Worldwide Prayer Meeting November 23, 2023
Prayer Focus: Liberia & Sierra Leone Territory
Sapo National Park - Liberia
Happy Thanksgiving! Those of you living in the United States are enjoying a day with friends and family, set aside to thank God for His goodness to us. While it may be another workday to the rest of the world, we hope that you will find reason to pause and thank God for day filled with His mercy and grace. He is our Lord and Savior, our provider and our everlasting friend. We have every reason to rejoice and give Him our praise!
Prayer
Gracious God, We thank You for the blessing of this day in this place. Whether our plates are full or not, we know that we opened our eyes on a day that You made and You provided for us. There is not a moment in this day that is not marked by Your grace and Your blessing. Thank You for salvation that saved us from sin and gave us new life so that we can see and experience life in a way that the rest of the world cannot imagine. Thank You that we have people around us to love and to care for and who love and care for us. Thank You that You give our lives purpose and meaning. Thank You that we have a mission in this world and until You call us home to Yourself, the moments of our lives are never wasted. Thank You God that in this vast universe we can feel Your smile upon us in this moment. We rejoice in You, the only true God. We praise You through the matchless name of Your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Listen to the youth as they share from the Monrovia City Corps in Liberia.
Background of the Liberia & Sierra Leone Territory
Liberia: Founded by freed slaves from the United States, Liberia was the first independent nation in the continent of Africa in the modern era. It remained strong until fairly recently when it suffered huge upheaval and civil war that left many dead and its infrastructure largely destroyed. This was finally put to rest with peaceful elections in 2005 and the country is slowly recovering. Still, most people live on less than $1 per day.
Liberia has great natural resources that hold great promise for the future once it roots out corruption and its wounds heal. Fortunately, the church is helping lead the way as Christian ministries are once again beginning to thrive. There are challenges from Islam, especially in the north as well as providing guidance to youth – half the country’s population is under 15 years old. There are also problems with animism and sorcery, sometimes mixing with those who claim to be Christians.
Sierra Leone: Similar to Liberia, Sierra Leone was founded as a British colony for freed slaves from the British Empire. Rich in natural resources, unfortunately the violence in Liberia spilled over the borders wreaking havoc in Sierra Leone as well, causing countless deaths and destroying its infrastructure. The diamond mines were exploited but as order has been restored, legitimacy has brought this under control again. The long term damage can be seen by the economic impact of its people averaging less than $1 a day in income.
Christian ministries have been actively involved in bringing healing and in doing so, have themselves experienced revival. Even though the country has been evangelized for over 200 years, less than 13% of the people claim to be Christians. Many former child soldiers have had trouble being reintegrated into life as well as the many girls who were virtual sex slaves to the roaming armies, peacekeeping forces and others. A great deal of healing still needs to happen. The gospel offers a special measure of hope to Sierra Leone.
The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army opened fire in Liberia when it was part of the Ghana and Liberia Territory in 1988 under the leadership of Majors Leonard and Dorothy Millar as the pioneer officers. This, after church pastors had been writing International Headquarters asking them to start The Salvation Army in Liberia. It became a separate command in January 1997. Work was extended to Sierra Leone officially on January 1, 2010 when Captains John and Rosaline Bundu pioneered the work. The Salvation Army further extended its work to the country of Guinea, with the work being officially registered on November 15, 2021 after being opened by Captains Bernarde and Thomas Mbouabani.
Facts, Stats and Leadership of the
Liberia & Sierra Leone Territory
Statistics
- Total population with which to fish and disciple: 13,984,508
- 104 officers, 3 auxiliary captains, 19 cadets, and 365 employees
- 10 retired officers
- 45 corps; 31 outposts and societies
- 7,610 senior soldiers
- 434 adherents
- 943 junior soldiers
Leadership
- Territorial Commander: Lt. Colonels Luka Khayumbi
- Chief Secretary: Major Dieudonné Louzolo
- Territorial President of Women’s Ministries: Lt. Colonel Rasoa Khayumbi
Prayer Requests of the Liberia & Sierra Leone Territory
- For a creditable and successful review to be conducted by the International Secretary for the Africa Zone’s team in November 2023.
- For the Territorial Strategic Plan to be implemented by all in the territory for sustainable development.
- That the Liberia election results will be credible, transparent, fair and acceptable
- For the spirit of patience and obedience among all Salvationists in the territory for spiritual growth
- For more evangelism campaigns to strengthen the growth of all corps and for the increase of more soldiers in the territory
- That there will be constant training to maintain the Army’s standard and reputation
- For God’s divine wisdom in the governance affairs upon the territorial leadership
- For willingness to spend time and energy teaching about giving
- For financial empowerment to implement the development of officers in the territory
For the 35 years celebration of the territory and all the remaining programs in 2023 to be implemented
Schools are a vital part of the ministry and work of The Salvation Army in the Liberia, Sierra Leone Territory
USA Southern Territory Prayer Requests
- Commissioner Kelly Igleheart
- Major Roland Cox
- Social Services Department
- Deirdre Casey, Accounting System & Operations Specialist, ARC Command
- Tyrone Moore, Assistant Human Resources Director, ARC Command
- Ashley Escobar, Mission Specialist for Women’s Ministry, Women’s Ministries
- Captain Jordan Hinson, Director of Mission and Ministry, EBC
- Cadet Danielle Farrington
- Captain Jonathan Needham, Kentucky/Tennessee Division
- Lt. Colonel Brian Davis, Assistant National Chief Secretary, NHQ
- Lt. Colonels Dean & Pam Hinson, officers, soldiers, employees and volunteers of the Arkansas & Oklahoma Division
- Correctional Services
- An anonymous prayer request that God would open up His windows of blessing upon us; request that we would be able to be around to see the children grown and able to take care of themselves.
Something to Consider
The following true story appeared in Reader’s Digest a few years ago. It’s simple but conveys a truth worth considering when we think about being thankful.
When Mrs. Klein told her first graders to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful, she thought how little these children, who lived in a deteriorating neighborhood, actually had to be thankful for. She knew that most of the class would draw pictures of turkeys or of bountifully laden Thanksgiving tables. That was what they believed was expected of them.
What took Mrs. Klein aback was Douglas’s picture. Douglas was so forlorn and likely to be found close in her shadow as they went outside for recess. Douglas’s drawing was simply this:
A hand, obviously, but whose hand? The class was captivated by his image. “I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food,” said one student.
“A farmer,” said another, “because they grow the turkeys.”
“It looks more like a policeman, and they protect us.” “I think,” said Lavinia, who was always so serious, “that it is supposed to be all the hands that help us, but Douglas could only draw one of them.”
Mrs. Klein had almost forgotten Douglas in her pleasure at finding the class so responsive. When she had the others at work on another project, she bent over his desk and asked whose hand it was.
Douglas mumbled, “It’s yours, Teacher.”
Then Mrs. Klein recalled that she had taken Douglas by the hand from time to time; she often did that with the children. But that it should have meant so much to Douglas …
Perhaps, she reflected, this was her Thanksgiving, and everybody’s Thanksgiving—not the material things given unto us, but the small ways that we give something to others.
Benediction
In the spirit of this day of Thanksgiving, may God open your eyes so that you can do something, say something, be something so that someone will be thankful for you. Amen.
And now a final word of thankfulness.