A tour of Pastor Barnabas’s new home

Pastor Barnabas and his family spent years living in a displacement camp. Thanks to Open Doors supporters, they now have a home – but many, many more believers still need your support and speaking out.

When Open Doors partners first shared Pastor Barnabas’s story, he had been living in a displacement camp in Nigeria for five years. “Each and every one you are seeing here, we are all Christians,” he said. “We are displaced because of violence.”

You may remember seeing the powerful video where Pastor Barnabas walked through the camp, showing how internally displaced people (IDPs) like him were forced to live.

“The IDP camp is a terrible place to live,” he said. “We don’t have good hygiene, we don’t have water, we don’t have toilets. Many people are dying. Only last week, as I am talking, we lost eight people in this IDP camp.”

He, his wife Joy and their eight children lived in a makeshift tent that was smaller than a double mattress. But not anymore.

A new home for Pastor Barnabas

Thanks to the generosity and prayers of Open Doors supporters, Pastor Barnabas and his family now have a new home near the camp.

“I want to appreciate God Almighty for where He has kept me today,” he says. “This is a new house for my family. We can freely move inside. We even have chairs, tables and wall curtains. I have a personal room with my wife. I have a room for my children. We have a kitchen, and a toilet and water system. We can easily cook even when it is raining.”

He adds: “Thank you to all the brothers and sisters who have been a part of this – to support us, to make sure we are living in this condition where we are today. May God Almighty bless you in Jesus’ name.”

Your support is helping the family in other ways – three of his children now attend school and his wife, a designer, has a shop. Many other believers in the camp are also being supported in life-sustaining ways. “By the grace of God, they have skills now – they are trained and empowered. They now have some shops. I believe, when the time comes, all of us will stand and that’s how many will see and they will come back to serve God faithfully.”

An ongoing crisis

Pastor Barnabas is still ministering to the thousands of believers in the camp, travelling back to support those who have relied on his kindness and wisdom for many years. He feels strengthened and reinvigorated in his ministry: “I believe, with the help of Christian brothers and sisters, now, if anyone has a problem, I can help that person on my level where I am today.”

He is very clear that the need remains enormous. Your support has changed his family’s life, and the lives of other people in the camp, but there is still so much more that needs to be done. Millions of believers are displaced or vulnerable, and Open Doors supporters remain vital in joining with the African church to stop the violence and start the healing.

“The number of Christians being displaced is increasing, because the crisis is still going on,” he says. “Yesterday, from the news I heard, there was an attack. Many people were killed. More people are coming to the camp – more are fleeing. Even those areas that seemed a little bit safe are all displaced now. We are praying that God will help, so that this crisis will stop; so that we can go back to our ancestral home.”

“It is very important to sign the petition”

Pastor Barnabas asks Open Doors supporters around the world to keep the momentum going on the Arise Africa campaign. “It is very, very important for people to speak about the Christians in sub-Saharan Africa,” he says. “We want people to spread this news to everybody, because we are not safe. Every day, we are attacked. We are being displaced from our homes. We are being deprived of our rights.”

The Arise Africa petition joins with the African church in calling for peace, justice and restoration for vulnerable Christians in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a target of one million signatures, globally. You can help us reach that figure.

“It is very important for them to sign the petition because, if they do not sign, people will not be aware of what is happening in sub-Saharan Africa,” says Pastor Barnabas. “People should go on talking about it. Share with others and ask them to sign the Arise Africa petition.”

Please keep praying

Your prayers continue to be earnestly sought by our brothers and sisters in this displacement camp, and across many other regions and countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

“It’s important for you to pray, because prayer is the only key,” says Pastor Barnabas. “It’s only God who can step into the matter and the matter will be solved. If you pray, then, you help them to stand. I call and urge everyone to be praying. It’s very important.

“When you pray for us, pray for the country, for sub-Saharan Africa, and I believe the country will come back to normal. If you are praying, you should pray for the restoration of the churches. Pray for God’s provision and God’s restoration.”