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My Story

About this website

Under the Acacias has been put together primarily for two reasons:

1. To give information about the Fulani of Burkina Faso, and my work there, so that people can continue to pray.
2. Encouraging ongoing reflection about church and mission today, in particular with reference to God's purpose for the church in issues of justice.

Please visit the latest page, add it to your favourites, and come back regularly to get the most recent news and find out what you can do or pray.

Things you should know about me.

  • My name is Keith Smith.
  • I was born in the year Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta) gained its independence from France.
  • I support West Bromwich Albion FC (aka the Baggies), who last won the FA Cup when I was 7.
  • I became a Christian in 1982, while at university studying zoology.
  • I hate shopping.
  • I am a member of Glenwood Church in Cardiff, and have been working in Burkina Faso with World Horizons since 1989.
  • In 1992, I moved to Gorom-Gorom, in the north of Burkina to start work among the Fulani.
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Why am I a Christian?

I wasn't brought up in a religious family. It was while I was at university - studying human evolution, at the time, actually - that I met some people who talked to me about God - like Christians do.

I realised that, although I called myself a Christian, it actually didn't mean anything in my life. I was basically living according to my own values and ideas. As I thought about it over the following year, I gradually discovered that I was convinced by the teachings and claims of Jesus of Nazareth. But I also realised that if I believed, I needed to change the way I was living, and I didn't want to do that. After struggling with that for some time, I finally gave in. I didn't really want to, and I wasn't sure I could stick it out, but on 22 March 1982, at about 4.30 am, I asked God to help me live the way he wanted.

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Why am I a missionary?

After I became a Christian in 1982, I pretty soon afterwards became interested in taking the good news of Christ, and the blessing of his kingdom, to what appeared to be the neediest part of the world, which seemed to be the Sahel of West Africa. Increasingly it seemed that this was a growing call from God.

I returned to university to do a post-graduate diploma in 'third world' development issues, and made an initial visit for two months to Burkina Faso to visit a pastor supported by a church I knew in England. As the aeroplane door opened, the hot humid air came in, and I could hear the frogs and crickets singing, and as I stepped out onto the tarmac, it was like coming home. I spent two months with pastor Zongo in his village, and loved it. He, his family, the church, and whole village were amazingly welcoming and hospitable. I'm sure I took more away than I gave, but I returned to Britain with a passion to return - if not to Burkina, then to somewhere else in West Africa. I wasn't sure what I had to offer, but my heart was there.

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