Nine-year-old Moussa lies awake in his bed, his heart pounding heavily and his palms sweating uncontrollably, and wonders: Will someone break into my home? Will there be violence in my village? Will someone harm me or my family? These fears overwhelm him every night.

Moussa* lives in the Sahel region of Africa. Political instability has plagued this region for years. In Mali, terrorists have occupied most of the northern region as a result of the 2012 military coup. In Niger, Boko Haram extremists storm villages, kidnapping women and children. And in Chad, rebels seeking to oust the president battle government forces, which results in the killing of innocent people.

These violent acts have left children like Moussa traumatized with fear and anxiety. And children’s heart wounds often go untreated because they have difficulty articulating their inner pain. But God can heal their pain and calm their fears through the pages of Scripture.

Healing Children’s Wounds of Trauma

To address the spiritual and emotional wounds of children in the Sahel, the Bible Societies of Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Mali are working together to provide Bible-based trauma healing for children ages 9–13.

This August, twenty leaders identified by the Bible Societies will be trained to become Bible-based trauma healing facilitators. After completing their training, the facilitators will lead children in the Sahel in interactive, story-centered Bible-based trauma healing exercises—helping these little ones express their pain and bring it to Jesus, the great Healer.

This is the second year the Bible Societies of Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, and Mali have provided Bible-based trauma healing for children in the Sahel. Last year, God moved in a big way, healing the wounded hearts of children like Moussa, who reports: “ I learned to pray to Jesus at night before sleeping or when I begin to be afraid, and afterwards I am no longer afraid.”

We are hopeful that this year’s ministry will help even more hurting children find comfort in Jesus. Will you join us in praying as communities in the Sahel come together to help their traumatized children experience the healing found in God’s Word through the Bible-based trauma healing ministry?

Pray for:

• Bible-based Trauma Healing Facilitators: Pray for the people training to be trauma healing facilitators to arrive safely to the training center, to be open and thoughtful in their training, and to be wise and considerate in how they present the Bible’s message of the healing power of Jesus.
• Children Participating in Trauma Healing: Pray for the children participating in Bible-based trauma healing in Sahel to feel safe in their environments and with the facilitators so they feel comfortable enough to share their pain. Ask God to heal these children emotionally and spiritually. Pray that he will remove their anxiety, worry, and fear and replace it with peace, hope, and love.
• Bible Societies in the Sahel Region: Pray for the Bible Societies in the Sahel—working in the countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan—as they labor to bring the healing power of God’s Word to places where there is violence and unrest. Ask God to protect the Bible Societies’ staff and to guide them in their Bible-based trauma healing ministries and Bible translation projects.

*Name changed to protect identity.