Reading Time: 2 minutesDear Brethren in Christ,
Greetings from Calvary! The Church here in Sierra Leone wishes to thank the entire General Conference and IMC for standing by us in these difficult times. We want to share a brief story of our present situation.
The Church is doing well in terms of extending its membership and opening of new branches. In Freetown we are trying to open two new branches in the center and far western regions of the city. Another two new branches are on their way to being opened in Magburaka town. In Kenema and Kailahun, Peter Blackie has opened several new branches in new towns and villages. Overall, the Church is doing fine, although we are affected by the Ebola outbreak.
With daily support from the General Conference toward Ebola victims since the outbreak of the virus, we have done a lot in helping Church members and in winning more souls. We have hundreds of members in Freetown, Kailahun, Kenema, Grafton, Four-Mile, Moyamba Junction, etc., who have worked voluntarily, with the support you gave, to sensitize people about Ebola. This has yielded good fruit. Six motorbikes were bought for Kailahun and Kenema, t-shirts and polos were printed, and Bibles were bought. Transportation was also provided for the participants.
Although we continue to strive to sensitize members, we are still caught with the dangers of Ebola. We have dozens of members who have succumbed to the disease. Many were also infected, but God’s healing hand stretched upon them, and they survived.
These are the numbers to date:
- Kenema and Kailahun – 31 deaths, 45 survivors, 351 quarantined (49 presently), and five currently sick with Ebola;
- Moyamba Junction and Pitema – eight deaths, 0 survivors, 100 quarantined presently, and ten currently sick with Ebola;
- Freetown –40 presently quarantined, three sick with Ebola.
Our head pastor in Moyamba Junction also lost both parents to Ebola, and his entire family is presently quarantined.
We currently have many members who are falling sick, especially our Daughters of the King. Two of them in Freetown have been tested positive of Ebola, but the one will be discharged soon. Another is an orphan who has also tested positive.
All hospitals are out of normal operations. They have become either Ebola holding centers or Ebola treatment centers. We now have to hire private doctors to treat anyone for various ailments.
Finally, we want to thank God for His unfailing love. We are wrapping up on farm activities. The farm in Magburaka, which is 42.5 acres, has been harvested and threshed, and we are drying the rice to know how many bushels we will have. The same is the case for Makeni and Moyamba Junction. The rice farm in Bunubu, which is 20 acres, is not yet ready for harvest. The smaller farms in Makeni Maraka Poto, Moyamba Junction, Kailahun, and Kenema have also nearly completed harvest. The farm in Rokupr is preparing for harvest.
Details of all proceeds from farming countrywide will be shared as well as proposals for the next planting season. We thank you all for all you have done for us in this time of trial.
God bless you all.
Victor Bangura
Ministry Secretary
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