When the smoke finally cleared after two days of mob violence in Niger, more than 45 churches, homes, and other Christian property had been looted and burned. The problem: nobody knows if that will continue on under the encouragement of Boko Haram/ISWAP’s encroaching ideology. “Christians are sort of in their target group, even if they’re not the main target. So, if there are Christians on these islands, they certainly would know that if Boko Haram takes over, it would not be good for them,” explains Nettleton.
Yet, Nigerien Christians have already proven they are hardy. “Attacks happened, and the next day, Christians gathered in their churches–some of them still smoldering, some of them burned, without a roof. They gathered for worship and prayer, kind of sending a signal: ‘We’re not going to be intimidated. We’re not going to stop.'”
Since the future is tenuous, Nettleton urges you to “pray that they’ll respond with courage, but also that they’ll respond with forgiveness and Christ-likeness in a very difficult situation.”