In close consultation with a group of local women, who held three days of prayer and fasting at the new Health Centre in Brama, Sierra Leone, Magnus learned of their conviction that a maternity and ante-natal ward should be included in the Centre, given that paediatrics and maternity care are so closely linked.

With almost immediate response, Magnus has breathed life into this God-given initiative!

Foundations have been dug out and, using bricks that were left over from building the security wall, work has already started on the construction a new maternity unit, which will be positioned at the rear of the main Health Centre.

During November, Magnus and the Health Centre committee have also been interviewing candidates who've applied to work at the Health Centre. They have offered positions to two experienced nurses and are awaiting their response.

Currently, the Health Centre cannot afford to employ a doctor, and the intention is to start out with a Community Health Officer, which is common practice in Sierra Leone.

The plan is to officially dedicate and open the Health Centre on Friday 9 December.

On completion, 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. 

 

Health facts in Sierra Leone

• 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.

Funds still needed

Whilst we are delighted to be able to complete the Health Centre's main construction with utilities, and provide necessary medical equipment, further financial support will still be needed, particularly during the first few months of operation, until the centre is established and running itself. The centre will be invaluable to the local communities, helping to save the lives of children, babies and pregnant mothers.

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

Thank you!

At this year's Conference in October, everyone was delighted to be able to communicate directly with Magnus and Daniel via a Zoom meeting. 

Magnus’ prayer requests for November

Please pray for God's intervention with the state of the economy in Sierra Leone. The cost of living has increased excessively for people who are already living in abject poverty.

Please also pray for those who are sick: Sinnatu Simbo, one of our teachers in Brama, is suffering from stomach pains; Abdul Cargo, another of our teachers at Mabang, is struggling with pain that prevents him from moving around and standing, and has yet to be diagnosed; and Stella Browne, who is suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and other heart-related complications.

Prayer will be welcome for our outreach work at Kamakontakay, Kabala, Kono and Mathoir. We ask for continued support and inspiration for our people who serve as Evangelists and Pastors in these villages, bearing in mind how difficult it can be to serve in Muslim dominated communities.

Please continue to pray for the setting up of the Health Centre in Brama. Our committee is meeting regularly to ensure the commencement of medical services for the local communities by the end of November 2022. Our prayers are for God's direction and provision.

Finally, we continue to pray for political and economic stability in the UK. We pray that God will intervene and help the leaders to put the country's interest above the interests of the political parties and their ideologies.

 

The mammoth task of wrapping, boxing, stacking, transporting, unloading and - eventually – packing up the 40-foot container has now been completed, and it is finally on its way to Sierra Leone.

The container was filled to the brim with shoe bags, books, toys, clothes, shoes, medical supplies, school tables and chairs, mattresses, and more…

We pray for the container’s safe arrival at Freetown and a trouble-free process with its release and transportation to Magnus at Brama, and we very much look forward to seeing photographs of the goods being unloaded.

This year Magnus also has plans to have the empty container adapted to create much-needed additional accommodation.

At the Conference in October, Janet O’Shea was able to share the highs and lows of 2022 in Sierra Leone, and the delegates were very excited to be joined by Magnus and Daniel for a screened Zoom meeting. Thankfully, the technology actually worked, thanks to Ben Quant and Tim Wells drawing on their technical expertise!

The Conference was given an update about the new Health Centre, which should be in a position to officially open this month. And Mariatu sent through a lovely photo of her dressed in a nurse’s uniform, as she begins her second year of training.

It's nearly time for the annual shipment to Sierra Leone of shoe bags, school books, equipment for the Health Centre, and a whole host of other items. The container will be delivered to Redcoat at Crawley on Monday 17 October and transported to the docks on Thursday 20 October. Please pray for everything to run smoothly and for financial provision to cover the shipping costs.

Magnus’ prayer requests for October

Please pray for peace in Sierra Leone. Whenever General or National Elections are announced there is a threat to our peace. Pray that politicians will see reason not to 'fan the flames of war' as a way of luring votes. Because of widespread illiteracy, we have a very gullible population. Elections are due June 24, 2023

Pray also for healing for the sick. Gabriel Kamara from St John’s Church in Goderich has been very sick and has now been diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Gabriel has been a very committed youth worker in the church, as well as a lay preacher and choir leader at Goderich. As it stands, he cannot pay the cost charged for his operation (£1300). The Connexion and Goderich Church have sent letters of appeal around the churches in Sierra Leone, and we ask that you please pray for God’s intervention in this matter. Prayer is also required for Jane Bassie from Fabaina Church. Jane has been feeling unwell, but the cause has not yet been diagnosed.

Please continue to pray for us as we are putting together a team for the new Health Centre. We pray that God will provide us with mission-minded people who will work as unto the Lord – Col 3:23.

Please pray also for God’s provision to continue to raise funds to support our schools and churches and enable us to carry out necessary works to make them comfortable and respectable places for education and worship. Current works include: completion of the roof of the school at Kamakontakay; completion of the roof lintels and roof of the school at Fogbo; completion of the church roofs at Mathoir and Songo Loko and the re-roofing of the weak additional classroom block at Mabang, which was destroyed by the August rain storms.

We join in prayer for the economies of the UK, Sierra Leone and many other parts of the world, praying that God will intervene and restore the past glory of peace and economic development.

Finally, we pray for the Conference of the UK Connexion in October. May God’s name be glorified!

 

Looking forward to the Annual Conference, from 24 – 26 October, it will be great to share news and pictures about the work we are involved with in Sierra Leone. We also hope to have a live link with Magnus and Daniel, which will be very special. I hope you are able to join us.

Abdul

Abdul is coming to the end of his first year at University, and he is currently taking his second semester exams, about which he is feeling very confident. From 30 September, he will be able to take a break until November, after which he will return to Bethesda. Unlike British students, he has not had the benefit of a long summer holiday.

Mariatu

Mariatu is also continuing with her studies, and following the same pattern as Abdul, looking forward to returning to Bethesda in November. We feel sure all of the children at Bethesda will be delighted to welcome them both back to their family.

Health Centre and Medical Equipment

Magnus is still hoping for an October opening for the new Health Centre. However, he is experiencing some difficulty in accessing certain equipment needed. The specific items he is seeking are listed below. We pray that with God’s will people from our Connexion Community may be able to locate, buy or donate one or more of these items, which could then be shipped out to Sierra Leone in October with the annual shoe bags.

Medical and Laboratory Equipment Needed

• Haematology analyser (for complete blood count(CBC) or Full blood count (FBC))
• Hemocue machine and cuvette
• Blood sugar machine (accucheck)
• Microscope
• Centrifuge
• Water bath
• Thermometer for fridge and water bath
• Biochemistry analyser
• Timer
• Tally counter
• Incubator
• Reagent fridge (2-8°c)

 Further Request from Magnus

We’d also like to share another request from Magnus, as this may well speak to one of our friends or members of The Connexion Churches:

‘I am really praying for someone with a Missionary mind to serve as Administrator for the Health Centre, either in Sierra Leone or from the UK. It could be someone with medical or no medical background; although the former is best. It could be someone who is retired and want to serve as a volunteer Missionary or the like.

I am really praying for a very honest and committed person with a vision or mission to serve God through this means. Finding such people who will not want to charge huge salary is a big issue for me, but I am hopeful; if we can have someone from the UK to help for just a year, that will be great.

The scenario I have been praying for is to have a Medical/Missionary person from UK who will come and serve for a year and mentor a Sierra Leonean. But this is my thought. God's thoughts are what matters and His ways are ours. We are asking Him and He has promised to give when we ask. He has always been faithful on His part’.

What an opportunity and brilliant experience this could be for someone blessed by God to take on this role!

Janet O’Shea, Chair of SLM, adds: ‘I’ve been on the Sierra Leone Committee now for ten years and I can honestly say that I have witnessed God at work in a way that I have never experienced before. He is still working His purposes out and we are privileged to be part of them!’

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

Thank you!

 

We are delighted to announce that the new Health Centre in Brama now has lights! 

Huge thanks are extended to those who generously donated towards the cost of the solar panels. These acts of kindness have made an incredible difference. Members of our community in Sierra Leone have been so overwhelmed by the generosity and goodness of God, forty ladies gathered in the Health Centre for three days in fasting and prayer to give thanks.

This also means that plans can progress for the Centre to be officially opened in October. Praise the Lord!

On completion, 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. 

 

 

A reminder of health facts in Sierra Leone

• 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.

Funds still needed

Whilst we are delighted to be able to complete the Health Centre's main construction with utilities, and provide necessary medical equipment, further financial support will still be needed, particularly during the first few months of operation, until the centre is established and running itself. The centre will be invaluable to the local communities, helping to save the lives of children, babies and pregnant mothers.

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

Thank you!

Our communities in Sierra Leone have made a request for urgent prayer.

The country has suffered from storms with torrential rain during August, which have caused damage to property, numerous flood incidents and flash flooding on major streets in Freetown. There have been at least seven reported deaths in the city, with many more people injured.

Magnus has advised us that our own communities in Sierra Leone have also been badly affected by the storms.

A small building project at Mabang, alongside the church, designed to create more space to accommodate a growing number of children, has been badly damaged. The strong winds literally blew the current roof off and rendered the mud blocks helpless against the rains. When the storms are over, the intention is to construct concrete pillars and re-roof with stronger materials that will provide more resistance.

A similar situation also occurred in Kamakontay. Although most of the building has survived the storms, part of the mud block walls, which had not yet been roofed were washed away in the rains.

In addition, one of our Connexion families in Kono has lost part of their house in the floods. Thankfully the family are safe, but they have had to leave the property and are now displaced.

We ask if you would please pray for our communities in Sierra Leone. And if anyone feels moved to support these situations, please do make a donation. Be assured that every penny donated will be sent quickly and used as intended.  

Donate

To make a donation, please 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, eg rebuilding following flood damage.

If preferred, you can also 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.)

Photograph of Freetown street floods is from The Sierra Leone Telegraph: https://www.thesierraleonetelegraph.com/torrential-rains-in-freetown/

Ibrahim Kabia came to Bethesda Orphanage on Saturday 16 September 2019. This is the story of how he came to be there.

I was born in Ribbi Chiefdom, Moyamba District in the Southern part of Sierra Leone. I was born to very poor parents and there is no school close to my village. So my parents decided to send me to my uncle at Waterloo where I was staying. While I was staying with my uncle, Pa Sorie at Waterloo. I went through a lot of struggle and hunger. My uncle goes out to work as a Motor Bike Rider very early at 4am in the morning. By then I will be asleep and he will not leave anything for me as food or lunch for school. It was only two of us living in the apartment. Sometimes neighbours come to my aid to help with food.

One day in the morning, I thought about this and I wept bitterly. I sat down for a long time and I didn't  go to school on that day. I decided to go out and pick up empty rubbers thrown at the dust bin or dropped along the way by people. By so doing, I help to get places clean and I sell these empty rubbers to get money for food. My uncle knew that this was what I was doing but he didn't care. Once in a while, he would give me food, but at this time he stopped thinking that I am receiving a little money. I was in this life for almost three years and stopped going to school. By then I was not sleeping at my uncle's place anymore. I was sleeping with my friends in the market huts. I was there for two years until September 2019.

I knew about Bethesda through a visit by Uncle Magnus, Mama Janet and two other visitors from England at 11pm near the market where we live at night. At that visit, they brought food and drinks for us and told us about Jesus. Mama Janet spoke and Uncle Magnus interpreted. The food was delicious and they also gave some of us money. I don't know how they  spotted me but I saw Mama Janet and Uncle Magnus discussing privately and then called Uncle Albert who came and interviewed me. He invited me to Bethesda but it took some time before I turned up because I was afraid. I was thinking that they are bad people who kidnap. One day after two months they came to me again and asked me about my living conditions. They sympathised with me and invited me again to Bethesda. This time I went and as soon as I arrived there, I automatically fell in love with the place and I decided to stay. I was welcome by all of the boys and girls there.

When I joined Bethesda, I came as a Muslim. During the morning prayers, I struggled to sing the Christian songs but I learnt them fast. Before Bethesda, I thought Islam was the best religion but now I know that Christianity is the true religion. The first passage that made me to believe in Christianity is John 14:6 which says "I am the way, the truth and the life and no one cometh unto the father without passing through me." I heard this scripture when Abdul, one of the boys in the Centre, was preaching in our daily devotion. I came to the Centre on a Saturday and on Sunday I went to Church. At Church, I was thinking why the Bible says that Jesus is the way to heaven. As I think about this, I also thought that the Quran did not say Mohamed is the way to heaven so I believed that Christianity is the true religion and other scriptures helped to develop my faith as a Christian. Currently I am even preaching at the Church sometimes and they call me Pastor.

I am very happy for Bethesda because my life is completely different now. I am happy and I praise God for my life. Bethesda has changed my life spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. We have been taught in the home that we must be of good character, hard working, study hard and pray at all times. I am highly motivated just like all of the boys and girls. We became even more motivated when Abdul and Mariatu went to the University. I feel there is hope for me and I believe I will repay back to other boys and girls who languish in the street after my education. I am planning to become a Medical Doctor so that I will help to treat sick people and give them a happy life. I thank all of those who have been helping us at Bethesda and I pray that God will continue to provide for you in Jesus' name. 

Sponsor a Child at Bethesda

Bethesda Orphanage in Brama, Sierra Leone was originally founded in 2013 to provide a place for children to come for food. But on one particularly rainy night in September 2013 the visiting children asked to stay, thus beginning the future of Bethesda as a full-time home and sanctuary. 

Today Bethesda accommodates 19 children, who now live in a purpose built home that was constructed in 2016, following a miraculous answer to prayer.

The house is run by Magnus Bendu, assisted by Marie the ‘House Mum’ who takes care of the home, meals and the children’s general needs and James, the ‘House Dad’, who gives the children extra tuition and is responsible for the maintenance of the building. The Orphanage also has a security man who lives on site.

The aim of Bethesda is to rescue abandoned or ‘lost’ children from the streets and give them a secure and loving Christian environment in which they can grow and thrive.

Many of the children are unaware of their exact age, but roughly they range from 8 to 18 years. Two of the older children, Abdul and Mariatu, are leaving to start University, but Bethesda will still remain their home.

Funding the Orphanage relies entirely on charitable donations, much of which comes through the Sierra Leone Mission; as does the raising of additional money to keep the children healthy and enable them to reach their potential.

Sponsoring a child is invaluable in helping to achieve this. The sum of £27 per month gives enough to cover the cost of food, clothes, health care and education for one child.

If you, or your church, would like to sponsor one of the children, please get in touch with Janet O’Shea: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Janet will then send you details of the child you are helping and set up a standing order. Your sponsorship has the power change a child’s life completely, so please do consider.

Thank you!

 

BBC News reported violent protests in Freetown, Sierra Leone, last week over the high cost of basic goods and alleged human rights abuses.

It was reported that at least 20 civilians and five policemen died.

A curfew was imposed on parts of the country following the protests. This was lifted on Sunday.

Calm has now been restored, but fears remain of a resurgence of protests.

Click on the link below to read the full report from BBC News

BBC News Report - Sierra Leone

 

Magnus' Prayer Points for August

• Please pray for the Pastors in our outreach stations in Kabala, Mathoir and Kamakontakay. Because Sierra Leone is in a serious financial and economic situation Pastors face a lot of requests for help in terms of food, health and education. This is more serious in new Churches. Pray for courage for those Ministers to be able to face those circumstances.
• Please pray against another civil conflict in Sierra Leone. The drums of tribal and regional conflict are sounding loud, sponsors by politicians of the two main political parties.
• Prayer is also needed for the sick: Regina Jackson and her husband at Lumley with blood pressure and related issues, Rugie, with myoma (uterine) multiple fibroid diagnosed again, Gibrilla Kamara (Choir Master of St. John Goderich) diagnosed with prostate cancer, and one of our Secondary School teachers at Allen Town with a swollen feet yet to be diagnosed but probably Elephantiasis.

From Janet O'Shea, Chair of SLM

Hi everyone

St. Ives is beginning to fill up now, especially with the children breaking up from school. We have had a stall (or two) running alongside our bookshop which has generated a great deal of interest in Sierra Leone. It has also raised money which will help with the shipping costs in October.

The Health Centre is well on the way to being completed now. Magnus has managed to source and buy 18 hospital beds and he has also bought more furniture and a huge water tank. It is wonderful to hear of it taking shape and exciting to know that soon it will be instrumental in saving many lives.

Mariatu and Abdul have been taking their exams at University.  We sent out money for Mariatu to buy nurses uniform as she will soon begin practical experience in a health centre. If you would like to contact them they are on messenger.

At the end of August a team of us will be heading to Reading to salvage after the festival. Mortimer West are again kindly allowing us to stay overnight at their premises. We will be collecting camping chairs, tents, sleeping bags and anything else that has been abandoned.  When we return to Cornwall we sell the majority of items to raise money for SLM. Why don’t you join us??? If you don’t want to salvage you could always take ‘our haul’ and sell it in your area. That would leave us room to collect more.

It is usually very hot……….. or muddy, it is smelly…..I can’t begin to describe!  The carnage is unbelievable. HOWEVER  it is great fun, it is worthwhile and it is very satisfying.

We have to register those who salvage by mid-August so if you are interested please contact me. I will need the names of salvagers (not children) and the vehicle reg that you might use.  Perhaps you could get a group together or just commit yourself.  Each time that I have salvaged the team who join me are all unbelievers, it’s a great opportunity to witness. Please give it some thought the dates are Monday 29thAugust 4:00pm - 8:00pm and Tuesday 30thAugust 10:00am   -   8:00pm. (We usually leave at 4:00pm to return to Cornwall)  

Time is now getting short for shoe bags, please can I encourage you to ask people to help in your area. Facebook is a great communicator and a wonderful way to promote the Sierra Leone Mission.

With many thanks and blessings

Janet