2010 GLI Video Report

See our team video reporting on many of the wonderful adventures, relationships and experience had by the 2010 Global Leadership Institute program.

Stories from Sierra Leone, West Africa

One pastor said that he had pastored for 20 years and never planted a church. Because of the challenge we gave the pastors to plant a church, this past year he planted two churches.

One pastor went to a village known to be one of the “most” wicked places in the country. It had a mountain in the village with a demonic presence that demanded a human sacrifice every three months. To make a long story short, while this pastor was in the village for a week, the chief of the village had a dream of a man with blood on his hands. The man in the dream opened his hands and invited the chief to come to him. Through this dream, the chief and the entire village came to Christ. Since there was no church building to meet in, the villagers took the mosque and converted it into a church for the village. That village has now planted two other churches in adjacent villages.

One pastor said that before last year, "if you were not a Christian, I would have nothing to do with you. That was hindering the ministry. But after the Global Leadership Institute last year, I prayed and God has given me the peace to work with Muslims." This past year he now has a group of 7 Muslims who have come to Christ and are meeting in a cell group on Thursdays. He has another group of 5 Muslims professing Christ that are from three different tribal backgrounds who are meeting in a cell group on Wednesdays.

One pastor went to a village that has never had a church. The chief had a problem. The pastor prayed for him and he was delivered. The chief then gave 3 lots of land to build a church. The construction is almost complete.

One pastor said he was a workaholic. He never rested and even almost collapsed in the pulpit. From the teaching last year on the biblical rhythm of rest, he realized he needed to systematically rest. He decided to take one day off a week. His relationship with his wife and children has become "so sweet" this year. He discovered there were negative things happening in his home with his children that he knew nothing about because he was always gone. He is also now in good health. Last year after the teaching on rest and renewal, this pastor asked me to meet with he and his wife and we talked about the struggles they were having. He told me at that time that he felt I had come just for him. (This is the same pastor described in the second bullet point who led a whole village to Christ this past year.)

One pastor came back to his church last year and shared with them the vision to plant a church in an unreached area. A young man came to him and asked him to come plant a church in the village he was from. This village is known as the headquarters for witchcraft in the region. In the past, that village had killed a pastor with food poisoning. When the pastor from GLI heard these details about the village, he was timid about going there. But he said he knew from the lessons given at GLI he needed boldness. So he told the young man to let him go and seek the face of God. The pastor reported, “So I asked God for his strength and grace and I really received something from God: boldness. And I went to the village. I spent three days there and planted a church.” A brother asked him to come to the village next to this one to plant a church there too. These two villages are rival villages in witchcraft, each one boasting more power than the other and using witchcraft against each other. So this pastor went to the rival village and planted a church there too, making two churches that he planted this past year.

Financial Goals are In for 2010

Headlines - West Africa, Sierra Leone and 2010 Global Leadership Institute

Reporting: Dr. John Thompson, All Nations Fellowship, Tulsa Oklahoma

(Thanks to the friendship of Heaven and so many here Tulsa, Claremore, Gainesville, New York and around the World. Thanks friends.)

I am thrilled to report that all fifty pastors have been sponsored for the Global Leadership Institute for 2010! We have reached our goal of $20,000 ($400 per pastor) to provide food, lodging, transportation, and a large bag of rice for each of the fifty pastors who are gathering for two weeks of training. Today the last half of the pastor sponsorships (25 of the 50 pastors) was given through a special love offering taken for these pastors at Liberty Church in Tulsa. Thank you to everyone over this past month and to those at Liberty today who have made a strategic investment in the lives of these fifty pastors. I give great thanks to the Lord for his awesome provision!

I have included a list of the pastors below and would ask that you please pray for the pastors and instructors.

Our team from the USA (including myself) will depart on Tuesday for Sierra Leone. (Each of these team members raised their own support to go.) We will arrive on Thursday in Bo, Sierra Leone to participate in the last two days of training of the new class of 25 pastors. This class arrived last Monday and are being trained by four pastors who were part of the first year of training last year. I have attached a picture taken this week of this 2010 cohort of pastors. On Monday, Oct. 4th, our 2009 cohort of pastors will return for year two of the Global Leadership Institute to be trained by our team.

Thank you all for your heart for what God is doing in West Africa and for your heart for the Global Leadership Institute. Here is the list of pastors and instructors:

Pastors being trained from Sept. 20th through Oct. 2nd:

John Martin Senesie	Michael Moiwo	Peter V. Kainwo
Desmond J. Koroma	Andrew Bundor	Samuel Kenneh
Melvin Kamara-Waggay	Andrew Kallon	James A. Marsh
Stephen James-Foyah	John Conteh	Jonathan P. Marsh
Titus Nguaja	Roselyn T. Freeman	Sheka Dumbuya
Abu Bockarie	Solomon S. Bowen	Denilson Smith
Victor Dayougar	Esther Freeman	Francis Jabba
Afred David Johnson	Paul C. Vah, Sr.	Shadrach S. Amara
Albert Kaisineh

Instructors:

• Gregory Bangura
• Abraham Turay
• Suliaman Kpewa
• Alusine Massaquoi

For the last two days:

• John Thompson, Brian Main, Arlie Whitlow, Ron McVicar

Pastors being trained from Oct. 4th through Oct. 14th:

Gregory Bangura	Abraham Turay	Suliaman Kpewa
Alusine Massaquoi	Abraham Jallah	Alfred Barnes
Artee Joe Wesley	Christopher Kamara	Clarence Kollie
Francis Bockarie	Francis Kamanda	J. Harris Mulbah
John James	Maurice Kponnou	Moses Koroma
Nelson Coulson	Prince Foray	Rebecca Gaye
Simeon Williams	Tatiah Marrah	Tenga Kamara
Thaima Kaloko	Thomas (Sam) King	Timothy Gibson
Titus Zeogar	Washington McGill

Instructors:

• John Thompson
• Brian Main
• Arlie Whitlow
• Gregory Bangura
• Ron McVicar

2010 GLI update

Hello all

Find here the current 1st year students being instructed by some of the 1st year student from last year and Pastor Gregory Bangura. Pray for these pastors below.

John Martin Senesie	Michael Moiwo	Peter V. Kainwo
Desmond J. Koroma	Andrew Bundor	Samuel Kenneh
Melvin Kamara-Waggay	Andrew Kallon	James A. Marsh
Stephen James-Foyah	John Conteh	Jonathan P. Marsh
Titus Nguaja	Roselyn T. Freeman	Sheka Dumbuya
Abu Bockarie	Solomon S. Bowen	Denilson Smith
Victor Dayougar	Esther Freeman	Francis Jabba
Afred David Johnson	Paul C. Vah, Sr.	Shadrach S. Amara
Albert Kaisineh

I will follow up with a post of the returning students / pastors (25) who will be arriving a few days after our team - Dr. John Thompson, Arlie Whitlow, Brian Main, myself (Ronald McVicar) and Gregory Bangura. US portion of the team (Thompson, Whitlow, Main, & McVicar) leave 9/28/2010 and arrive in country 9/29/2010 in Freetown. We will spend the night in or around Freetown, visit our future campus and school, meet with some locals and leaders. We will hopefully be purchasing the programs 1st vehicle (land-rover). We appreciate your prayers, supports and especially prayers as we conduct the transaction for the vehicles and its related tasks.

We are still seeking your assistance to finish raising funding for the 2nd year students - $400 per pastor which also includes a large bag of rice ($43) for them to bring back to their community and will feed a family for one month. Additionally, I am attempting to purchase and / or raise funds for sandals for the 50 pastors costing $15 to $18 each. Stay in touch, smile in our direction, and hope for healing's (inner and physical) as we minister locally with these pastors on Wednesday nights and Weekends.

Fund-Raising Update (Take #3) 2010 Sierra Leone

Friends you are so wonderful and gracious thank you. I thank God for all of you and pray your investment, time and kindness is returned to you in t his season. Your prayers are really securing favor and heaven's sufficient funding of this years GLI program.

I last reported that we needed another $375 to meet the my expense goal for Sierra Leone. This week at least $400 in anonymous donation came in to put my in country reserve over the top. Thank you very much. Additionally, one of you have paid for five bags of rice that will cost of $43 each. Our goal is to purchase 50, one for each pastor to take one to feed a family for a whole month.

A parallel story but represents this kind of heart and joy I have to be able to walk with those Heaven desires to change their destiny is this. I am leading a Shoes for Orphan Souls project for a Rotary Club here in Claremore and this year I believe we needed to double all our previous years of contributions (As I want to take our own shoe project to Sierra Leone next year in 2011). With four days to go for the campaign we have made this goal of 500 pair of shoes. I was walking out of store having just spent all we had collected and needed to buy three more large bags of socks one for each box of shoes (20 pair per box). So I needed about $25 or so dollars. Well walking out of the store, I see a friend walking out of his store (on a Saturday and he is never in on Saturday), and the first words out of his mouth is how much do you need and hands me $25. (Thats what I am talking about.). Maybe through you all we can make at lease 10 more bags of rice and fun at least 10 more pastors. Again thanks for your more than generous partnership. The pastors starting their 1st year being trained by three of the 1st years students from last year and Pastor's Gregory & Agnus starts today. More to come ...

Fund-Raising Update (Take #2) 2010 Sierra Leone

Exciting friends, really. Some one today asked if they could sponsor the Rice to be given the 50 pastors coming to the GLI training. I of course said yes, $43 per bag to feed a family for a whole month. We are still looking for support for each pastors expenses ($400 each).

Regarding my individual expenses, I believe we have $375 to go. So great thanks to all. We have had our hotel arrangement made in Bo, Sierra Leone, West Africa for $25 per night. Last year it cost $15 per night, but this is a new hotel.

Fund-Raising Update 2010 Sierra Leone

To all wanting to know, I started the week off with another $200 raised of the $1,350, I last reported. As of tomorrow, I know of another $350 raised which leaves a remaining balance of $800 for my individual trip expenses for the estimated $3,200 for this 2010 Sierra Leone Global Leadership Institute. I am also up to about 40 prayer supporters which have committed to praying for our trip, the 50 pastors and my ability to be used by God in a unique way during this year's GLI. If you can encourage some others to help contribute towards this last $800.

Dr. John Thompson indicates that we still have a way to go in raising our funds to support the 50 pastors from the five West African countries at $400 (e.g., travel, lodging, and food for this year's GLI; and includes a food gift for them to take back to contribute to their churches food needs). So I ask to see if you or a group of you could support one (1), two, (2), three (3), or four (4) of these pastors. Please and thank you.