(SIERRA LEONE) “Christian Extension Services is the John the Baptist of our communities!” exclaims Rev. Istifanus Bahago, leadership consultant with Resonate Global in Sierra Leone. Christian Extension Services partners with World Renew in this West African country, where poverty is a way of life for many people.

The story of Reverend Bahago’s declaration begins four years ago, when CES began working in Medina, a predominantly Muslim village (as are most in this country), named after one of the religious cities in Saudi Arabia. The residents of Medina had invited CES to assist them in improving their community, a process which involved the growth of a new local leadership team called a Village Development Committee. The committee identified a key local need to simply grow more rice, and CES was able to assist them with a program called Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, in which families in the community were provided with seed and the training needed to improve their rice production.

Following several successful harvests, Medina approached CES to assist them in building a grain storage and processing building. The project required that the village provide all local materials (sand, stone, wood) and labor; CES would provide roofing, cement, paint, and metal doors. The storage building (pictured) was completed in 2017, and is a proud testimony to the positive changes in Medina, where people are learning to work together to achieve common goals.

At a meeting in Medina this fall, Christian Extension Services inspected the facility, which now stores rice harvested in the community and has space for a future milling machine. The village leadership told CES that this project has not only met their need for grain storage, but encouraged unity among community members, as they contributed to the project and worked together for its completion. They were very grateful for the support and the contributions made by World Renew through CES.

Following this partnership between the community and Christian Extension Services, a group of 20 at a community meeting in September surprised all of us by stepping to the front and singing a Christian song – and then requesting a church and a pastor! We passed this appeal on to Resonate Global, who responded in November by meeting with the group which now numbers over 40 people, some of whom have already decided to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Praise God with us for these combined results, which are exciting developments in the global growth of the church of Jesus Christ!

Blessings,

Daniel Lepp Friesen

Consultant
World Renew Sierra Leone