Pastor Sid's Journal

The Journey to Sierra Leone

The journey to Sierra Leone was a stretching experience. I have traveled to a number of 3rd world countries so the sight of poverty and poor living conditions did not come as a shock to me. But Sierra Leone had a certain despair and cynicism that remains following their long and brutal civil war. It feels like a country that is walking on crutches, waiting for its broken bones to heal and every time they go to a doctor (or a doctor comes to them) they're told, "It's going to be a while longer."

And yet...the gospel flourishes and the church is growing.

As the CRC churches in BC contemplate a partnership with the CRC churches in Sierra Leone, it's easy to come up with a number of reasons of how the CRC church in Sierra Leone will benefit from their connection to the wealthy CRC churches in BC, but people aren't always as quick to come up with benefits for the CRC in BC. But we stand to benefit a great deal if we are willing to listen and learn. My friend Dennis who was on our trip recently wrote:

The CRC of BC needs the CRC of SL because

• They know what it means to live day by day from the hand of God and we (I) do not
• They know how to pray out of deep needs and expect God to act and we (I) do not
• They know how to engage others in conversations about faith and we (I) do not
• They really know what it means to invite the stranger in and we (I) do not
• They really know how to sing and pray, with David-like abandon and we (I) do not
• They know what it means to give away a coat because they might have two, and we (I) do not
• They know about fasting and we (I) do not
• They know that time is for people and not for money, and we (I) do not

I need Africa, more than Africa needs me.

To which I say, "Amen Dennis, Amen."

Here's a few pictures from the journey.

 

One must have air conditioning in church!

 

The roads were...umm...awesome...

 

The CRC primary school in Kabala...no bullying here!

 

Lunch will be bush meat...never ask...never!

Sid and John Phiri, CRWM missionary in Kabala...I had to make sure that John knew the "truth."

Leadership Summit Between the CRC churches of Sierra Leone and BC. Standing (from left): Sid Ypma, Ron Geerlings (CRWM GR), Benjamin Koroma, Dennis DeGroot, John Phiri, Albert Strydhorst (CRWM Nigeria) Seated (from left): Dave Mayer, Edison Koroma, Joel Ringma, Martin Contant, Joseph Sesay, MB Jaolloh.