MARCH 2016 UPDATE FROM
SIERRA LEONE:
BAPTISM IN ALKALIA: The month of March started with a
good mode for us. As twenty three [23] adults and sixteen [16] infants were
baptized in Alkalia church. It was full of celebration and merriments to have
this new believers baptized and parents bringing forth their children to be
part of the covenant children of God. Infants’ baptism is always a problematic
issue to some parents. But with Biblical teaching, some are accepting and their
children been Baptized.
Members of Alkalia church in a joyful
processing within the town as they go for Baptism. Rev. Edison Kamara, and Rev.
Benjamin Koroma baptizing new members into the fellowship of the body of
Christ.
Rev. Koroma and Kamara in a group
photograph with the newly baptized in Alkalia, Right is the baptism of other
members.
After the baptism, meals were served,
and it was time to eat and celebrate with the newly baptized.
REACHING OTHER COMMUNITIES AND TRIBES: It all started as a group of people
coming together to hear the story being told of the savior of the world. It started
in the 1980s among the Koranko people of Koinadugu and Tonkolili district of Sierra
Leone. Today the church is growing beyond this tribe. Recently the Loko , and
the Limba people , are being reached with the gospel People are turning to
Christ as their Lord and savior.
Majanka village is a community of about three
hundred families [ mostly Loko tribe} situated in the northern part of Makeni ,
the provincial capital. Rev. Maxwell and Edison Kamara went there with the
Jesus Film, and had an outreached in the village. Many gave their lives to
Christ. They are now meeting every Sunday for worship. In Kamasorie village,
which is in Kasonko Chiefdom (Fadugu), they are Limba people. They too accepted
the gospel, even though some of them had have contact with Christianity through
the Roman Catholic Church, but were not committed, until our recent visit to
the community. On Sunday March 6 , Mr. Andrew G, Foray Wollay Marah, James
Kpanto Rev. Edison Kamara, we all visited the community. Both their Muslim
Chief came to the church to welcome us to their community. They expressed
gratitude that now the light of God have come to their door post. The area has
up to seventeen villages, but there is no school for the kids. One Mr. Michael
Koroma, a young man who invited us to the village, has passion for the souls of
his people. Therefore he wants us to plant the church there.
People, in Majanka, raising their
hands to give their lives to Jesus. Rev. Edison Kamara, the Evangelism
Coordinator with the prayer leader for Majanka. Behind them is the temporary
place for worship.
Praying, for people that gave their
lives to Jesus. Right, some members of Majanka church. Majanka is a Loko
settlement in Bombali District
Above left is a temporary structure
where the Christians in kamasorie meet every Sunday to worship.
This is a school classroom in
kamasorie, Started by Michael Koroma .According to Michael, there are 95 kids
that attends this school. There are in classes 1-3
THE GROWTH IN THE SOUTHERN SIERRA LEONE: We thank God for the growth of the
church in the southern part of Sierra Leone, especially in Bo and its
surrounding. Before the Ebola outbreak, we notice some little decline in
attendance. Recently we are made to understand that , Bo being an urban city,
the people so much are carried away to churches that have musical
instruments being used as an accompanies
in their worship. We decide to explore that in Bo church. The result we saw was
tremendous. The attendance is rising, and the worship is so excited.
Above children in Bo during a Sunday
school class on Sunday. Middle is the worshippers in Bo, and right are part of
the newly purchase musical instruments for Bo church, to enhance worship .This
has really raised the attendance to worship in the church. The pastor reports that the attendance is now
going to 100-110 per Sunday. This is an improvement.
The people of
Makpended in Bompeh chiefdom are also not left behind. They have erected a
structure that will at least accommodate not less than three hundred
worshippers. They are projecting for a future growth. They are now getting
ready to roof the building. That has to be done before the rain. The agreement
here is they raised the building and we will help with the roofing zinc
Newly built Makpendeh church waiting to be roofed. See the beautiful blue sky. When it turns dark, we will
be expecting the rain. This not what the Mankpended people will want at this
time, until the house is roofed.
FREE AGAIN. The Bible says, when the lord set you
free, you shall be free indeed (john8:36). November 7 2015 was the day in which
the World Health Organization [WHO] first declares Sierra Leone free from new
infection of the deadly Ebola virus. Not less than two months, the Virus re
surface again. Our joy was saddened. With Faith and prayer, there were no more
new infections after 42 days of discharging the last patient from the treatment
center. Therefore on March 17, the W.H.O declares again the Sierra Leone is now
free from the virus. Our prayers are that we would not experience a bounce back
from the virus. “Ebola must go” is the prayer of all Sierra Leonean.
Unfortunately on the same date that Sierra Leone was declare free for the
second time, our neighbor Guinea recorded two new cases.
HELPING THE EBOLA ORPHANTS: Ebola virus has left a lot of
challenges to many families especially for children whose parents died as a
result of the Virus. We thank God for organization such as CES who continue to
put smile in the faces of the Ebola Orphans especially in the Koinadugu
District. Recently they provided school materials such as uniforms, shoes and
blankets, to several of these orphans.
Some
Ebola orphans who are schooling in kabala, photo left is Mr. Foray Wolay
Marah the program manager for CES presenting school items to some of the Ebola
survivor Orphans.
CELEBRATING THE RESURRECTION: It was a great joy as usual in Sierra Leone, to celebrate
the Easter. In 2015, because of the Ebola, people were not allowed to do any
form of celebration, except to go t Church and return home. But this year it
was with a great difference. In CRC Kabala we had the Maundy Thursday service
at 6:30 pm to 8:00pm with a Holy Communion to commemorate the night in which
our Lord instituted the sacrament, before his arrest. Then Friday which was the
Good Friday, it was an exciting service where all the various churches in Kabala
including the Roman Catholic had an Ecumenical service together to celebrate
the death of the one and only savior Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our
sins. That reminds us of the early Church. Before the medieval and subsequent
reformation that leads to continue splitters of the church. What a Koinonia it
was.
On Easter Monday, I was invited by the
principal of the MCA Bible School Bible. To preach at a picnic program which
the christened meeting in Galilee. It was to commemorate the meeting of the
disciples with risen Christ in Galilee as was for told by Jesus and also the
Angels. The story of Like was dramatized by the students of the school. It was
very impressive seeing the story of the resurrection made practical and simply
for the people to understand. It was a very good way of re-telling the story of
the resurrection events.
To the non Christian it was a holiday to go to
the beach, park several outing places to celebrate with the love ones. It was opportunities
for us Christian to ask them do you know why you are celebrating Easter. Like
Philip to bring them to know who Jesus was that they are celebrating Easter
for.
Celebrating the Eucharist on Maundy
Thursday in CRC Kabala church on March 24 2016.This is the first time this is
been done here in CRC kabala. Fifty communicant members participated in the
Eucharist that night. The total attendance that night was about one hundred and
fifty people.
THE TOMB IS EMPTY THE LORD IS RISEN,”
COME AND SEE”
.
APPRECIATIONS: On behalf of the brethren here, I
would like to continue to express our thanks to you all for you’re continuing
supports and prayers for the work here. I
also want to thank you for your prayers for Rev. David T Koroma. Rev. David has so far being discharge from the
Hospital and has started coming to work. Though one of the pellets is still yet
to be removed, but there is no danger to his life for that. The Doctors are
hopeful to get it out soon. Rev. Koroma has been able travel out to Sambaia
bendugu so that his people could see him that he is alive and not death.
Because there was ramous going on that he was death. Therefore we saw wise for
his people to see him come to them. Up to now there is no news as to who did
it, and why.Please continue to send your support through World Mission for the
work.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1.
Thank
God for the life of Rev. Koroma.
2.
Prayer
for more funds for the multipurpose project and also village church projects
going on in two villages. Baykayhun and Mokpendeh.
3.
Thank
God for my Daughter Joyce. She has completed her final Examination at the
University in Nigeria for her Bsc. Chemistry.
4.
Please
pray for the released of three Nigerian Church leaders who were kidnapped. All
of them they are people I knew. One of them Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau was my
student at the seminary in Nigeria (This is happening in Nigeria).
5.
Recently
new Ebola cases were reported in Neighboring Guinea. Pleas pray that there will
be no case in Sierra Leone.
6.
Pray
for our pastors and volunteers in various villages that God will bless their
work and many will find salvation in Christ through their work.
SUBMITTED BY:
Rev. ISTIFANUS B ABAHAGO
LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT . CRWM
/CRC-SL
Phone. +23278264240
Blog: www.apostlebahago.blogspot.com
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