Our communities of children in Sierra Leone were delighted to receive their shoe bags on Christmas Day.

Especially excited were the children at our new church in Kamakontakay, who had never seen a shoe bag before - let alone receive one!

The shoe bags contain treats and toys donated and packed by members of our Connexion churches in the UK. These gifts are an extra special gift for our Sierra Leone children, whose families live hand to mouth and are unable to afford toys and treats. 

Bethesda

On Christmas Eve the children from our orphanage in Bethesda had fun day trip to Bureh Town beach. They were invited to the beach by the charity, Home Leone, who very kindly covered the cost of the outing.  

On Christmas Day they attended church, where they received their shoe bags, before going on to enjoy a special Christmas lunch of chicken, which was generously funded by Ebley Chapel in Stroud.  

Donate

If you would like to make a donation towards our mission in Sierra Leone, please click on the Donations button, located at the top of each website page. Please 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 

Or send a cheque to:

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

The container of goods and treats for our communities in Sierra Leone arrived on 4 December this year – in good time for Christmas.

The shipments contain a variety of goods and treats, which are hugely appreciated, including bedding, towels, books, clothing, toys and the all-important shoe bags of treats and Christmas presents, put together by our dedicated church members in the UK. 

We have since been sent some lovely photos of the children in Brama School proudly wearing their new jumpers, cardigans and hats.

Last year the containers were stuck at Freetown docks for several weeks before being released, which was frustrating for all concerned and involved higher duties needing to be paid. This year, thankfully, things ran more smoothly at the destination port, though the journey was not without a few hassles on the way from St Ives to Crawley for transportation! 

Read on to hear the tale from Janet O’Shea. 

Sunday 17 October

The St.Ives team gathered to load two Luton vans to the gunnels with boxes ready for transporting them to Redcoat at Crawley, a round trip of 591.4 miles, which should take 6 hours 3 minutes each way. Van 1 was driven by Mark accompanied by his wife Kirsty and my son-in-law Andy and Van 2 was driven by Naomi, a retired midwife, who was recovering from a broken arm, plus Nina (my granddaughter) and me - nurturing a back problem. 

Monday 18 October at 7.00am

First hitch of the day. Van 1 has two flat tyres and Van 2 needed some coaxing to get out of the car park. This may have given a warning light to Nina, who has experienced a few other ‘adventures’ in the company of her grandmother, but filled with positivity we pressed on and upwards via the A30. 

We cheered as we passed from Cornwall into Devon. Mark was ahead, but he needed to get to a garage because an engine light had suddenly appeared. Losing power is never good, God is always good, and Mark was able to pull over into a ‘proper’ lay by before the cabin filled with smoke! At this point Nina gave me a look of ‘I don’t believe this!’ 

The rental firm was contacted and we were told to stay put. Two and a half hours later a young man arrived with a ‘replacement’ van. You really have to picture this: three ladies, one with a broken arm, another with a bad back, young Nina and a young man whose job description does not include packing boxes into a van – in the pouring rain!

With sleeves rolled up we heaved, hauled, pushed and forced the boxes from the broken van to the other, now named Van 2b. It took us an hour and a half to nearly complete the job, but we really struggled to fit in seven banana boxes full of shoes. 

Later on we found out that the ill-fated Van 2 had burnt a hole in the piston and needed a tow truck to travel up from West Cornwall to retrieve it – and on its return journey the van was also involved in an accident! 

Meanwhile, we had a mission, to arrive at Redcoat by the 5:00pm deadline – and by now it was 2:00pm. We’d learned that Van 1 had arrived and unloaded, with the crew waiting for us at Crawley ready to unload our van. We finally arrived at 5:02pm and it took a further hour to load the container.

At 6:15pm Van 1 and Van 2b left Crawley for the journey home. It’s all downhill so it shouldn’t take long!! By this time the occupants of Van 2b were starving and desperately needed the rest room – but we vowed to get onto the A303 before we stopped. 

The Mattia diner seemed like a good place to stop so we checked the opening times and found that it shut at 9:00pm. Great! Visions of a burger and a visit to the ladies room filled our minds. We arrived at 8:10pm to be told that last orders were at 8:00pm. Okay, we thought, but asked if we use the rest room. No, was the response we’d have to use the garage loos. The garage loos were out of order, so we returned to the restaurant to explain our situation, but they wouldn’t let us in!

We happily found a much-needed stop before we set off to Exeter and the last leg of our journey. We eventually arrived back at our respective homes at 1:15am Tuesday morning. 

So, would I do it again? The simple answer is ‘Yes!’ I have personally had the privilege of accompanying Magnus as he distributes clothes, bedding, towels, sleeping bags etc, all in the name of Jesus. Then there are the shoe bags. Who doesn’t want to bring joy to children who have nothing? 

This shipment definitely came with some challenges, and I did not disappoint my granddaughter. We certainly had another adventure! 

A special dedication service was held last Sunday at Mile 91, Sierra Leone, attended by Connexion pastors and members of the local community. The school, where the service was held, is named Mile 91 because it is exactly 91 miles from Freetown.

Your prayers are always welcomed for the Connexion schools, orphanage and churches in Sierra Leone. 

If you would like to make a donation to help to support the local communities please see details below:

Donations via website

Please click on the Donations button, located at the top of each website page. If you would prefer your donation to go towards a particular project, please state.

Alternatively Donate by Bank Transfer 

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

Or send a cheque

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

A new church has been established in the village of Peterya in Kabala, Sierra Leone. 

Kabala is one of the main towns in Northern Sierra Leone, and has an ethnically diverse population. The community as a whole is predominantly Muslim, but there is also a substantial Christian minority. 

Pastor Mark, a keen evangelist, who attended the church at Bureh Town, will be leading the new church in Peterya.

Mark has also established a school for the village children in Peterya, which currently operates in a borrowed ‘parlour’.

The number of recorded cases of Covid 19 in Sierra Leone has thankfully remained low. Current figures record a total of 6396 cases and 121 deaths in a population of 8m. However, the testing and tracking infrastructure in Sierra Leone is limited, which means the actual case numbers may be considerably higher.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also advise potential travellers to Sierra Leone to be aware that even basic medical services can be very difficult to access, particularly in villages and remote areas.

Our Connexion Minister, Magnus Bendu, has described ways in which the pandemic has affected Sierra Leone.

He recalls that when the virus first arrived, the whole country was gripped with panic following the memory of the earlier and deadly spread of Ebola in 2014. When news reports started to pour in of how quickly the virus was spreading and taking lives in Italy, Spain and the UK, this provided a stark and frightening reminder of how weak the medical system is in Sierra Leone.

The social and economic impact on the nation has been significant, despite the low infection and death rates from the virus. Prices of basic commodities and food have risen exponentially due to the nation’s dependence on imports, and the restriction of movement and normal activities has presented a further threat to an already weak economy. A large percentage of people in Sierra Leone have extremely low incomes and live hand-to-mouth in order to survive. 

Opposition to restrictions of movement and mask wearing were further exacerbated by a prevalent and ongoing mistrust of any Government in power, plus the disbelief by many people of the existence of the virus. 

A vaccination programme has begun in Sierra Leone, but the number of people who have received, or will be able to receive the inoculation, is small. 4% of the population have so far received one or more dose, and just 1.4% have been fully vaccinated.

(Magnus’ full report can be read in the autumn edition of The Voice)

Donate

To make a donation to help support our communities in Sierra Leone, click on the Donations button at the top of the website page. If you would like your donation to go to a particular project, eg the new Health Centre, please state.

Alternatively donate by Bank Transfer 

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

Or send a cheque

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

In August we posted an article giving an update on progression of the new Health Centre in Brama, Sierra Leone, with an estimate from Magnus that a further £27,000 would be needed to complete the building work.

Following this, we were enormously thankful to receive an anonymous donation for £10,000. This was immediately sent to Magnus to enable him to purchase more building materials and continue with the construction. This week, we are even more delighted to announce the receipt of £17,000 from another anonymous donor!

Praise the Lord Almighty!

Once completed the Health Centre and patient wards will be able to serve communities from 35 villages in the local vicinity. Trained staff will work in the clinic and also support communities in the villages, helping them to improve general hygiene and implementing vaccination programmes. They will also be able to provide post-natal health care for mothers and their babies. 

There is a serious need for available health facilities in Sierra Leone and this centre will primarily serve children, babies and mothers. 

Sierra Leone Health Facts

• The child and infant mortality rate in England and Wales in 2018 was 3.8 per 1,000. In Sierra Leone it was 78 per 1,000. 
• Between January and March 2020 in Freetown alone there were 581 maternal deaths. 
• Maternal deaths account for 36% of all deaths amongst women aged 15 - 49 years. 
• Sierra Leone is the most dangerous place in the world to be pregnant. 
• There are only 245 doctors in Sierra Leone serving 7 million people. 
• 1 in 17 women won’t survive pregnancy or delivery. 
• 60% of population live below the poverty line. 
• 1 in 3 people do not have access to clean water. 
• 3 in 5 people live in rural areas. 
• MOST deaths could be prevented! 

Prices for building materials are continuing to rise in Sierra Leone – as they are globally. In light of this, we hesitate to confirm that these remarkable donations for £27,000 will be enough to fund the entire construction. There are likely to be hidden costs as well as further price increases.

Our prayers and huge thanks go to those who have so generously contributed to this important project, which will transform so many lives!

Donate

To make a donation to help support our communities in Sierra Leone, click on the Donations button at the top of the website page. If you would like your donation to go to a particular project, please state.

Alternatively donate by Bank Transfer 

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

Or send a cheque

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

50 miles of the Pennine Way

We did it! My mum and I started our hike on Tuesday 27July and walked for 16 miles, starting out at Hawes and ending at Tan Hill the location of the highest pub in England.

I had been prewarned that this would be the hardest day of the three, and looking back it definitely was! The weather was beautiful and sunny – windy up on the dales – then poured with rain about three hundred metres to the end. However, the views from each dale we climbed were spectacular, always showing rolling hills and countryside far off into the distance. 

Everyone we passed was incredibly friendly and we often ended up stopping and exchanging our walking aspirations for the day. After the initial “These hills are much harder than the ones we have down south!” it was wonderful to speak to so many other hikers. What was slightly annoying was when we were behind a group for a long while, then saw that we were catching them up - only to then find that they had already reached the top and turned around to come back down!

The second day we were joined by my sister Becky and walked from Bowes to Low Force waterfall. This was a much flatter and easier day, which was perfect for our aching feet from the day before. It started with a bit of light drizzle, but soon cleared up for a lovely day. And we were able to have a lovely cup of hot chocolate on our way through Middleton-in-Teesdale.

For the third and final day, it was back to just me and mum, and it rained the entire time! This time we started in Cumbria and walked ‘home’ to Teesdale, beginning with a ridiculously steep climb straight up into the clouds. As always, this was just as I like to start my hikes – out of breath and wishing I had a pair of wings to carry me to the top, but these were the best views so far. Leaving out from Dufton and making our way back to Low Force, we hiked over a point known as High Cup Nick. A beautiful scar forming a valley looking down into the town. The views would have been clearer if it weren’t for the clouds (but I have no intention of making that climb again just to see them in the sun, I’m sure you understand).

All reminiscence of the hills aside, it was a beautiful three days of hiking for a great cause! The total amount of money we’ve raised so far is £632 and there’s still the opportunity to get in there if you haven’t been able to donate yet. All the money we raise will go towards the Sierra Leone Mission: everything you hear about the missions work overseas and from Bishop Magnus is helped by the money you have given, and we are so grateful. 

A big thank you to everyone who has donated to this fundraiser. Not to mention a thank you to my Granma who drove us to our start and finish points every day, often coming over tiny and terrifying roads. We love you Granma. 

Donations to the Sierra Leone Mission won’t end after this!

by Esther Green

Donate

If you would like to donate to Esther’s fundraising hike, this can be done through a Stewardship account that was set up specifically. Donating with Stewardship is really easy and completely secure. If you are a UK taxpayer, please confirm that you would like to reclaim Gift Aid on your donation. This will add 25p to every £1 you give. The closing date for donations will be 25 September 2021.

Visit the Stewardship fundraising page: Donate to 50 Miles of the Pennine Way

Alternatively, you can donate to the Sierra Leone Mission at any time via our Donations page on The Connexion website.

Please pray for our communities in Sierra Leone, following Sunday’s coup d’etat in Guinea.

Coup leader and head of special forces, Col Mamady Doumbouya announced on Sunday evening that the government has been dissolved, the border closed and a 24 hour curfew imposed. The Guinea president, 83 year old Alpha Conde, is currently being held in military detention.

As a ‘sister’ country to Guinea, the closed border could have a negative impact on the economy of Sierra Leone. The unrest, which follows political upheaval in Chad and Mali, has also heightened fears for other vulnerable states in West Africa. 

Magnus Bendu says: ‘The coup d’etat will have some effect on Sierra Leone business generally, and for politicians also psychologically. It has not yet been evidenced as we go about our normal business. But there is fear that if a similar thing happens here it will be a different ball game altogether as our democracy is far stronger in Sierra Leone. Please pray that such a thing will not happen in Sierra Leone as it will take us far back to our very bad history. Thank you so much for your prayers’.

Click here to read a report published in The Guardian, Monday 6 September

Image of Col Mamady Doumbouya was sourced from The Sierra Leone Telegraph

Work on the interior of the new children's Health Centre in Brama, Sierra Leone is progressing, but the pace is slow due to restricted finances. 

Generous funding enabled the purchase of land in 2019 and the necessary building materials to take the development this far. However, more money is urgently needed. Magnus has informed us that the cost of building materials has risen considerably - and prices are continuing to rise. He currently estimates that a further £27,000 will be needed to make the necessary purchases.

There is a serious need for available health facilities in Sierra Leone and this centre will primarily serve children, babies and mothers. 

Sierra Leone Health Facts

• The child and infant mortality rate in England and Wales in 2018 was 3.8 per 1,000. In Sierra Leone it was 78 per 1,000. 
• Between January and March 2020 in Freetown alone there were 581 maternal deaths. 
• Maternal deaths account for 36% of all deaths amongst women aged 15 - 49 years. 
• Sierra Leone is the most dangerous place in the world to be pregnant. 
• There are only 245 doctors in Sierra Leone serving 7 million people. 
• 1 in 17 women won’t survive pregnancy or delivery. 
• 60% of population live below the poverty line. 
• 1 in 3 people do not have access to clean water. 
• 3 in 5 people live in rural areas. 
• MOST deaths could be prevented! 

The majority of maternal and infant mortality in Sierra Leone is caused mainly by birth asphyxia, prematurity, sepsis and congenital deformity, which can be prevented. 

A pregnant mother-to-be living in a rural setting cannot easily access medical help. Most often there will be an elderly woman in the vicinity to 'assist' with the birth. These untrained women have been identified by the Sierra Leone Government as the primary reason for the country's maternal deaths. This type of support is now illegal, but often when problems occur it is too late to travel to a health facility and usually there is no money for transport or health care.

Once completed the Health Centre will be able to serve communities from 35 villages in the local vicinity. Trained staff will work in the clinic and also support communities in the villages, helping them to improve general hygiene and implementing vaccination programmes. They will also be able to provide post-natal health care for mothers and their babies. 

The YouTube link below shows a video from Sierra Leone, recording some of the progress of the new Health Centre.

Donate

To make a donation to help support our communities in Sierra Leone, click on the Donations button at the top of the website page. If you would like your donation to go to a particular project, please state.

Alternatively donate by Bank Transfer 

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

Or send a cheque

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

Our prayers and thanks go to all those who have enabled this important work to continue. 

The new church at Kamakontakay was filled with local villagers on Sunday 27 June for their Sunday service. Magnus Bendu travelled to the village, which is 160 miles from Freetown and a three hour journey, to preach to the congregation, bringing treats of bread for the adults and sweets for the children.

The church, which is constructed from mud blocks and a corrugated iron sheet roof, was largely built by members of the village community, with support and funding from The Connexion. The premises will be used as both a church and a school for the local children. The new Christian nursery school now has the regular attendance of a small fellowship of children. With the nearest primary school being three miles distant, it is has provided a first-time opportunity for children to attend a school in their own village.

Magnus and his team work tirelessly to serve some of the poorest communities in Sierra Leone, often in far-flung, small villages. Continuing the legacy of the Countess of Huntingdon, and her passion to spread the gospel, The Connexion now has more than 30 churches in Sierra Leone with over 3500 members.

Kamakontakay is a Muslim dominated village to the north of Sierra Leone, and when the first foundations were laid for the new church building, the village Imam joined in prayer for the dedication of the land and building, bringing the whole community together in shared celebration.

Magnus says: ‘We are so thankful for your prayers. It takes faith and passion to step out, mobilise and venture. These villages are poor places with some of the poorest people, and so many things, including food and medicines, are a blessing for them. Our aim is to provide as much as we can'. 

Making a donation 

If you would like to make a donation to support Magnus' Christian outreach in Sierra Leone, please click on the Donations button at the top of the website page. This will take you through to the SLM donations account. We thank you for all donations - large or small - which are vital to our continuing work to serve communities Sierra Leone.