MAY 2016 UPDATE FROM
SIERRA LEONE:
“But the
Counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name will teach you
all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you”( John.14:26
NIV). The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day , gave birth to the church
and all that Jesus taught His church was made manifest and the people were indeed
empowered to face the forces of darkness, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
There was boldness on the part of the Apostles in preaching the gospel. We saw
that demonstrated by the Apostle Peter on PENTECOST day. Today the church of
Jesus Christ is faced with many challenges ranging from terrorists, and
extremists, evil powers etc. In Africa, the believed in the power of evil
Spirits is so prevalent in many communities. Christian today believed in the
presence of the power of the Holy Spirit above the evil powers in the forests, Mountains
Rivers and other places.
VISIT OF CONRAD AND GUS. May 6-9 was an exciting moments for
us to receive Dr. Conrad vandyjke and his friend Gus Jonker from Canada. Conrad,
planned to visit Sierra Leone last year as part of his annual visit to the
country. Unfortunately in February 2015 on his way to the Airport in Toronto,
he was involved in a car accident in which he was driving himself, his wife
Anna died at the spot. Conrad was in the Toronto Hospital for some time because
of head injury and a broke on the neck. The Doctors have said that likely
Conrad was going to end up paralyzed, base on the kind of injury he sustained.
But God miraculously healed him and he was able to come and visit us this year.
His friend Jonker has this to say to us. “Conrad was on a mission for the Lord
to Sierra Leone when he had the accident. But the Lord healed him and sent him
to continue with the mission to Sierra Leone and to Alikalia, Kabala. That is
why we are here to encourage you. May the Lord bless the work you are doing
here”. Conrad and his friend Jonker have so far returned to Canada. We thank
God for this visit and His protection.
THE CRC CHURCH IN MAKENI, CONTENDING
WITH THE FORCES OF DARKNESS.
Makeni is
the provincial headquarters of the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. Last year
November, we started a new branch of the CRC, with Rev. Maxwell working there.
Sometime in 2013, someone donated a piece of land to us to start a church. But unfortunately,
during the Ebola crisis, while I was away in Nigeria, Some family members of
the giver where not happy over it and so it became a big struggle and fight
within the family. As a church, we decide to back out from the land. Maxwell started the church in a school
building instead. Presently we found another land; this is a land that people
are scared of because they believed it’s inhabited by evil. The land was
deserted for nearly forty years now. Since 1975,
Somebody
attempted to build there but he died, and so the people believed there are evil
in the place. The chief have offered it to the church. Rev. Maxwell and his
congregation have cleared it and is ready to erect a temporary structure there
for church activities. Maxwell and the congregation are now in a three weeks
prayer and fasting. So people are watching to see how the church will survive
in a perceived evil land. On Sunday May 29, the first worship was held there.
Praise the Lord.
HARVEST OF SOULS: It was a great moments of joy for
us, seeing souls coming to confess Jesus as their personal Lord and savior. On
Friday May 13 to Sunday May 15(Pentecost day) we went to a village called Yira
Filaya Badela for Evangelism. Yirah Filaya Badela is a community that CES has
worked to improve the lives of the people by helping them with a gravity water,
building of a school block, store house and rice milling machine. We went there
for two nights. Fifteen house hold gave their lives to Jesus with their family
we started the first worship on Pentecost day May 15. Every Sunday , the
Population is increasing.
BIOLOGICAL INCREASE. The Church population increases in
different ways. First and foremost by conversion, that is of new members who
are coming into the Church for the first time. And then the second are people
whose parents are believer, and so are born in the church. Of course it’s
expected that when these children grow they will make profession of Faith. In
this mode we are pleased to welcome another bouncing baby boy to the Marah
Family. Mahmud and Namisa Marah are members of our Church and both of them teach
at the Christian School. Mr. Marah teaches at the secondary school while Namisa
at the Primary. Marah junior was born on Monday May 16 2016.The mother and the
child are all well.
SAD INCIDENT: Monday May 16, while we were happy
for the arrival of Junior Marah. In the night it was a sad incident in CRC
Kabala church as thieves went into the Church and carted away with the Church
electronics which includes a Big JBL Speaker, Amplifier, 8Amp. Mixer, 9
Microphones, three wireless receivers for the Microphones, 8 plastics chairs.
These are instruments that the young adult of the church during their
thanksgiving raised the money and bought for the Church. The incident has been
reported to the Police but up to now there is no news about the where about of
the items. Everybody in the church is in a sad mode because of the missing or
theft of these items. With this, we have no option than to reinforce or fortify
our doors. We thank God; some friends have started giving so that we can buy
new instruments for the church.
2016 CHILDREN THANKSGIVING SERVICE. The annual children thanksgiving service
of the CRC Kabala church took place on Sunday May 29. Children presented
special songs of praises, recitation of verses from the Bible. Mary T Koroma
was the preacher for this year. The text was from Mark 10:13-16. The theme for
this year was “the kingdom of God is for the Children”. Mary challenge parents
to make sure they bring their children to God by raising them in Godly way. Let
them know and serve God.
THE BUILDING PROJECTS: We want to thank God and also people
and churches who have contributed for our building projects this year. The
first phase of the multipurpose building, has now been roofed, we have also
done the ceilings, doors and windows. In other for us to have a proper grip of
the Land , so that, the remaining portion will not be taken from us, by
interest groups who are envious of the strategic location of the Land, we have
decided to mould more bricks , to begin foundation of the second phase, which
has both , conference hall, and a church auditorium. We have three thousand
blocks now.
An interesting
scenario happened, when a Muslim Man whose house is just opposite the Land came
to us and said. “I hope you people are not going to build a church here because
we are afraid our children may join you if you have a church here. “ That makes
me to think and reflect why people are trying to convince the chief to take
away the land from us. Hence we were threatened to either develop it or lose
the Land. But thank you for your support. I believed for now, the Land is
secure, with the development we have started. And we believed too that you will
continue to support so that the buildings will be completed and we will move
in.
.
Other
building projects almost completing is the Nanfayie School assisted by the
Smithers CRC in Canada. We are now painting. The kids are already using the
building for their classes.
APPRECIATION: Once more thank you all for your
prayers and support for the work here. The raining season is here now, and our
people are very busy in their farm work, just as we are also working hard in
the Lord‘s vineyard because of your support for us. Please continue to do that,
Next Month will be the last month of this financial [fiscal] year. We will
appreciate so much your gifts towards the completion of our multipurpose
building.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Pray for Rev. Maxwell and the
congregation in Makeni that they will stand firm in the midst of the challenges
of Satan.
2. Pray that the thieves that stole our
Musical instruments will repent and see the light of Jesus in their lives.
3. Pray that God will open doors for new
instruments.
4. Thank God for those that has started
donating to help us buy new instruments.
5. Pray for the Church in Yira Filaya Badela, to
stand firm.
6. Pray for Evangelist Bilalie Mansaray (Not
the driver), as he volunteer to be visiting the new church every weekend.
7. Pray for the Kabala Church. Rev. MB Jalloh is
finally retiring as pastor, because of ill health and age. That God will
provide a new pastor for the Congregation.
8. Last week Saturday May 28, children
of the Primary school [kCS] took the national school examination which will see
them to the secondary school in September. Pray for success.
Submitted
by: Rev. Istifanus B Bahago.
Leadership
consultant. CRC-SL/CRWM
+23278264240,+23277668139
Blog.apostlebahago.blogspot.com
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