First TOL Graduation in Makeni

My heart is overflowing with gratitude to the God who is sovereign and the source of all good works through His Spirit. This past Sunday, April 28th, our first 13 graduates were given certificates celebrating the completion of their six week course. During these six weeks they were able to learn 15 health prevention lessons (i.e. HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Clean Water, etc.). Disease prevention is key here since curative medicine is often not available or very expensive to the common citizen. We also taught 3 lessons on the moringa tree, a life saving resource God has blessed the world with to give added nutrients to foods that lack sustenance. However, our class is just not focused on the physical wellness of the person, we also give 18 Bible stories from Creation to Christ to give spiritual wellness as well. These six weeks have bonded us together as friends and some as brothers and sisters in Christ. My prayer is that each student will walk away with spiritual seeds planted and educational tools that will allow them, their families, communities and world to live healthy lives enjoying God and glorifying His name throughout the earth.

Our celebration began after church. Pastor Emmanuel K. Sesay, my first teacher within Tree of Life was the chairman and guest speaker. I also was very thankful to Mr. Matthew Tholley, and their pastor Edward Kargbo for their open invitation for Tree of Life to come and share within their community. The students gave testimonies and even prepared a short play demonstrating how to avoid bacterial/parasite infections by practicing proper hygiene. I was so proud of them to see that the knowledge imparted to them (despite my imperfect Krio) was etched on their hearts and minds.

After awarding them the certificates, we all had a time of eating together and fellowshipping. It was a wonderful day to say the least. All praise, honor and glory goes to God whose Word will never return void. I pray that the seeds of truth planted, the new relationships and the knowledge given would grow and multiply.

Thank you all for your prayers and please continue to pray that God would raise up teachers from among the classes who have the zeal, maturity and the heart to tkae this Truth to other parts of Sierra Leone and abroad. Love God – Love people.

True Shalom

It has been some time since I have written. It should be no surprise that living on the continent of Africa can often have its own set of challenges. For the past week, the internet has been down hindering my ability to communicate all that has been happening. I thank each of you in advance for your understanding. Communicating to those of you who are faithful in supporting me financially, emotionally and spiritually is a great priority to me. Think of my blogs and emails as a hug via the net. ;-)

Where to start? So much has happened in the last few weeks. We had our final class in Makeni on Tuesday and our first class in Makeni will be graduating this Sunday, April 28th. They are excited and I am extremely proud of them. Pastor Emmanuel from Freetown who leads the Tree of Life classes there will be coming as our guest speaker. I am sure it will be a grand time of celebrating with lots of loud music and spicy food! My prayer now is that teachers will begin to emerge from these classes. So far we have a total of 4 classes who have completed the Tree of Life curriculum. As of today, we have two potential ‘new’ teachers. My plan is to commit these few to prayer and prepare a workshop to train and disciple these teachers in sharing the Gospel and their community health knowledge with their own families, villages and country. “Going Out” is their challenge, yet it is the command of our Lord.

God has been teaching me volumes. Mark is now back as my security in Makeni. This has been an answered prayer and every morning we have our Bible studies. We are reading through the Bible from beginning to end. I can see the hunger for God’s word growing in him. His faith is maturing and I know that God has “plans of hope and a future for him”. Continue to pray for Mark as he still faces persecution from family for his faith and that he will continue to resist the temptations that surround him. Pray for our mutual understanding of each other despite our cultural differences and worldviews.

Today I was reading from John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” As I read these words from Jesus, I see a stark contrast in the world around me that screams due to the absence of TRUE shalom or peace. The reality is our empty and selfish pursuits which we feel is leading us to peace is actually leading us to a place where peace seems out of reach. Broken relationships with God, ourselves, others and our environment hinders any chance in our life for an everlasting peace. This peace cannot be given by the world, yet we all are guilty of searching for it there. We look to our jobs, ministries, relationships, entertainment, sin, earthly possessions, etc. to find one ounce of shalom. Yet in the end, this peace is transient and false. It will fade and leave us wanting. Lord, Your peace is TRUE, supernatural, and the only peace that will sustain and satisfy the hunger and thirst deep within our souls. Give us Your shalom.

I love you all. Continue to pray and always remember to love God and love people!

Thoughts from John 15:7

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

As I read this verse I am challenged in my previous misinterpretation of this scripture. I confess my misunderstanding may lie in the first part of the verse which is a conditional statement. “If you abide in Me” and IF His “words abide in you” are crucial to this result of “it being done”. Our ‘abiding’ and personal relationship with Christ is key and His ‘Word’ must be something living and breathing in our daily lives. When we know who Christ is and what His words are (the Bible) and if our belief is active in them both, I believe what we ‘desire’ will be what Christ desires. I believe our words will be His Word.

Claiming a knowledgeable yet inactive faith and expecting God to give you a new Mercedes, wealth or fame is unfortunately a message being exported from our Western culture. This verse does not make God a magical genie waiting to grant our every wish. We must ask ourselves, “Who are we abiding in and if His Word is abiding in my life?” I believe if this first condition is met, what we ask for and the ‘desires’ of our hearts will align with that of Christ’s.

Do I desire what Christ desires? Does His words resonate and nudge me to ask for the things that would please His own heart?

Planting Together for a Greater Future

Early this morning work began at the Magbenteh Polio Camp in Makeni. The Tree of Life class is required to do one community project in order to receive their certificate for the class. The class chose to plant moringa trees at the polio camp that will one day benefit the community. We showed them two kinds of ways to plant moringa. The first way, is to plant a single tree that will provide shade, flowers, and future seeds that can be used to continue to plant. We also showed them how to plant an intensive garden that consists of over 200 hundred seeds planted closely together. This kind of planting allows the community to harvest moringa leaves every 6 weeks to make moringa powder. This powder is then used as an additive to their regular foods to combat malnutrition and prevent other kinds of sickness.

I was humbled and excited to see everyone there working together and playing various roles. Just as the Bible says, some prepared the soil, some watered and others sowed the seeds. We even had Matilda and Aminata serving as supervisors from their wheelchairs. The community as a whole was excited about the potential of these seeds and what it could mean for their community. It was especially encouraging seeing them pray over the garden before we planted the seeds asking God to bring a good harvest.

I am so proud of my class and look forward to the coming days of teaching them the final 8 lessons left in our class. The rains have already began to come, so we are trusting God for a bountiful harvest – not just the moringa, but also in the hearts of everyone in the class. Please continue to pray for our classes here in Makeni and Freetown. Pray that hearts would be changed as the Gospel is preached and that physical wellness will improve as these communities begin to put into practice the knowledge they are learning. God bless.

James 1:17

Every now and again I would like to share some thoughts and writings from my journal. It is in these times I find comfort, peace and truth. I hope they will be an encouragement to you.

“Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  -James 1:17 (NKJV)

Lord, You are a perfect God of goodness and love. You desire to give us ‘good’ and ‘perfect’ gifts. The question that lingers in my mind is, “Who defines ‘good’ and ‘perfect’?” Some people may say that wealth is a good gift from God, and they in fact may be correct; however, if the love for the wealth corrupts the heart of the man or his love for money trumps his devotion to the Father of lights, then I believe this good gift has been transformed to a curse due to the everlasting corruption that resides in the hearts of men.

God is the one who defines ‘good’ and ‘perfect’ and that does not always mean these gifts will be immediately gratifying or even something we believe may be good for us. Often I think back to how my parents disciplined me. At that time, I did not see what they were ‘giving’ as good or perfect, yet it has resulted in who I am today and instilled within me principles that have benefited my life.

I think about Job and how God allowed Satan to give trials and take everything from him with the exception of his life. Job lamented during this process, yet in the end the result was the glorification of God and the  proof of Job’s unwavering faith was in a good and just God. Lord, despite my opinions of what ‘good’ and ‘perfect’ is, help me to know that what comes from your hand will ALWAYS result in a good and perfect thing. Help me to look to what you define ‘good’ and ‘perfect’ is, despite my own simple mortal mind’s opinion.