Summary of Sierra Leone
General:
• SL pop: 5 mil; 2 mil in Freetown.
• F’town feels like one giant slum planted in mountainsides against the ocean. Extreme poverty, terribly inadequate infrastructure (poor roads, intermittent water and electrical supply, housing chaotic, run-down concrete or shanties of boards and tin, etc.
• 70% Muslim, but there is a distinct feel of Christian presence in the eastern part of the city – many churches, outreach centers, ads for revival special meetings, and mercy ministry.
• Cf. Macmillian, Social Studies Atlas of Sierra Leone
CCC:
• ND: Moses Abraham Lincoln – staff since 1991. Great heart; man of character; known in the community; connected to local churches; has planted 4 churches and member of First United Brethren Church; man of the Word; teacher at heart.
• CCC has 8 JF teams (about 20 people), nat’l office staff doing HR, finances, office ops, etc., and a small but impressive campus ministry led by students at Fourah Bay College.
University System:
• 2 uni’s in the city – University of Sierra Leone and Njele University. Each has a number of colleges under its umbrella and spread around the city.
• Total of 15,000 students. More men than women.
• Academic year: 1st semester: Oct-Feb; 2nd semester: Mar-June.
• USL’s first college was Fourah Bay College, set atop a mountain overlooking the city and ocean. Great student-led ministry here among the 3000 students (1500 of whom live in the uni hostels). Lincoln started the ministry here before he graduated in 1991 and secured an office for the ministry. Ministry has gone on since then, and he has stayed in touch/coached from a distance. He did a training in April for 10 students involved – they have now grown to about 50.
• Min led by Gerald (Pres), Matilda (VP), Jacob (pryr coord), Robert, and Simone; 50 students involved; door to door evangelism in the hostels, discussions and JF showings at “wisdom tree,” informal conversations around campus in places like the engineering garden, etc. Gerald – “We don’t do many public meetings b/c those who come have already heard. We want to go to the ones who have not heard.”
Sat with 5 students listed above and was stirred by their personal stories of coming to Jesus. Robert and Matilda from Catholic background but “no personal experience of Jesus” until giving life to Jesus a couple of years ago. Simone from polygamous family – dad had 5 wives – filled with jealousy and competition in the form of witchcraft aimed at him as the eldest child of the 1st wife; dad died when he was in 12th grade. Came to Jesus, got to F’town, became a teacher – all along with a dream to go to college. Taught 10 years, then got in. Jacob with Muslim granddad; practiced Islam until age 13, then came to know Jesus – miracle, given the influence of his granddad, but “when God purposes something, He cannot be thwarted.”
Asked about their dreams for their lives – inspiring!
Gerald:
• People snatched into the Kingdom
• Transform Fourah Bay College into leadership development college
• Build God-fearing leaders, Africa’s main need
• GC fulfilled
• SL transformed from poorest nation in the world status, to a nation that helps change the world – rejected stone became the chief cornerstone; can anything good come out of Nazareth?; God uses weakness to show his strength (I Cor)
• Burdened to see people live like Jesus
Robert:
• Born-again pres and cabinet
• I’m an activist – want to be a member of the UN
Matilda:
• Want to see my daddy know Jesus and feel the happiness I feel inside. The world makes him feel depressed.
• Africa: much poverty, orphans – babies and children must be loved and trained to love Jesus and walk in His character. With God as my helper, I will train children to love God and express it in service. Also want to see the elderly cared for – don’t want to live life just for myself.
Simone
• Want to be a blessing – like to give – like to surprise people – love giving to orphans and widows!
• Help my mother. She gave all – want to see her happy before she dies.
Jacob:
• I’m an engineer, but I can’t limit myself to being an engineer. Want to change the world with music. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Want to use music to change the way people think and help change the way they behave. Our goal is not just a large membership – it’s to affect lives.
Action Points:
1. Buy Macmillian’s Social Studies Atlas of Sierra Leone
2. Research Colleges and Uni’s of Sierra Leone online
3. Watch Amistad and Blood Diamond
4. Phone Kenny re: Jay/AF academy idea; Jeff re: MS involvement; Candice re: SL as possibility for forays
*Two main objectives for all our teams in Africa:
1. Mutual discipleship (African students and American students making disciples of one another by sharing life, insights into Biblical truth, and ministry together.) In America and even more acutely in Africa, leaders are needed for the Body of Christ, government, business, education, and media. Through mutual discipleship, African and American students will become more like Jesus, deeper in their experience of Him and His word, and better equipped to lead gospel-driven change in society and culture. Austin Okomohwo: “We need to send students into the world who are Spirit-filled, socially aware, and socially engaged in order to change the world.” Jacob: “Our goal is not just a large membership – we want to affect lives.” The gospel has gone out in Africa; the desperate need is discipleship – disciples who share the gospel, of course, but true disciples of Jesus who live every day in total surrender to Him and His Word.
2. Multiply existing efforts of African staff and students so that movements among students increase in number and geographical reach. E.g. Student-led movement at Fourah Bay College – doing a great job; don’t need our involvement on their campus; but there’s great potential to we work together with them to multiply what they’re doing on their campus to other campuses.
3. Engage with African students to meet pressing human need with the serving, compassionate heart of Jesus so that needs are met and students are transformed into Spirit-filled, socially aware, socially conscious believers.
In all our efforts, our heart is to give lift to African staff and students’ vision to transform The Continent from poverty and need to a premier continent that helps change the world. “The stone the builders rejected became the chief cornerstone.” “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” “In weakness is my power made strong.” God loves to use what is viewed as weak to show His strength. This is Africa’s time, and we can have the privilege of serving African leaders who can lead change.
