Ebola-Free!

For the last year, the Ebola crisis has plagued Sierra Leone, which has claimed over 11,000 lives in West Africa. This crisis has had very negative economic effects on Sierra Leone and our village of Rogbere has been affected by this crisis as well. Due to strict quarantine regulations necessitated by the Ebola virus, villages like Rogbere have not been able to attend vital agriculture trainings and to farm as they desire.

We also haven’t been able to have very much contact with the village because of the Ebola crisis. From the beginning of this partnership, we have hoped to send short-term mission teams to Rogbere to build relationships with the villagers, assess additional needs that they might have, and to share with them why we are doing what we are doing (Jesus!).

I am now pleased to report that Rogbere’s district in Sierra Leone has gone long enough without a new Ebola case that they are considered Ebola-free. 40 days is considered to be the time when a district is safe, and they are now beyond that. We can praise God for this while continuing to pray for a complete resolution to this crisis.

The current map of Ebola cases in West Africa

Because of the improvement in the Ebola crisis, George Beals, who oversees Village Partnerships at World Hope International, has informed us that they are ready to start sending short term mission teams into Sierra Leone. We are looking forward to being able to go and visit Rogbere sometime early in 2016!

Faith and Rogbere

Breakdown

In the nation as a whole, 63 percent of the population is Muslim and 16 percent are Christian, which puts Christianity significantly in the minority. The same is true of the region that includes Rogbere. Islam is the primary religion in this area, and there are few Christians. Most of the villages in the area do not have any Christians.

Attitude towards Christianity

Although Christians are in the minority, they do not experience hostile treatment from local Muslims; they have coexisted peacefully. Christian activities have not been hampered by any Islamic group or sect in these villages. It has even been expressed that if a woman or child decided to leave Islam for Christianity, then they would be given the opportunity to do so.

Church

There is only one church in the midst of the eleven villages associated with the Community Based Organization. 

A Wesleyan Church in Sierra Leone

The local people have made a strong commitment to cooperate with this church in any evangelistic activities. However, it was suggested that establishing a church at Rogbere would not be helpful at this time as it would be difficult to attain membership in such a rural community. Working to establish other social facilities, such as a school and health center, would likely be more helpful at this time. Rogbere is centrally located, so members of surrounding community would be able to access these facilities as well. 

Prayer

God, as this Village Partnership continues to develop, would you help the efforts to reach residents of Rogbere to be fruitful? We also pray that you would raise up laborers from the Wesleyan Church in Sierra Leone, and from our own church as well as we look to send a short-term team.