's son, and the police tracked the call to Ghana. This leads them to believe that is where they were taken.

Can you imagine if this was your son or daughter, niece or nephew? This is a common occurrence in Burkina, as the terrorists torture, attempt to brain wash and force those kidnapped into fighting with them against their own people. They insist they deny Christ and accept Muhammed and Allah as their new God. If you refuse, you are tortured more and if you can endure, with God's grace, you will have your throat slit, be beat to death, or be shot.

Pastor Yusuf and his family are trusting God, but they ask for as many praying people as we can reach to pray for them as a family, for the other families, for Burkina who continues to be tormented, tortured and murdered by these violent extremists. I cannot imagine his wife and his other children's emotional pain at this time.

Please pray for Burkina anytime they come to your mind.

We pray daily that any terrorists, committed to Islam, in the strictest sense, who will come at some point in this life to come to know Christ as their Savior, that God permits them to live. Any who will refuse until their earthly death, those who choose eternal death over eternal life, that God will take them more quickly, and deliver Burkina from their evil acts.

We know that we cannot see as God does, we only see the temporary suffering, while He sees Kingdom value. As multitudes flee as their villages are attacked and so many are murdered, they come down to where we have pastors and churches and Christians. There they are cared for, many of them muslims themselves, and as they see these Jesus followers showing them love, taking them in, those they were taught to hate, many of them are coming to Christ. More than at any other time that we have seen in our lifetime.

Our garden projects provide them with food and with a community of others who understand their own loss and suffering. Every morning the pastor and believers give a gospel message before the displaced people begin to work their plots. They are then able to feed and care for their own remaining family members, and sell the surplus for buying what they need. Nothing is charged to them from the project, which all of our donors in America are providing.

The garden projects are LARGE, they have a deep drilled well, large cement holding tanks, 6 ft by 6ft by 6ft where water is pumped into them from our solar systems. They can then easily fill their containers to water their plots, even in the dry season.

Please pray for these kidnapped youth that we know about and so many others who right now are suffering or dying daily in our heart nation.

Thank you so much for your prayers and continued love and support for this tiny nation, No major US news networks give this nation any notice at all, despite the crisis there.

We fight our battles through prayer in the heavenly places! This is indeed a spiritual as well as physical warfare, a fight of good and evil, and despite how it looks the lost are coming to Christ in droves!
Betty

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08/19/2025

The banking issues for our ministries in Burkina have been solved and ministries on the ground are back on track! Thank you all for praying. It was not easy but our remarkable business manager here in the US finally got it all worked out. Thank you for your prayers for this matter!

Pastor Yusuf called 2 days ago with sad news. One of our young girls, 14 years old, who receives the educational scholarships to attend school died this week.

She had taken on a job cleaning a house to earn the funds for her books. She had mopped the floor and on the wet tile floor went to plug the frig back in and was electrocuted. She was a believer.
This past week Betty’s 58 year old uncle died suddenly of a heart attack. He was a believer.

We will all pass away one day, we just do not know when our last earthly breath. Psalms 139:13-16 says that our days here on earth are ordained. For those of us who know Christ we pass from life to life, we will see our saved loved ones again.

For those in our lives who do not know Christ may we strive for them in prayer, asking God to persistently send people and circumstances into their lives to give every opportunity to accept Christ before they draw their last breath.

Burkina continues to be attacked by terrorists, but more and more people also continue coming to Christ. Please continue to lift Burkina up in your prayers.

Our garden projects, wells, educational scholarships, medical care for the suffering, and food distributions, continue. Our local
pastors bravely continue to preach and minister to those fleeing violence and the loss of loved ones and homes.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and generosity.

05/19/2025

https://engageburkina.com/donate/

If anyone was touched and would like to donate to the ministry/people in Burkina Faso through Engage Burkina, here is how you are able to do this online.

WHO WE ARE JOHN & BETTY ARNOLD JOANNA GREGG JOEL & AMANDA GRIFFIN PAUL RICHARDSONGET INVOLVED Clean Water Provide Education Physically Disabled Special Projects The Kids At The DoorDONATEContact Us Donate and Make a Difference Your donation will aid us in a Life Saving Mission to save the lives of t...

05/18/2025

Our business agent just sent this photo, he says that Ouaga is in a “snowstorm”……..translation: dust storm off the desert.

05/14/2025

We were able to help and encourage many people while in Burkina. Engage Burkina has for years been heavily involved in providing educational scholorships, and other aids to students who desire continuing their education.

Education provides hope for a better future, not only for them, but for their parents also.

This is a young student who has been sponsored for a number of years. This year he also needed a bike to get back and forth to school.

What a privilege to be a part of an organization that is investing so heavily into people whom we love so deeply.

Burkina is now considered one of the most dangerous nations, a do not travel to nation for American citizens. It remains one of the poorest nations in the world also.

Despite all of this God’s word is being preached and more are accepting Jesus as Lord than ever before.

The poor are being helped, we are providing medical care and scholarships, the disabled people remain a priority, the displaced people are receiving food, water, and more, and more people are coming to Christ than ever before. Garden projects are being created throughout the country, providing food and income for the most needy. Deep drilled and hand dug
wells continue to provide clean water to the thirsty.

And all of this is because our American believers are faithful in giving and in praying. We are humbled and thankful to be the missionaries supported by and sent by Engage Burkina.

Thank you everyone!

05/11/2025

Remember my earlier post about Gilbert, the first Sunday he arrived and crawled into church. There is a photo of his old three wheeled trike also.

After the post someone wrote and wanted to give him a new hand pedaled trike, which he received at the earlier food and trike distribution.

Today he came to church on his new trike, and once he was seated he graced us with a huge smile!

Engage Burkina making a difference, over and over and over again, one life at a time!

Thank you to all of you who give and pray for our people!

$400 provides mobility for someone in need.

05/11/2025

For previous team members’ memories: bestfrog legs in the world at VerDoyant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso AND the fate of butter on the table, while eating outside under straw mat overhang with temperaures around 107 farenheit and even hotter heat index!

Great Happy Mother’s Day in Africa!

05/10/2025

Engage Burkina continues to meet people where they are in need. In one village where many fled after being attacked by the Islamic extremists, a pastor asked if we could help him to help those who came with nothing.

He wanted to start a school to teach them to sew so they could earn a living.

Many donors stepped up and the sewing school is in full swing.

As you can see the sewing classes are full, full of learners who are being taught a skill and are finding hope for a new future.

Many young women who have lost their families find themselves forced into prostitution in order to survive.

These machines are providing life skills and hope. Thank you all who continue to pray and give to the work here!

05/09/2025

Funny, On a lighter note:

Last night I thought I was showering alone, but I was not. As I stepped in and turned on the water a small quick footed gecko dashed around by my feet. After the initial surprise we simply kept an eye on each other.

He joined me again tonight. We are becoming friends! 🙂 I had forgotten about some of the “normal” Burkina day to day occurrences……

In the mornings when I open the kitchen door to make my coffee a much larger gecko generally runs out. Startles me every day.

They are great to have around as they eat insects!

John just came in after showering and my friend joined him too. We think he looks forward to the water each night!

The other night with our pastor friends I had sandwich makings for supper. Ham, mayo, American mustard I brought over, jelly, butter, peanut butter and fresh bakery french bread.

One of our pastors spread the American mustard on his bread, bit into it, decided he did not like it, so then covered over it with strawberry jelly. His face said it all and we asked him not to eat it. He was relieved! and we all had a good laugh. He said the mustard was too bitter.

I explained that I to this day am unable to eat their dried fish sauce, though initially I did try to as a new young missionary.

Learning and laughing together is amazing!

We have spent hours with our Burkina friends, eating, laughing and sharing memories and stories.

They are amazing people! some of the best and most generous people in the world.