1 Thessalonians 2:4
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the
gospel,
Even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our
hearts.
It is with mixed emotions that I set fingers
to the keyboard to prepare a final email from Sierra Leone. My mind is still
struggling to grasp the fact that in less than 10 days I will once again be in
my native country, after a year in the land of the Lion Mountains. Words fail me
to express what a blessing and a delight this year has been for me, God has
truly blessed me exceedingly abundantly above all that I could have ever
possibly thought would take place in this past year! What a sobering thought
that God has allowed me, ME, to speak His word in another country!
It has been a privilege a to teach Bible
verses, stories and songs in several area schools! In a week’s time, roughly 300
kids were being taught God’s word. It was a joy to hear some 80 kids recite a
verse learned the week before, and they were always excited to say it. What a
thrill to ride through Baomahun and the villages before Baomahun and hear your
name shouted by dozens of kids who are happy to see you, to know that in a
minuscule way you have had an impact on their lives!
What an experience to have been able to
travel over a large portion of Sierra Leone, visiting various churches, helping
with evangelism, and getting to know those men from Baomahun who love the Lord
Jesus Christ just like I do! One of the best parts of any trip along the roads
of Sierra Leone is the time of singing! Oh, to hear 3-6 voices singing praise to
the Lord as we fly down the dirt roads, that can give you goose bumps!
It
was both a pleasure and a denial of the flesh to go into town with Moses, (Mojo)
and talk Bible with various groups of people. I can still remember one week he
came everyday in the week to come get me to talk with someone else. There were days the flesh did not want to go,
but on many of those days, God would just make those listening so attentive, or
have many questions, and I would feel ashamed for my wrong attitude! Mojo and
the lessons he taught me will not soon be forgotten!
Things did not always gone smoothly, plans
could change in a matter of minutes, or the kids could choose the day you are
tired to act crazy, and I mean really crazy! Someone could fail to show up on
time, it could rain when you wanted it dry, you could get completely blank
stares as you talk in your very best attempts at Krio, but that is life!
Since the early part of the year, West Africa
has been dealing with a deadly disease that has claimed the lives of over 1,000
people. There will be many lives lost in Sierra Leone before this disease has
run its course, have you considered where these souls will spend eternity? Would you pray that the Christians of Sierra
Leone would stand up and boldly speak the Gospel to those around them who might
have only a step between them and death? Those of us who are saved know, no
matter what happens to us, where we will spend eternity, the majority of Sierra
Leoneans believe that it is “all left with God”, but that is not the case, God
has left the choice with each person to choose Him. Please pray!
My heartfelt
thanks to all who have prayed for me during this year, may my lips ever offer to
God the thanks that is due to Him for saving my wretched soul and allowing me to
serve Him! Nothing else, no one else is worthy of praise but Christ!
Hebrews 13:15
By him therefore let us offer
The sacrifice of praise to God
continually,
That is,
The fruit of our lips
Giving thanks to his name.
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