Does your light shine?

I love these inspiring words from Paula Miller, explaining how other people should see the Christians in Brigitte Village. 

Click HERE or on the photo below to view the short video:

Meet Icatu

This is Icatu Kamara.

She was living in Kissi Town, which neighbors Brigitte Village when she converted. A group of women from the Christian church in Brigitte use home cells, much like small groups, to share Bible stories and pray for other women in their homes. This is especially useful in the predominant Muslim culture here, which is welcoming the church and Christian pastors being in the village. But many Muslims wouldn't attend the Christian Church, so home cells share Bible stories in the villages. 

"There are people who wouldn't dare to show up at church, so there's people who go out and witness in the homes," explained Pastor Justus Koroma. 

Icatu was at one of these home cells when the women witnessed to her and prayed for her. Justus is ministering to the whole family, which includes Icatu's husband and four children. Would you pray for this family and for the home cell ministry?  

Meet Mariatu

This is Mariatu Tarawally.

Mariatu and her husband both work in the quarry at a village called Quari, just a few miles from Brigitte Village. Lifegate has a fellowship here, a church that meets in someone's home. Mariatu is learning and sharing God's stories and is suffering some persecution from people in the village. 

Her children are three and four years old, and Mariatu must leave them in the village when she goes to work. 

"As a woman, it is very difficult to break stones," said Pastor Justus Koroma. "They don't have the kind of strength it takes, but it is the ONLY way of living. Most of them want to leave this type of job."

Please pray that Mariatu can continue to receive encouragement from the prayers of her fellowship and that she might find work that will be less of a strain on her family. 

Banana Islands

Out there in the distance, viewed from the shore of the beach in Brigitte Village, are the Banana Islands. 

They span about five miles, end to end. Two of the Islands -- Dublin and Ricketts -- are inhabited and actually tourist destinations. You can charter a boat from Aberdeen or nearby Kent Beach. There's snorkeling in the area, guest houses and a restaurant. Here's the link: http://www.bananaislandguesthouse-biya.org/ and a map of the area HERE .

The point of including this in the Lifegate blog: the vision for ministry work in Brigitte Village includes a guest house, restaurant, bakery, etc. that could create jobs for members of the church to help sustain the church and Christianity in the area villages. Is it possible? One only needs to cast his vision across the sea for the evidence.

Please pray for this vision for Brigitte Village. Pray that others may see the beauty and invest in this area and its people — both financially and in prayer.

Grace's words of wisdom for women

Can you be inspired by the words of a 9-year-old? I WAS! Without a doubt children can speak directly about faith and be extremely in tune with the ways the Bible applies to our lives. Listen to the very important, Biblical message Grace shares about women with the church in Brigitte Village. What a brave girl to write these words and read them!

God got His hand on this!

This week I want to share a little story about how God works. 

I got an update from Paula Miller, who is with Rick at a Bible Telling conference in the states this week. They sought out an author they admire who writes about large movements of Muslims coming to Christ. When they told him that they work in Sierra Leone, he said one of his protégés is from Sierra Leone, and he happened to be there at the same conference. 

So, Rick and Paula were introduced to this man who has a pretty amazing story by its own merit. He gave up being a paramount chief, which is a high position in tribal government in Sierra Leone, because it would mean renouncing Christ. What a bold statement of faith in a predominantly Muslim culture! This guy is cool! 

But it gets better. It turns out, he is very good friends with one of the Lifegate pastors, Jonathan. This man, who just started more than 450 churches in a very "hard-core"  Muslim area of Nigeria, will be returning to Sierra Leone in December, according to Paula. 

They are hoping he will come visit and partner with Lifegate to inspire and encourage their pastors for continued growth of Christianity in the region. How awesome is that! Praise God for that divine intervention! 

I was so excited when I read this update from Paula that I just had to share! Will you please pray alongside the Millers that this will be a valued partnership leading to exponential growth to their ministry that can only be of God? We know all things are possible for Christ, so make this your prayer for Lifegate this week! 

Making headlines

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the latest Springfield's Own magazine featuring Rick and Paula Miller on the cover. If you don't live close enough to buy one (SJ-R office and Barnes and Noble), you can read the story online HERE.

This was not the point of my mission trip to Sierra Leone, but because of my connections to the State Journal-Register I pitched the story. I prayed, held my breath, and the editor replied asking for a cover story, sidebar and lots of photos. Praise God! What an amazing work he did with one small, short trip. I continue to stand in marvel at it! 

Please pray that this story reaches many, that it would create additional supporters and investors for this ministry, that it would result in salvation for even one more lost sheep.