My name is Sandy. I’m a Bible worker in Siguiri, a city located along the Niger River in northeastern Guinea.
One day I met Matthew Loua, who was born and grew up in an animist family. He believed that everything has a spiritual essence and is part of an interconnected web of life.
I began telling him about Jesus and sharing stories from the Bible. He was very interested, so I offered to give him a Bible that he could read for himself. He was delighted to have it.
He had to be careful with the Bible, though, because his father is the traditional family priest, and he wouldn’t be happy if he discovered his son with a Bible.
For that reason, Matthew always read his Bible when his parents went to bed. He did this every day until one night when his father caught him reading the Bible. The father was furious about the matter.
When Matthew left home the next day, his father took the Bible and threw it into the Niger River. Matthew was upset when he realized that his Bible was missing.
One afternoon, Matthew went to swim in the Niger River. While he was swimming he saw a plastic bottle and other trash items floating by. Suddenly he saw something black on the water. It didn’t look like the other trash, so he swam closer to see what it was. Imagine his surprise to see the Bible his father had thrown into the river! Matthew took it to shore and began to dry it in the sun so he could use it again. He was so happy.
Soon he began telling the village people about the Word of God. The village people were interested in seeing the miracle book that had remained floating nearby in the river instead of drifting away or getting waterlogged and sinking. Through Matthew’s testimony and the Bible, some of his relatives now worship the God of heaven. Glory to God!