Elisabeth Loua's story is heart-wrenching. She's left trying to reassemble the pieces of her life after her husband, Michael, was killed while serving as a missionary to his native country of Guineau last November.
Michael Loua left behind four children, including now seven-month-old Michael Jr., whom he never had the chance to meet. Elisabeth says that as Michael Jr. grows up she “will tell him that his dad was a strong man, first of all that loved the Lord, and second of all that liked to work hard.”
Guineau is a predominantly Muslim nation in West Africa and can be hostile to Christians. Loua knew from first-hand experience that he would be in danger by going there.
Michael O'Conner, youth pastor at Rosewood Baptist Church in Gilmer, Texas, and a friend of Loua's, said that when Loua converted to Christianity one of his family members attacked him with a machete, leaving a lasting scar on his head as a reminder of the violence and ever-present danger facing missionaries at work in Guineau.
“He loved the people of his country,” said O'Conner.
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's one-page “Status of Global Mission” document provides a statistical overview of the entire Christian world. According to the 2011 report, in any given 24-hour period, an average of 270 Christians will be martyred for their faith worldwide.
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