Maribous are not to be confused with garibous. Garibous are the disciples of a maribou. They do not wear prayer hats, nor do they walk silently. They roam the town in the evening clutching plastic bowls and at each gate they yell, “ Allah garibou !”, an appeal for leftover food. In response, people either call out “ Allah ne’u garibou !” (May God provide, garibou) or “ Waru jaba garibou !” (Come and get it, then). A garibou lives with his maribou and learns to read Arabic. When he can read, he learns to recite the Qur’an by heart. If he continues, he begins to study the secret things - which verse will find your lost cow , which potion will find you a wife, and which of the 99 names of God protects you against snakebite.

I have recently started a Bible study group for garibous. I did not plan this, it just seems to have happened. There are a couple garibous in my neighbourhood, Alu and Hamidou, who have come to Djibo all the way from Menegu to study. Remember Menegu, Hama’s village near Gorom-Gorom, up on the sand dune ? These lads had heard Keith preach there years back and had even seen the Jesus film. They dropped in one afternoon and we did a simple Bible study in Fulfulde, using a set of colourful pictures of various gospel stories. They dropped in the next afternoon and we did it again. The next afternoon there were three of them, then five.

Today there were seven garibous, aged between fifteen and nineteen - I just gave the picture-book to Alu and he explained the gospel to the rest of them who had not been there from the beginning. Please pray that God speaks to these lads as they listen to, and pass on, the stories in his word. Pray also that they will have the courage to give Jesus their lives, whatever the cost.

10 February is a big date for us, because it is the new deadline for radio applications down in Ouagadougou. We are still wanting an FM station in Djibo ; if anything, the vision has got bigger. I am persuaded that it is technically possible to put a transmitter on top of the telephone antenna in Djibo, and to put relays on the antennae in every major village between here and Aribinda, 130 kilometres away. This would mean that Jibiliiru , in his settlement way out east towards Boukouma, would be able to hear the gospel as he talks to his cows. Not to mention the thousands of other Fulani men, women and children who have not yet heard about God’s love for them. Please pray that we get the permission this time.

Village evangelism continues; what is particularly exciting is that two Christian Fulani men in Djibo have started coming out with me on these trips. Boureima and Du’aawjo are good company and we are learning a lot from each other about how to communicate Christ in this setting. I look forward to a day when they will go out and share their faith just the two of them. That will be one of the signs that it is time for us missionaries to pack up our mosquito nets and get out of here.

In the meantime, though, thanks for your emails and prayers, without which I would go insane.

Love to you and your families. Allah beydu jam .

Steve