The Saints in Sierra Leone

The small West African nation of Sierra Leone has seen much trouble in recent years. War, poverty, corruption and disease have all combined to create a situation where hope is hard to find. But it is there. Faithful Christians are celebrating the joy of the Lord in a powerful witness to the love of God in spite of circumstances.
Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Sierra Leone for 10 days with an ecumenical team from Georgia. We went under the leadership of Joan Williams of Joshua International, a children’s ministry in Freetown and the surrounding area. The team held a series of leadership workshops for pastors, youth leaders and children’s ministers. We also held children’s crusades in two of the poorest areas I have ever seen.
The most astonishing thing to see is the exuberance and joy shared by the children of these communities, even though they are engulfed in poverty. They have nothing. Yet they praise God and sing and shout and dance with an abandon that defies logic. That is, until you see for yourself that they are filled with the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the assurance of His love.
The team took resources for the Saturday Bible Schools operated by Joshua International. We also took food and clothing to a very special family in the village of Grafton, just outside Freetown.
Grafton is a most unusual place. After the war ended in 2002, rebel soldiers and their families were resettled there. Remember, when you say ‘soldier’ in this context, you are speaking of children as young as 8 or 9, stolen from their homes and brutally programmed to become killers. Additional residents include young single mothers, who were previously held as captives by the various fighting groups and brutally abused in every way, and now raise their children alone.
By God’s grace, the village is at peace. In a unique part of the village we visited the special family mentioned earlier. This section of the village is where all the polio victims live. There appear to be scores of residents here in various stages of the disease. Yes, I said ‘polio’. For those who remember taking Dr. Salk’s wonderful vaccine as a child in the 50’s and 60’s, and grew up believing the disease had been eradicated, think again.
It’s back, and with a vengeance. In countries like Sierra Leone, no vaccination was done for a long time. The disease made a comeback. And now there are people living in Grafton with the consequences of this evil illness every day.
In Grafton, Sister Melrose is an amazing and beautiful person. When you meet her, you know immediately that she is a child of God, dedicated to serving Jesus. She has a small house where she cares for 22 orphans with polio. She is their only family. They have no place else to go. She feeds, houses, loves and cares for these beautiful children by the grace of God. When we met her, it was evident that here was a person who knew her purpose. She heard God say “Who will go for us?” Her answer has been clear. And when the team presented her with food and clothing for the children, the tears of joy were real.
I was struck later, in remembering Sister Melrose, how my first and most prominent memory of her continued to be her dedication to the children, her love for God, and her faith that the Lord will provide. And then it struck me. I remembered there was another quality to Sister that had faded into the background in the light of her love and service to Jesus. Look at the photo here. That’s her in the center. In the chair. She has polio herself.
It is my prayer that God’s grace, as lived in this obedient daughter of the King, will inspire us all to actions which cause us not to be remembered for our earthly infirmities, but for our faith and obedience.
If you want to know more about this work, call me at 404-377-7424. But be prepared to talk for a while.

Joe Hamilton, Associate Director, UMVIM SEJ