Djenné (by Thom)

I saw a lot and did a lot this week. In the span of 3 days I spent time in 6 different communities and for the most part they had very little in common. The largest of the communities was the ancient city of Djenné. Djenné is an amazing place: it was founded about 300 years before Christ and because the city is an island during the rainy season it has rarely been conquered. It was rebuilt around the 13th century as a major trade center and Islamic center. Today Djenné is home to the world’s largest mud mosque. About 21,000 people live in this city which is constructed exclusively of mud bricks. In 1988 the city was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Today it is illegal to use concrete in building within the city limits. There are also regulations on the bricks as they try to preserve the city as living history. Houses are generally 1 story with stairs to the mud roof. There are a few houses that have been built up to two stories, though.

You can see the city is proud of its history. It’s also proud of its religion. Effectively, the city is 100% Muslim. There are a few animists there and just a handful of Christians. About 8 years ago the Malian Christian & Missionary Alliance church decided to send a pastor there to serve as a missionary. He has faced a lot of persecution in his time there, as have the other Christians. While other Christians live there, all but one of them moved there from outside the city. Pastor Felix told me that the sole convert has also faced a lot of persecution. Death threats, beatings, and actual murder are not unheard of; persecution here is a lot more than name-calling. The convert’s wife is still Muslim and she has faced persecution as well.

Djenné is an amazing place. The city is full of history and tradition. As you walk the streets you can get lost in the years and think you’ve been transported back to the 15th century. As I stood atop the roofs I felt like this could have been King David’s view from the palace in Jerusalem. Djenné is also a sad place desperately in need of a Savior. The people there are trapped in a religion that blinds them to Truth.

Djenné was just one of the places I visited this week on my video ministry trip. I’ll continue sharing those experiences in the next blog post.