The origins of the Countess of Huntingdon’s missionary work in Sierra Leone date back to the 18thcentury, and go on today through the support of The Connexion and Sierra Leone Mission (SLM).

At the annual Connexion Conference, Magnus Bendu shared a selection of messages he’d gathered from a range of individuals who have benefited from this valuable partnership between the UK and Sierra Leone, which continues the Countess of Huntingdon’s legacy.

Magnus Bendu - excerpt from his Conference Report

‘The administration of The Connexion is very highly indebted to our UK partnership and friendship through the Sierra Leone Mission. Our friendship has flourished greatly over the years and they have been our major life support after God. They are always willing to help us and to unconditionally partner with the ministry in Sierra Leone. They continue to provide for the running costs of the Bethesda Orphanage, provide grants for teacher and pastor stipends and support other projects including scholarships for teacher's education and pastoral training as and when they can. They have also met the personal needs of many. They pay hospital bills, school and college fees, give stipends to poor widows, give gifts to friends and send the almighty shoe bags every year to the children – the list goes on!’ 

Abdul Mansaray, Mabang

‘I have been a teacher for over 15 years now at the school in Mabang. The Government is not paying me. The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion has paid my fees to do a Teacher's Certificate course and has been giving me transportation to get to the class and pay a salary every month. I thank you so much. What I feel so good about is that even though the money is small, they pay us very promptly and they say it is the people from England. I thank them so much.’ 

Ambrose Junisa

‘The relationship between the Countess of Huntingdon’s Mission in Sierra Leone and that of The Connexion in UK, I personally believe has been a kind of mother and son relationship, which does not get broken. Your blessing in my life as a person remains uncountable. I trust that the good Lord will strengthen this unending friendship as ever.’ 

Nancy Sawyer, Hailsham Gospel - referring to FSL support

‘What they did for me! I have never seen this kind of goodness in my life. After my husband died, they paid me every month as if I am a worker for 12 years. That amount was what sustained me and my children until I had a stable garden.’

Alieu Kamara, Magbafty

'My house was almost falling when the roof was leaking. They covered my shame and bought the corrugated iron sheet for me. That one thing that our partners in the UK did for my family, besides many more as a Pastor, I will never forget.'

Hassam Bangura, resident of Manallo - referring to Mortimer West End's support to re-roof burned houses

‘I am a Muslim and my house was burnt down as a result of political violence, these white people did not only help their Christian brothers but also few of us who are Muslims. Since that day I know that Christians are very generous and good people. I don’t know how to thank them.’ 

Christiana Mansaray, elderly woman in Manallo

‘One good thing I will always remember about our friends in England; I don’t remember their names now, but I can see their faces, all of them, is that during the war in Sierra Leone, they supplied us rice every month and even Muslims were coming to Church and some of them never returned to the Mosque again.’

 

(The photograph shows some of the Sierra Leone children receiving their shoe bags)

 

To Donate

If you would like to make a donation, to help SLM's work in Sierra Leone, just click on the Donations button, located at the top of each website page. Please also state if you would like your donation to go towards a particular project.

Alternatively donate by Bank Transfer:

Barclays Bank
Sort code: 20-16-08, Account number: 30799076, Account name: Sierra Leone Mission 

(NB We are very grateful to receive anonymous donations, but when making a bank transfer donation, the donor's name is needed for auditing purposes. Please be assured this information will remain private.)

Or send a cheque to:

Sierra Leone Mission. Postal address: Janet Foord, 2 Cheyne Close, Church Milton, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 2SQ