A Daughter Returned Home
Bintu* was one of the first believers in her tribe in Mali. Because of that, persecution had become a recurring part of her life. Still, during Ramadan in 2025, she felt compelled to return home and visit her mother.

Their relationship had long been broken. Her mother knew that Bintu followed Jesus and had rejected her because of it. Friends urged her not to go, but Bintu went anyway. As she stepped into the courtyard, everything changed.

Without warning, her mother threw a chain around her neck and shouted, “You will die within the next 24 hours!”

In Bintu’s culture, this action and declaration was a deeply feared curse. Stunned and in tears, she ran from the courtyard leaving the chain on. She knew Jesus was stronger—yet fear gripped her. Superstitions, like this curse, had shaped her childhood, and its weight did not disappear easily.

Holding On Through the Fear
Shaken, Bintu turned to the local ICR partner who had walked closely with her for years. Together, they prayed. Words of Truth were spoken into a moment of deep fear.

The hours passed.

And then the day ended.

Bintu was still alive.

Relief came slowly. And with it, resolve. The curse had no power, and fear did not get the final word. Bintu made a quiet, courageous decision.

She would go back.

By the time Bintu returned, her mother already knew she was alive—and had gathered others, including ten relatives.

As Bintu entered the courtyard, they rushed toward her. Her mother’s voice rose above the chaos:

“My daughter has cursed me! She wanted to kill me—during the holy month of Ramadan!”

What followed was brutal. Her clothes were torn away and she was beaten and insulted. In her tribe, women only appear in public fully covered. Now exposed and humiliated, Bintu collapsed to the ground, curled in on herself, overwhelmed by shame.

Only when a neighbor took pity and brought her a dress did Bintu rise and make her way home—her body aching, her heart raw.

A Command That Would Not Let Go
In the days that followed, Bintu opened her Bible reading plan. One verse stopped her short:

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”
Matthew 5:44

She brought the verse to the ICR partner. Together they sat with it, asking a difficult question:
Was there anyone among those who had harmed her to whom she could do good?

Despite the pain still close, Bintu knew the answer.

Choosing Love
She thought of a cousin who was struggling financially. When she appeared at his door, he froze. She was the last person he expected.

Inside, the reality of her cousin’s living conditions was clear. He, his two wives, and their children were living in deep poverty. Through donations from abroad, Bintu was able to give them a 50-kilogram bag of rice—enough to feed the family for two weeks. Her cousin lowered his eyes in shame. His wives began to cry.

From that day on, he began visiting Bintu in secret. He asked questions. He watched the Jesus film with her. But fear followed close behind as other family members began to notice. The threats came quickly.

He was drawn to Jesus—but afraid of paying the same price Bintu had paid.

Faith That Keeps Moving
Bintu continued to serve. She visited poor villages, sharing about Jesus and helping those in need. Having once lived on the streets because of her faith, she carried deep compassion for women living on the margins.

Pregnant women in these villages often could not afford prenatal care. Without examinations, complications went unnoticed—and mothers or babies frequently died in childbirth. Bintu helped them reach doctors and prayed for them and their children.

Traditionally, babies were consecrated to Allah on the eighth day after birth. Many said this custom could never change. But the women Bintu helped began asking a different question:

“Why should I consecrate my child to Allah when a Christian woman helped me and prayed for me?”

They asked Bintu to bless their babies, instead.

Early in the mornings, Bintu goes to them and blesses the babies in the name of Jesus. By the time the celebrations begin, she has long since disappeared. But the guests notice that there was no imam in the house and that no animal was sacrificed. This leads to great astonishment—but also to great discontent. Christians like Bintu live in constant fear of persecution—and yet they courageously follow Jesus.

Today, these believers also live with constant risk. And still, they continue to follow Jesus—step by step, act by act, love by love.

*To protect privacy and help ensure safety, all images and names shown are representative and not of the actual people or events mentioned.