The Least of These

Polio Camp, Magbentae

Nestled in the stony hills of Makeni, Sierra Leone there lies an encampment of polio victims that live and work together. Society considers them to be outcasts and beggars, yet they have banded together to support each other amidst their harsh conditions. There is a man named Edward Kargbo who has a heart and calling to reach out to these people in this camp. He is their Pastor and has recently moved to Makeni to shepherd those seeking to walk the path of Jesus.

Our first class began this week in Makeni at this polio camp in Magbentae. I have a total of thirteen students, many of whom are polio victims. Today we learned that “Knowledge is More Important than Medicine”. We began with the Bible story of creation and ended with a lesson on disease prevention. It was a wonderful time and it was great to see the interest the class has in both the Bible and Community Health materials.

I met Pastor Edward in 2011 when I worked with Mercy Ships. I believe this encounter was not by accident because he has been the link that has allowed me to begin teaching in Makeni. He has welcomed me as a brother into their church and I even have had a chance to preach there. I admire him for his passion for Christ, his commitment to the Word of God and for his love for the broken and sick.

Our Class

Two class members prepared a skit for us as a discussion point. We had many questions and wonderful in-depth discussions. My prayer is that a leader from this class will emerge as an indigenous teacher that will continue to teach the holistic message of the Tree of Life ministry.

Please continue to pray for these students and for me as I teach them. Pray that God would raise up a leader among the group that will be genuine, mature and committed to reaching his/her country for the sake Christ. You all are a blessing and I could not be here were it not for your encouragement and support. I love you all and ask that even in the midst of this celebration, evil powers are working to thwart the mission. Pray that God would guide, guard and remove those threats to His kingdom work.