Located in Makeni, Sierra Leone, (known formerly as Harbaugh Memorial United Methodist Church) Maboleh UMC has partnered with our congregation as a part of the Sierra Leone Initiative between the Central Pennsylvania Conference and the Sierra Leone Annual Conference. Served by Rev. Williams, Meboleh UMC is in the process of recovering from a long Civil War that saw all of their property and materials except for the church building destroyed.
CrossPoint is currently working to send a mission team in 2011 to help continue building relations with the congregation. Providing both financial and material aid, and working in concert with our Conference and Arms Around Africa, we see our partnership continuing to develop with the construction of new parsonage for the late Rev. Serry’s family (the previous pastor) and we’re in the planning phase of a new church building.
Hear from Pastor Dave on Sierra Leone .
So how can you help? We need prayer, we need volunteers, and we need leaders. The task before us is BIG, but God is BIGGER! If you would like to get in on the ground floor to help, contact Tom Wanich at cpl6pa@verizon.net.
Update…
THE CONTINUING “VOYAGE” OF THE SL VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION
After a report from “First Officer” Steve Herman of a great first week of travel, the SL VIM team left the Kono District’s partner churches of Tombodu and Yengema traveling south through Njaiama, Panguma, Hangha, and Kenema, all sites of Sierra Leone Initiative partner churches. While “docked” in Bo the volunteers visited partner churches, a hospital, and the Child Rescue Center. Continuing west the next day, the “Starship Enterprise,” OK cars, stopped in Makorew and Motema for partner church visits before journeying into Moyamba to see Harford Academy and Trinity UMC. Then it was on to Bauya and an overnight stay in Rotifunk. The “crew” arrived back in Freetown Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011 for more consultation at United Methodist House, shopping at the local craft market, and the flight to “planet” Susuquehanna Conference. Specific reports from the “voyage” of the SL Volunteers in Mission will be available upon the completion of their journaling.
Pam Perna
Sierra Leone Initiative Facilitator
11 VOLUNTEERS IN MISSION (VIM) TRAVEL TO SIERRA LEONE
Sunday, January 16, eleven Volunteers in Mission “blasted off” for Freetown and “new frontiers” in SL. “Captain” Jeff Fisher and “Number One” Steve Herman will lead the “crew” throughout the “galaxy,” well districts of SL. After consultation in Freetown at UMC House and visits to Theological Seminary and Albert Academy, the team will “fly off” to Makeni District for visits to Mboleh UMC, and later to Maforay to McCauley School and the consecration of a new church.
Thursday, Ken “Data” Mengel will guide a three member “away team” from Crosspoint UMC back to Mboleh for an extended work mission. Another “away team” guided by SL driver Henry Kamara will whisk Greg Johnson off to Martyr’s Memorial in Rotifunk for partner church consultation and an evangelism mission. The third “away team” will explore new territories approximately four hours northwest of Makeni near Kamakwie where they will visit area churches, national parks, and rest at a mission house before returning to Makeni. Saturday will find this “away team” heading east to Magburaka and Yengema, both locations of SLI partner churches. By the end of the week, the six volunteers will find themselves in the “far reaches of the galaxy”…well, eastern SL, in Kono District, a first time visit for SLI teams.
Pray for safe travel and great visits to partner churches for our VIM. More later on the “continuing mission of the Star T”…no that would be the VIM mission to SL.
Pam Perna
Sierra Leone Initiative Facilitator
A Picture of Health Care in Sierra Leone – Read it here.
In the beginning…A five member team returned to Sierra Leone on January 13, 2008. The team was comprised of three members of the Sierra Leone Initiative Committee from Central Pennsylvania Conference: Rev. Jeff Fisher, Steve Herman, and Ken Mengel. The team also included Kimberly Davis (Zion UMC, York) and Dan Snyder (Bethany, Red Lion), who documented the trip on film.
The trip was a success in terms of video interviews of the pastors of churches in Sierra Leone getting support and their personal words telling how this initiative is providing for a better life. We all felt the distribution of this video at the Central Pennsylvania Annual Conference would encourage more churches to join in the initiative.
The churches we were able to visit included Brown Memorial, Wellington, Locotown, Bishop Bachman Memorial, Jawlee Lewis Memorial, Price Memorial Mabolah, Rogers Memorial, Leader Memorial, Trinity, and Fitzjohn Memorial.
The team also spent time at Kissy Clinic, visiting the eye clinic and maternity clinic. There were many women present. There was also a medical team from the Indiana Annual Conference which included doctors, nurses, and technicians.
Albert Academy, founded by Rev. Albert from Grantville, Pa, was also visited on January 15. The classrooms were filled with students. The fewest number of students we saw in one room was thirty, and one of the classrooms had at least one hundred students. The teachers and headmasters carried switches, which definitely kept discipline in order.
Conditions in Sierra Leone are improving. Some of the major streets in Freetown were cleaner and debris was being removed. It was encouraging to see street lights working through the night. Electricity was available every other night.
We visited several Arms Around Africa sites that attested to the reality of success when finances and proper coordination and supervision are employed.
