Thursday 1 September 2016

JUNE 2016 UPDATE

JUNE 2016 UPDATE FROM SIERRA LEONE:
“Lord I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds O Lord, renew them in our day in our time make them known in wrath remember mercy.” (Habakkuk.3:2).
Welcome to the Month of June the last month of the first half of the year, God have been so wonderful in caring for his people. Like the prophet Habakkuk, we have heard and seen the fame and great deeds of the Lord. He has called many people to himself, he has revealed his deeds too many in the age past and is doing even know. His church is growing in many nations of the world. For us in Sierra Leone we continue to experience the grace of God in our lives as missionary and a people of the nation, we see and experience Love and acceptance every day from our host communities.
REV. JALLOH RETIRES: Rev. Mamburu Belkoro Jalloh is one of the early church workers of the CRC SL right from the time of CES.  After serving as an Evangelists and development supervisor with CES, in 2005 with Rev. Kortenhoven they started the seeing it through [SIT] program of church planting that later became the CRC-SL. He was one of the first ordained pastors of the church.  On June 5 Rev. Jalloh retires as the pastor of the Kabala Church at the age of 70, couple with poor health challenge as well. We organized a retirement service in his honor and were well attended by pastors from other denominations in Kabala as well as the branches of the CRC-SL. Several monetary gifts, and materials were given to Rev. Jalloh and people expressed their happiness and wish him well.

SCHOOL LOSES A STAFF. Saturday June 4th was a very sad day for the staff, students and parents as well as the church, for the home call of one of our dedicated teacher at the Kabala Christian School [CRC]. Mr. Edwin Henry Tommy died in the early hours of June 4th. He was age forty two. He was suffering from sickle cell anemia. Mr. Tommy was laid to rest on June 12th at his home town in the southern province of the country. He was an economics as well as Mathematics teacher of the school. Two days mourning was declared at the school as students mourned the death of Mr. Tommy. Indeed it is a great loss to the school, as the school is preparing students for their final national exams, for the first set of students that will be seating for their final exams from the school. Mr. Tommy was one of the good teachers that were preparing students for this. We will surely miss him he was born in 1974 [ 42 yrs old] , thank God that a new person was found who is willing to teach at the school. He is Mr. Alie Jalloh. Mr. Jalloh has a master in Economics.
                                   

SARAH GOES BACK TO SCHOOL. Sarah Kluitenberg was a volunteer Teacher at the CRC Primary School Kabala, since August 2013. On Thursday June 16 , Sarah Bids fare way to both her colleagues and students as well as the church. It was a painful one because Sarah has touched many lives in both the school and the community as she was very free and interacts with people. She was popularly called Miss K by both her students and the people in town. For us, who are  her immediate neighbor, we felt it so much. She is going to study for her Master degree in Education in the UK. She Left Kabala on Friday June 17 a midst tears from my family, and well wishers.

BUILDING PROJECTS:  We very much thank God for the progress been made so far on our building projects. The Church in Mokpendeh is now plastered; the people are so appreciative of them having a place now for worship. The same is for Baykahun. The building is now roofed, but no plaster yet, but the people are using it for their worship and other meetings. Forty people are going through the catechism class in Baykahun , we are planning for their baptism on July 10

MAKENI.  From my last month updates you will remember I did wrote about the church in Makeni and the Land in which they have Faith to use for worship even though people are afraid that it was an evil ground. Thank God they have raised a temporary structure in the place and have started using it. That makes people to marvel at what Jesus Christ’s power is, above the power of evil. Mark 4:39, tells us that Jesus silence the storm and the wind. Therefore the power of darkness could not stop the church in Makeni. Presently the pastor reported that the section chief in charge of the area has decided to join the church. Their chairs {pews} are not enough for the worshippers that comes on Sunday. Initially when they were meeting in the classroom, the worshippers were just between twenty and twenty five but now, the fourth Sunday of their meeting in the new place, the figure has rising to 61 people. This is amazing. Makeni Church will need just $200 to add more benches for the church.  Next is the picture of the temporary structure at the land been use by the congregation in Makeni. Can you help us to get more benches for them? Rev. Maxwell is now preparing 30 people for Baptism in July .


DISSELKOEN ‘S VISIT:This Month, we are blessed  with the visit of one of the pioneer missionaries that serve with  World renew here in Sierra Leone in the 1980s . Disselkoen was a literacy teacher /trainer and many more in Alkalia and Foria. From 1983-1996. She recently visited Alkalia and us in Kabala. It was a home coming for Miss Jan Disselkoen, and seeing what the Lord has done in watering the fruits of the labors to what it has become today. Now there is the Church, CES, School and the FFP. We were really blessed and happy for her encouragements and prayers . She visited the church building, the new ongoing building of the multipurpose as well as the school.
Miss Jan Disselkoen  during her visit in Kabala , she also visited the school , where she was shown the school Laboratory and other facilities at both the Primary and the secondary school.
SPIRITUAL REVIVAL: The weekend of June 24-25  been the last weekend of the mid year , the Kabala church organized a spiritual revival for the members. It was an event full of blessings with the theme “Seek first the Kingdom of God” the text was from Mathew.6:33. It climax with the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday June 26. It was soul reviving indeed as many gave testimonies of what the Lord did in their lives in the program. The Church has also set aside every first Wednesday of the Month as hours Grace. Its gear towards building the Spiritual lives of the members committing to prayers, teachings and Bible study.
 Also on Sunday there was the Baptism of little JK Marah. ( The name JK Marah is a popular name in the church and the ministry of the CES. JK Marah now late was one of the founding members of the church} in other to immortalize his name Mamud and Namisa decided to name their new born child after late JK Marah. It was an event full of Joy and also bringing to mind the legacy of Late. Mr. James Karanke Marah [JK Marah] . His widow ‘Nyimah Marah could not hold her tears and the congregation when immediately the name of the child was mentioned.

FFP GARIN STORES:This year two communities benefited from the grain store project assisted by the Family Farm Program. The stores in Saiduya and Dundukor are 95% completed, as the remaining work is the painting, which will be done within a couple of days. The community expressed their appreciation to Both CES and FFP. These are villages that both CES and FFP built grain stores for them.
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THE MULTIPURPOSE BUILD
ING. From my last update of May, I am pleased to say that much progress have been made, we are now almost through with the foundation of the second phase of the building. See pictures below . The picture on the left is the first phase, which is already roofed, ceiling fixed and all the steel windows and doors, waiting to be plaster. The picture on the right is the foundation of the second phase which has offices for the ministries, as well as a board or conference hall, which can be use as temporary place for worship as well, for the second kabala church. The present basement when completed will serve as storage in the future.
APRRECIATION: Once more on behalf of the beloved brethren here in Sierra Leone. I will like to thank you all for your prayers and support for us. I want to repeat what I normally say. Without your prayers and financial support, our work here would have been very difficult. Because you are there, you pray and support, the work is progressing. The church is growing through the help of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the people.
 Please do continue to give your support. Next Month July will be the first Month of the financial year. This year (FY) that ends in couple of days, you gave and prayed. Pleased continue to give. The work is not done yet, give and pray until it’s done. God bless you.World Mission is committed to carrying on the great commission please support her.


PRAYER REQUESTS:
1.       Thank God for the successful retirement of REV. Jalloh, pray that God will give him good health.
2.       Pray for kabala church as they to look for a new pastor for the congregation.
3.        Pray for Pastor Augustine of Mokpendeh church. A week ago, his wife was bitten by a snake. She is presently receiving treatment in Bo. Pray for God healing for her.
4.       Continue to pray for Rev. Maxwell and the church in Makeni , as well as Baykayhun as theybaptize new believers, for them to stand firm in their new faith.
5.       In July, we will be having our Synod meeting. During the meeting, the delegates are expected to elect a new President following the retirement of Rev. Jalloh. Pray for Godly and servant leader to be elected for the church. Date for the meeting is July 13-15.
6.       Likewise in the same Month, we will be having the TLT training to complete the modules that was started in February. Pray for both the participants and the trainers. Date for this is July 18-22.
SUBMITTED BY:
REV. ISTIFANUS B.BAHAGO.
CRWM/CRC-SL   LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT.
Phone: +23278264240, +23277668139.
Email: ibbahago@gmail.com , istifanusbahago@yahoo.com
Blog.www.apostlebahago.blogspot.com



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