Shalom to all

I give thanks to God for the encounter with the ministry of the International Christian Missionary Community (CMCI).

My name is SAHIDOU Hafissou, my father’s name is AYETITON Saïdou, and my mother’s name is AKOBI Amina. I am from Manigri in the Donga department, specifically in the commune of Bassila. I was born into a Muslim family. I attended a Quranic school and also a public school. My father was an alpha, and it was the problems in my life that forced me to leave my native village. I cite them: I had lost one of my daughters named Sarata, may she rest in peace. I built a house that was destroyed by my family’s enemies. I also made plans for my trip to Germany, which was destroyed by my family’s enemies. A marabout gave me a consultation and told me to leave the village for a distance of at least 75 km, so I left my village to go to Parakou. I went to stay with one of my uncles for six (06) months before looking for where I will stay in the Thian district of Parakou. I am a blacksmith fitter, that’s where I started my business from scratch, at that time I was able to buy a plot of land and make a small construction. My parents, having learned the news, came to visit me. During the visit my biological father suggested that I start logging and trade in logs, I accepted my father’s advice. I started logging and everything was going well in this work. I was able to buy a 15-ton truck and later I bought a second 15-ton truck for collecting logs in the bush. Everything was going well for me to the point where I bought a vehicle for myself. The news spread in the village and there were two young people who came to my house in Parakou. When they arrived my wife had a bad feeling about these young people and she told me that these young people came to destroy us. I did not believe her and I hired these young people for my work. To my great surprise, the young people went out of jealousy to my uncle’s house, where I was, to tell him that I am the rich man of my family by pronouncing incantations in front of him: “If it rains for days, water is abundant everywhere, it only takes one (01) hour for the earth to absorb the water and everything becomes dry again”, and really in the space of three (03) months all my belongings were destroyed. I then realized that what my wife had told me was a reality to the point where I started walking, having no means of transport. The two young people returned to the village, shame had invaded me. I was worried to the point where I thought of hanging myself. At that moment I had a Christian friend who was a forester and who had spoken to me about Jesus Christ, he told me that Jesus can save me from all my problems. Given all the worries I had, I decided to follow him to go to church twice, and people made fun of me, even my friends. This made me turn around because the shame was too much, I then left Parakou for a village called Béroubouh. In this village I had a friend who was the District Chief. I explained my situation to him and he made me understand that he can help me. He told me that he has a marabout a little far from the village and I decided to follow him. So very early in the morning we left for the marabout. I was the first to arrive at the marabout, after several people came, he received them before me. Some people who came after me tried to explain to the marabout that there is someone before them, the marabout replied that he does not see anyone, and that they must pronounce incantations first before seeing me. When he saw me, he asked me to enter the maraboutage convent. At his first consultation with me he let out a loud cry, he told me my brother except God the creator of the heavens can save me, that he can do nothing for me, and I started to shed tears. The marabout gave me hope by saying that where I can find my God who can save me is towards the North in the regions of Gogounou, Kandi, Malanville and others. I thought of going to Kandi. I arrived in Kandi with my family. I also started my business of logs and it was going well again. I again bought a 15-ton truck and I hired more employees. One day the driver informed me that the truck fell into a big hole, again everything was destroyed. At that moment I was struck by an illness in both feet, I could no longer walk. In the house where I lived, there was a mosque and I was the Imam of this mosque. One day there was a lady who came to evangelize us saying that there is a God who can save me, I immediately remembered what the marbou had told me and I followed the lady to go to church, which was my second time entering the church as a Muslim, and there I found soltltiOli to my problems then I began to attend church and God revealed to several people the sign of my call. I told myself that I came simply for the *solutions to my problems, as a Muslim we knew that there is no salvation in Jesus, because we said that the church is a hospital place. On my side I did not know that Jesus is the Lord and savior of all humanity, my parents were also opposed to me giving myself to Jesus Christ. On my side (my wife’s parents were also opposed to the fact that she gave her life to Jesus Christ, they insisted on the litit that there is no salvation in Christ. To my great surprise I met in a great crusade the man of God Pastor SONON M. Bernadin who gave me a great enlightenment. It was on that day I converted and I gave my life to Jesus Christ by listening to the voice of the Holy Scriptures. The man of God then entrusted me to one of his co-workers , Brother Fostin, to teach me more in Kandi. After that, the man of God established me as his co-worker for four (04) years and I was subsequently established as a church leader of the CMCI in the commune of Bassila and Manigri with my entire family. I am the father of eight (08) children including four (04) girls and four (04) boys, I have only one wife.