Kuranko-Land

Sengbe-Bendugu. Can you pronounce it? (seng-bay-ben-doo-goo) It is the name of the Kuranko village that I had the privilege to journey to this week. It was my first trip to a predominantly Kuranko village, and oh boy, what a trip it was! I was invited there by Phil Logan, the man responsible for helping to translate the Bible into the Kuranko language. He has been here for several weeks visiting the long time friends he has made over he past 35 years in Sierra Leone.

At 6:30 AM on Wednesday, Bobson, my coworker and myself, decided we would be adventuresome and economical and take my motorcycle to Kabala from Freetown. Fuel here is over $4 per gallon, so every little bit of saving counts. Little did I know what was in store for me. I made the mistake of carrying my big heavy backpack which I loaded on my back for the whole trip. I asked Bobson to drive because I still am shell shocked from my previous accident. Plus, Bobson knows the road very well. After about 4 1/2 hours of dodging poda podas, potholes, and inhaling godless amounts of dust, we arrived in Kabala. We survived, and I thank God for the safe travel there. I came out with nothing but a small backache and ears with enough dirt inside to plant groundnuts!

After a bite to eat at Choices Restaurant (actually, we call it No Choice because it is one of the only places in town to get food), Bobson said farewell and took my motorcycle back to Freetown. I was left to meet a man named Peter at the middle of town. I was told Peter would have a red cap and white t-shirt. Little did I know how many people have red caps and white t-shirts there. Thanks be to God, he was looking for the only apoto (white man) in town. As soon as I arrived there, he found me right off. He was a pleasant man with a huge smile. We loaded back on to his own motorcycle to begin our journey to Sengbe-Bendugu which was about 5 miles from Kabala.

It was the longest 5 miles in my life! It was all dirt paths filled with pot holes and deep trenches. It was truly an off-road experience. Sometimes the hills were so steep, I just knew we were going to topple over backwards. I had a death grip around Peter’s waist, so if I toppled, I wasn’t going alone. There were also six plank bridges to cross on the way. Imagine driving a motorcycle over a 4”x2” piece of hand carved lumber. I just held my breath and waited for the plunge into the water below. Thank God Peter drives this road daily, so his experience paid off.

We finally arrived in the village about 2:00 PM. I met Phil at the local school where he was lodging. When I arrived, all 100 school children ran outside to greet me with cheers and laughter. I felt so much love from them. Phil had a small tent that was inside one of the school rooms. Unfortunately, I did not bring a mattress, so the concrete and I were bed buddies for the duration of my visit.

Peter was our host. It was nice to meet his family. He is the Headmaster at the School. He is also a believer: one of the few in the village. He was so gracious to offer food and accommodations for us. Every evening we had the chance to sit with Peter, his family and the other believers in the village. We sang, prayed and read scripture together. It was a special time. While we were there, an elderly woman from another faith converted to the “path of Jesus”. It was amazing to see the radical and instantaneous change in her life. I admire Peter and see that God is using him in a mighty way there. He has such a passion for the word and for teaching. He is great with the children and gives them a devotion every morning at the school. While I was there, he asked if I would teach the children from the Bible each morning at their General Assembly. It was an honor and a privilege to do so.

Another part of our time there was spent with other missionaries working at a Bible College in Kabala. We took a 4 mile hike (one way) through the bush to visit them. It was a tiresome journey because of all the steep hills. Little Alahaji, was our guide. Peter asked him to show us the path since we were not too familiar with the road.It was a beautiful hike!

All in all, the trip was fantastic and a reminder of the great needs within the villages in the northern part of Sierra Leone. I ask that you all pray for Peter and the small church that has begun there. Pray that they will be lights to the rest of their family, friends and neighbors in the village. Pray for God’s provision, strength, mercy and grace for them. Pray for the Kuranko people of Sierra Leone who are deep rooted in traditional beliefs and other faiths. Pray for the revelation of Truth. Pray that God would begin to call Sierra Leonean believers here to reach the Kuranko. I love you all! Love God. Love People.

To see more pictures from the village, click on the PHOTOS tab at the top!

The Narrow Road

This morning after I woke up, I meandered to my kitchen door and opened it to find my friend “A” waiting outside. “A” was bundled in a light jacket and ski cap in the frigid 70 degree weather , and he was holding the New Testament I had given him. With a big smile and with sleep filled eyes he greeted me. I returned the greeting and was happy to see him. He had been quietly waiting for me outside because he did not want to disturb me. I invited “A” in to talk.

It has been a couple of days since I received a visit from “A”. We caught up a bit and went through the normal greetings about life and family. “A” began to tell me about his wound. He showed me the wound and it is now almost completely closed. He is officially well and we both praised God for the healing that had taken place.

After the greetings, “A’s” face changed to a sober expression. He brought out his New Testament and began to share with me about the last few days of his life. To the best of my memory, the following is what “A” told me this morning:

“Mister Chuck, over the past few days I have been reading my Bible. Because I am a Muslim, I thought all my life that I was doing what God wanted me to do. I thought the road I was walking was the right road. After reading the Bible, I now see that my whole life and what I believe has been wrong. The words I read now in the Bible make me think differently and act differently. Since you have come into my life, I have never met any other person that cares the way you do. Even in my own faith, I have never seen anyone like you. You have greatly impacted my life. I am the first born son. My Father is a Muslim and expects me to walk this same road. Everything he owns will be mine one day if I do so. The reason I have not seen you in a couple of days is because this has been very heavy for me to face. If I choose to follow Christ, I know it will affect my life and family greatly. This is the problem I now face Mister Chuck.”

As “A” shared this with me, he had tears in his eyes. I quickly went straight to the Scriptures and we read about the cost of discipleship. We read how “brother will turn against brother…and father against son”, we read about how we must “take up our cross daily and follow Christ” and we read about the rich young ruler who tragically chose his riches over Christ. I was open and honest with “A”. I shared with him that following Christ was not an easy road. It would require sacrifice and loss. However, I assured him that the spiritual life and blessings awaiting him were far greater than he could ever imagine. I also challenged him in that just as his life has been changed by reading the Word of God, his father and family will see that positive change within him. The same love “A” has seen in me (the love of Christ) will be the same love that his family will see in him. They will wonder about it, question it, ask about it and ultimately want it. I told him that the Hope he has found, God wants him to share it.

We ended the discussion in prayer. “A” said he wants to come back this evening to talk and study. I will be going to Kabala tomorrow and stay until Monday. As I am away, I pray that God will continue to move in “A’s” life as he counts the cost. Please pray for “A”, his family and for Christ to be glorified through all! Praise God for the work He is doing in “A’s” life. My heart is overjoyed today, yet I am humbled at the reminder of the cost to follow Christ. In America, we have religious freedom to worship and proclaim our faith without much hindrance. At the most, we may get a strange look or face awkward silence when sharing our faith. But how many of us face complete isolation from our family? How many of us have our mother or fathers hate us for our faith? How many of us face persecution or death on a daily basis just to call Jesus our Lord? Let us pause and respect not only the joy of our salvation in Christ and His blessings, but also the high cost that is required to follow Him. I love you all! LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE.

Seeing is Believing

It is amazing to see the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of those around me. Last Monday, after I returned from my trip to Banana Island, my friend “A” came by to visit me. “A” is the one with the hernia repair that I have written about before. It was so good to see him after being away for a few days. He told me he had come by every day to my house, but the place was locked, so he knew I must be out of town. I shared with him about my time away and we caught up on the rest of life as well.

I asked “A” about his wound and health. He showed me the wound and it is now 85% closed and is healing nicely. He is well trained now in wound care and is doing a marvelous job of keeping the wound clean and free of infection. I reminded him of our prayers for healing and gave God the glory for all the healing and restoration of his body.

As we sat together, we begin to talk of God. “A” began to reflect on the Jesus film he had watched and began recounting Jesus’ words. I was amazed at his ability to remember. He was quoting scripture word for word. One discussion led to another question. One question led us to another scripture passage. This continued on until I realized we had studied and talked together for 4 hours. Then “A” made a startling comment to me. He said, “Mister Chuck, I am ready to become a Christian and follow Christ, but I am not comfortable with going to church.” I began to ask his about the comment. He explained that the church attended in the past had forced people to dance, taking up numerous offerings and even appeared to be “money seekers”. He confessed that the little he knows about scripture and Jesus’ words contradict these actions he had witnessed. I encouraged him and told him that the Word of God is the standard, and that just because a person says they are a Christian or a church says it is a church, does not mean that it is necessarily true. I instructed him to continue to study the Word of God and look for a group of people that are living it and preaching it. He even said to me that my own faith “looked different” and told me he admired the simplicity of love and prayers that he had witnessed in my own life. Of course, I gave the credit to Jesus and was humbled and reminded that people are watching and notice how we live out our faith from day to day.

I am excited about “A’s” journey in his faith. He is at a very distinct and important crossroad. He is counting the cost. It is good that he is questioning and searching the scripture for the “true” church of Jesus Christ. Continue to pray for A, his friends and family. Pray that God will continue to draw him, guide him, instruct him and open his eyes to the Truth. To God be the glory for it all!