Gironskan Ben Gwladys, 23, reading her Bible at Abidjan airport. Côte d'Ivoire. Photo: UBS SARSC/Francois Sieberhagen (CTI04DJ-4.JPG)

CÔTE D’IVOIRE — Francois Sieberhagen, UBS Media Consultant, was waiting for a flight at Abidjan airport when he noticed a young woman deeply engrossed in reading her Bible. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of travellers she sat still and quiet, unaware of the noise and movement around her.

Her name was Gironskan Ben Gwladys and she was 23. When Mr Sieberhagen asked her why she was reading her Bible she told him, “I love Christ and therefore I love to read his Word.” In a country where nearly 40 per cent of the population is Muslim and where ethnic and religious tensions have, in the past few years, been stirred up, her quiet reading of the Bible in public is a powerful testimony. (WR 388/11 - 10/11.04)