Every year we send shoebags filled with toys and other useful items for the children in our churches in Sierra Leone at Christmas. This year the instructions are:

Maximum to be spent per bag: £5

Each bag to have age and sex of the child it is for, ‘safety pinned’ to the outside.

Size of bag: approximately 15 inches square.

Contents:

1. ‘Sports’ Drink bottle (not empty drinks bottle)

2. 1 pair pants / knickers

3. 1 tee shirts / vests

4. Soap

5. Tooth brush and paste

6. Flannel

7. Pencils and coloured pencils

8. Eraser

9. Rule

10. Biros

11. Exercise book

12. ‘One’ toy, please no more than one toy! (e.g. tennis ball, skipping rope, marbles, small toy car)

We plan to send the shoebags to Sierra Leone during October so will need to have them at either Copthorne or Wormley by late September.

The church family at Bureh Town

It’s not quite ‘GO!’ yet, but we received the following news from Reuben Dove recently which suggests we’re almost ready to finally start building the church at Bureh Town:

Just last week end the Pastor at Bureh Town brought to me the letter of Indemnity. I have also forwarded same to the Ministry of Lands to enable them to sign the Survey Plan. When that is done we can move from that point.  I shall inform you immediately

Every year the SLM holds a Day of Prayer for Sierra Leone on the 2nd Sunday in May. This year it is on the 9th May, and the prayer requests we have circulated to our supporters in the UK are below.

• The Connexion in Sierra Leone has undergone a change in leadership. Sallu Koroma is now General Superintendent and Theophilus Nicol is his Assistant GS. Pray for the relationship building that will be needed through this changeover.
• Sylvanus Nicol our head agent, that he makes a good recovery from his double hernia operation.
• Daniel Koroma in Mongegba, one of our ministers, who is trying to improve the lives of local children, who after school go to work in the local quarry until 7pm, breaking up stones to be sold.
• Our ministers who are seeking to actively share God’s good news with their communities.
• A number of churches have requested help with wells and the church at Mabang is considering a new agricultural project. Village churches can be two miles away from the nearest source of free water. The ‘credit crunch’ has affected the cost of food, so people are hoping to grow their own and also to sell the surplus to provide an income.
• Rev Jacob Dove whose wife has died in childbirth, losing the baby as well, and leaving Jacob with three young children.
• Ministers wives are running sewing groups as a means of outreach and support. They need more sewing machines and wisdom to build this ministry.
• James from Fogbo, a young man who wanted a Bible to help him witness. Pray that his new Bible will be a spur and a blessing.

Our Annual Day of Prayer for Sierra Leone will be on the 9th May. Look out for prayer points which will be circulated to the churches shortly.

We received the tragic news on the 1st April that Jacob Dove’s wife died in childbirth along with her baby, leaving Jacob on his own with their three other children.

Reuben recently wrote to us:

The funeral service for the late sister took place last sunday 11th April at the St John’s Church Goderich, at 2:30p.m. It was a well attended service with combined choir from the three mainline churches in the Goderich community. They sang two Anthems plus the dead March in saul. We thank God for the life of the sister. She was really a servant of God. At the 36 she played her part in supporting Jacob in the ministry. Thank you all for your prayers. I believe your prayers have helped us in the proper planning of the funeral. May God grant her eternal rest.

Sorry for the delay, but I’ve finally got the write up for our last day uploaded!

We recently received the following sad news from Augustine Willaims:

I  regret to report the sudden death of Rev Idrissa Murana the acting principal of the Huntingdon Junior Secondary School Allen Town. He passed away during the early hours of Wednesday morning after a brief illness. The burial will take place in his home town at a date to be announced later.

Meanwhile, I have declared a two day period of mourning on Thursday 4th to Friday 5th March. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

I’ve just updated the post regarding the 18th February – it now has our recollections to go along with the photos!

One of our first visits during our stay in Sierra Leone was to the Milton Margai School for the Blind where we had a wonderful time. There they sang to us and enthusiasm and joy – here is a taste for you! Wonderful how the gift of song can cut across cultural differences and make it indeed a small world…

To find out more about our visit here, read this post from the diary of our stay.