Apostle Bahago: July 2013

JULY 2013 UPDATE FROM SIERRA LEONE

Rochen hill.

“Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and Compassionate” [Psalm.111:3-4].

We give thanks to God Almighty for bringing us to the second half of the year healthy and strong to serve him here in Sierra Leone. It’s like yesterday when we came to Sierra Leone to begin ministry work. Indeed days are moving fast, we are pleased with what the Lord is doing here, we give praise to him for granting us the opportunity to be here. We appreciate your prayers and support as well.

THE TIMOTHY LEADERSHIP TRAINING:

We give thanks to God for the successful completion of the training for the first batch of leaders trained through the TLT modules. According to the background, indigenous leaders started receiving some on the job training through a program of project Africa in the year 2003. Then in 2010, they started the TLT program. This last training session took place on July 8 to 12. As some of you might have received the report from the training coordinator.

We were blessed during the training with the present of Rev. Isaiah J Magaji from the CRC Nigeria as one of the facilitators, Myself, and three national also serve as facilitator, two of them REV. MB Jalloh and Maxwell Kanu, have been participating in the training, this time we involved them in Facilitating to ascertain the level of the training they been receiving if they will in turn passed on to their people. They both did very well.

This batch graduated on Friday the 12^th of July. We do hope to begin another batch, God willing February next year. In all, twenty six [26], received their certificates. [ a cross section of trainees, Rev. Magaji preaching during the graduation at the occasion.]

BOYS’BRIGADE:

In my previous reports, I did mention about the youth organization called the boys’ Brigade, which was started by my Son Bernhard. [Here in Kabala] We are pleased to let you know that the group has received a great encouragement and support from the CRC Nigeria. A set of Band [marching drums] were bought, and brought for them. It was a great joy and celebration in the CRC Kabala church on Sunday 14^th July as these instruments were dedicated in the Church. Beside the drums, the sister churches in Nigeria also sent a young man [officer] to help train the young people here. [Mr. Fwaje Bawa]

[on this pictures, the drums being dedicated, the little boy above is Emmanuel Sudu, even though he did not have the uniform but refused to be left out of the activities as he took his brother’s cap to put on].

THE YOUTH:

The youth is often said they are the leaders of tomorrow, therefore training and mentoring them, will help them have a good perspective of their choices in life. The church as a change agent that brings the message of salvation and hope to the changing society is not left out in collaborating with various agencies and organization that has like minds in guiding the young ones. We are privileged to have the TPF [the peoples Foundation of Sierra Leone] working among our youth. This year we had ,had volunteers who came to work with TPF , and the Church , they were able to not only provides scholarship to some of our church youth , for their Educational pursuit, they have also mentor them on capacity building and self reliance, and spiritual growth. The volunteers were; Hali Downs from Canada, Zach Adams and Celeste Komodore from Denver. They have all returned, to Canada and USA respectively. We were encouraged by their visits and stay with us.

Our youth were also involved in an inter church fellowship, with other youth from the churches in Kabala, it’s called youth empowerment boot camp[ such of Vacation Bible study] I was one of the facilitators, on the theme. “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world”, taking from Romans. 12:1ff, it was indeed a spiritual renewal among our young people, and also a forum to encourage unity in diversity and coexistence in the body of Christ in Kabala, one of the interesting fixture of the camp ,was the selection of the best ,well behave male and Female youth of the camp. Augustine Peter Alpha of the CRC emerged the best well behave male of the camp.

VISIT BY CHRISTIAN LEADERS.

July 15^th and 16^th was a remarkable day for the CRC in Kabala as well as the body of Christ, in this part of Sierra Leone. The leadership of the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone, decide to visit our office, according to them they have received a lot of positive report about what the Lord is doing in Koinadugu district through the work of CRC in the land. Koinadugu district is considered in Sierra Leone as a stronghold of traditional and Islamic religion. It was indeed an encouragement for us and the entire churches in Kabala. The President of the Council Rev. Spec, do acknowledge that though he is a Sierra Leonean but he has never been to Kabala, except for this trip.” I thank God for the CRC, Please keep up the good work” he said.

[midle,REV. Spec, lady standing second left, mrs. James. The council GS]

ROKEL CHURCH.

Rokel is a suburb of Freetown, a growing community. In my last update of the month of June, I did mention concerning the opportunity for us to start a new worship place there with the offer of a place by Pa Yadie Kamara, a father in law to Maxwell kanu [one of our seminarian] God had answered your prayers. On July 21, worship was started there, with a little attendance of fifteen worshipers after a Jesus Film show a previous weekend. Initially the worship would have started on the 14 July, but because of a heavy down pour on the Sunday morning, it was impossible to meet. 28^th July was the official dedication day for the place. WE THANK God for the humble beginning. The total attendance during the dedication service was fifty six [56].There is indeed a good prospect for a rapid growth in Rokel as the number of attendance is growing every week. In the next two weeks, Maxwell will be returning to Nigeria to continue his studies. We intend to have John Sesay, a trained staff from the Great commission movement [campus crusade for Christ], to take care of the Church.

MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION:

Our hearts are filled with joy, as our requests are being made by our supporters. During my visitation to the villages, I raised the issue of providing the evangelists in the rural areas with a mean to ease transportation challenges. For us to get motorcycles for them. Today we are very happy as some of the motorcycles are here. We really want to thank you for providing the money to buy these Motorcycles. We are aware too that more are still coming as you are giving towards meeting these crucial needs in the mission field. I am very hopeful that more bikes are coming.

[Some bikes already bought]

We are still, hoping to buy five more, to give to the evangelists. As soon as we get the funds, we will do that. We are indeed grateful for all your supports towards meeting these challenges.

SAD EVENT

June 30th Was really a sad day for us in the Church in Kabala. As some of you may be aware, we lost one of our committed members. [Mrs. Mariama Saio Mansaray. Mrs. Mansaray was a member of the Women fellowship of the Church and also a cook in the CRC Primary School. We were indeed comforted by your prayers and messages. She died and left behind three children. Before her death she was a widow. It now means the children are orphan. One of them has found a job now. But the other two are being asked to vacate the house in which they were living with their Mother, the house was a rent age apartment, because their late Father has no house of his, life indeed is very difficult for the kids. We are trying to find a place for them. The most pathetic thing is that , their extended family refused to take them in, [ which is an unusual thing in Africa] ,the simple reason we found out was because the Children and their late mother decided to be Christian against the wish of their family members who are Muslims. Thereby these children depend on the church as their parents.

CRC PRIMARY/JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL.

We thank God for the vision and commitment in the establishment of this school. For now it’s second to none in the district and beyond. Recently, students of the school represented the whole of the Northern Province, at the national essay on environment.

Now the students are at home for the Holiday, and will be reopening on the 9^th of September. Beside this great achievement in improving the educational standard of the people here, the school faces a challenge of people encroaching into the school land, more especially that the school is sited closed to a cemetery. On 16 of this Month, it was an ugly sight as some people came, to bury their relative inside the piece that was cleared and part of the school. We thank God for the gift of patience and forgiveness on the part of the Christian community that are here; otherwise it would have resulted into a big crisis in the town. All effort in persuading the people to move the grave further into the appropriate space was resisted by the people. So as not to create more tension, it was allowed.

REPORT FROM THE VILLAGES.

Reports reaching us from the villages shows the churches are growing, though it’s farming season, as some members sleep in the farms, and come home just for a while especially on Sunday morning to worship and return, for work the following day [Monday] we are glad that they still have time to come and worship. Villages where we assisted them in roofing the churches are now plastering them and are being used for worship. In waterloo, near Freetown. Pastor Gomel reports that the number of worshipers is growing between 120 and 140 every Sunday.

Some villages where CES is working with the community are now inviting us to go start Church there, which too, we are working on to find people we will send there for evangelism and church planting.” The field indeed is large but the laborers are few”.

URBAN CHURCH AND THE CHALLENGES.

The CRC here started mostly in the Koinadugu District of Sierra Leone, it’s said that the district is the largest in times of Land scale but the least developed Educationally , and infrastructures wise. Hence most of our churches are spread within the rural areas of the district. The CRC is being describe by the National as the fastest growing Church , if not in Sierra Leone at least in the northern Province, compare to the over two Hundred [200] years of the present of Christianity in Sierra Leone. Today Christian are said to be just about 35% of the population of the Country. Presently CRC has 62 churches spread around the country; [mostly in Koinadugu] we also have a Church in BO [the second largest city] and, Waterloo, and Now Rokel [suburb of Freetown].

For us as a Reformed Church, we have to continue to do work in the urban towns, if we want sustainability and a church that will be able to support her programs in the Future. Of course as I earlier said in one of my updates, its quite challenging to have church in the cities, especially when it comes to getting a Land and the structure [Building], presently we can said that In all the cities of Sierra Leone, the only place we can say that we have a church built on our land is the one in BO. Waterloo is operating in a temporary place in a land that is lease to her for one million Leones [250 USD] per year. Now in Rokel, is a place that we were allowed to use pending when we are able to find one, [Courtesy of Pa Yadie Kamara, a father in law to Maxwell Kanu]This is not lease. The question is how many of Pa Yadie we will find in the cities?

APPRECITION

Once again I want to thank you all for your prayers and support for the growth of the Church here in Sierra Leone especially for the growth of the Reformed world and life view as being preached in this part of the globe. Your Support has kept us encouraged in the work. There is no work without a challenge but by God‘s Grace we are gradually overcoming the challenges of working in a new environment with a divided family.

We also want to thank you for; we have started receiving the grant for us to buy motorcycles for our evangelists in the rural areas. Your continued support to World Mission is a great investment in the Kingdom of GOD, for; we do hope you will not be tired of giving for the work in Sierra Leone.

We also thank God for safe arrival of Rev. Ezekiel Sudu in Nigeria for his Home service.

PRAYER REQUEST.

1. Thank God for the successful completion of the TLT first batch program.

2. Thank God for the safe arrival of REV. SUDU in Nigeria for home service.

3. Thank God for our two students in Nigeria Foray and Maxwell, having completed their practical and will be returning to school.

4. Thank God for our health here, we have been fine since we came.

5. Pray for the new church in Rokel, for growth.

6. Pray for volunteer staff, evangelists, that God will bless their work.

7. Pray for our partners in USA, CANADA and Nigeria.

8. Continue to pray for the fourth coming Election of National Leaders in the Church.

9. Pray for Sunday and his Sister Dele, the Children of Late. Saio, they will remain faithful to serve the Lord despite the challenges they are facing as orphan from their relatives who are not Christian.

10. Changes are not easy to be accepted by many people as we tried to teach the people and guide them, in the reformed Church, structure and administration , on why we are reformed that the Spirit of God we give them [The people here] understanding, of what a Church is and what a development agency is.

CONCLUSION.

Beloved in Christ, the Bible says “in all things give thanks to God” we thank God for His grace, and for what he is doing in this country through the CRC. We will continue to Trust him for more open doors and opportunities to reach out to other areas and towns of Sierra Leone. The over two hundred years of the present of the church must not go without reviving the Church in this land. Amen.

Submitted by:

Rev. Istifanus Bala Bahago.

CRWM/CRC SL CONSULTANT

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e-mail: istifanusbahago@yahoo.com

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