In 2010,the United Methodist Church engaged in perhaps the most transformational collaborative effort in history with Government and other NGOs operating in the country to launch a nation-wide distribution of treated mosquito bed nets. The United Methodist Church was assigned to the BO district in the Sothern part of the country. Following a massivecommunity training and orientation of over about 3000 volunters, a house-to- house distribution and actual pinning of treated mosquito bed nets was conducted through out Sierra Leone. The training and orientation program the preceededthe distribution provided and opportunity for the church to actually engage in a face-to-faceinterraction with the various communitiesincluding traditional and grassroot community leaders in ways that we have never experienced before. It was a time of both social and spiritual engagement where both christian and moslim prayers were offered during every meeting and the distribution period. The interesting thing about the distribution is that most of the communities where the distribution was done were moslim communities. The traditional chiefs were deeply impressed with the non-discriminatory approach we adopted in the sence thatin most of these communities, moslimfamilies were the most receipients of the bed nets.
While we were distributing bed nets, the Holy Spirit was at work engaging the hearts of the people. By the end of the distribution process, I received requests from over six communities to establish the United Methodist Churches and health centers in their communities. Of course, these requests carry with them great responsibilities including raising the needed funds to build the churches and health centers and of course I know the next thing they will ask for is a school.
The good news is that while we aimed at healing souls, a miracle was taking place - God was at work using the ministry to win souls at the same time. Together we celebrate the Holy Spirit at work in the life of our denomination.
May you be richly blessed this and every day as you seek to serve God through raising funds for the healing of His other children in Africa.
Bishop Yambasu
Sierra Leone
