Source: INcontext International, June 19, 2024
Amoss faithfully served God on Faza Island, also known as Pate Island, near Somalia. This island is entirely Muslim and very hostile to the message of Jesus Christ. This is also a dangerous area along the Somali coast, where tourists have been kidnapped. A ministry once tried to build a church there, but it was burned down and never rebuilt.
Amoss was the only Christian on the island and lived in complete isolation from other believers in order to live out the calling God placed on his life. He studied to become a teacher with the goal of using his skills for missions. God led Amoss to start a school where he worked for over 15 years to spread the gospel. He registered the school and received praise from the Kenyan government’s education department. Throughout his time there, Amoss faithfully shared the gospel with the children who attended his school.
Parents were pleased with how their children were treated at the school, especially compared to other students in the village, where physical and verbal abuse was common. The school provided safe drinking water. Some students attended Islamic classes in the afternoon, while others chose to stay at the school all afternoon and return home in the evening.
The extremists hated Amoss and tried many times to get him kicked off the island, but he continued to love them and serve their children. Muslim parents defended him and fought to keep him on the island. Sadly, Amoss died this year from pneumonia. After his death, those who knew him said they never heard him complain despite the many hardships he faced.
Read the full story and another from INcontext which reports that Burkina Faso has surpassed Afghanistan to become the country most impacted by terrorism.
Pray also for Congo, where inter-religious conflict has increased. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a series of violent attacks that left at least 80 Christians among the dead (Open Doors, via Christian Post). The plight of children in Congo was also highlighted in Justin Long’s weekly prayer publication, always worth a read.