Excerpts from Rev. Bahago's February Update:
Today we are here because of His grace, and his grace through the leadership of the Holy Spirit is leading his people to bring souls to the kingdom. We appreciate God for a new year of our service in Sierra Leone which has been possible because of the leadership of the Spirit of God in our lives.
Again this year we were blessed by the visit of Mr. Dennis DeGroot to encourage Christian education. The visit at this time came when the Christian Reformed Church in Sierra Leone (CRC-SL) has seen the challenge of encouraging Christian schools in our communities, and has established an Education committee. Christian schools were started in various villages. This committee will supervise and make sure that they meet the standard as well as get qualified teachers to teach and get the necessary teaching materials. They will serve as the Education board of the church. Mr. Dennis, besides meeting with the committee also visited some of these schools in the villages. Many schools are using the Church auditorium buildings as a classroom and there is no partition to separate the classes. So the concentration of the pupils is always a big challenge.
I [Bahago] visited Liberia to continue some training there as well as visit Pastor Morris Sonnie and meet with the leaders. They have 29 churches (or preaching centers, as many have no building, but rather temporary structures). The annual conference recently decided to become the Christian Reformed Church—Liberia and work with Pastor Morris.
We give thanks to God and all our supporters as we are raising the second phase of the office and church building. Hoping that we will be able to get the necessary funding to enable us to move in by the end of June.
March 7 is the day Sierra Leoneans go to the polls to elect a new president, and councillors for the various wards in the country. The tensions are high. Both international and domestic observers are on the ground to monitor the election. The council of churches in Sierra Leone has chosen CRC-SL to lead the domestic observers team representing the Christians in Koinadugu and Falaba district.
Once more I want to thank you all for your support and prayers for us. We are now back in Sierra Leone to continue the Kingdom task. Please pray for:
- the election on March 7 and that the outcome is accepted for peaceful coexistence.
- wisdom for whoever will be elected to help develop the country to reduce poverty. Eighty percent of the population is very poor.
- funding to complete our building projects.
- the radio program going on now that more people will hear the gospel and for more funding for a bigger transmitter.
- the new CRC Church in Liberia that they will be committed to serve God.
- for all the pastors and evangelists of CRC-SL that they will be focused and committed in their work.