ACTIVITY OPERATION REPORT FOR JUNE 2025
Full Time and the Extended Program
INTRODUCTION
With excitement, we want to continually be thankful to God for yet another opportunity to share with you the report of the Bear Valley Bible Institute Sierra Leone for the past month of June, 2025. With the good things that are happening here, we are very convinced that your (all who pray for us, financially share with us, read our reports, visit us, and consistently wish us well) prayers and our little efforts, coupled up with the biggest factor- God’s help, are the foundation. Therefore, we hold all these with high esteem. In June, 2025, a very successful evangelistic campaign was conducted by the school, the academic activities continued uninterrupted, souls were converted, the graduates and the evangelistic teams on the field persisted in building up local congregations and converting souls. In addition, we had two firsts: first admission of international students and the first admission of another set in the full time program when the current set is still in session. These first things that happened have a lasting positive impact on the church in Gambia where the international students come from and the church in Sierra Leone. While you think on the validity of this statement, more information on this will be supplied later in this report. Please may you be encouraged to keep on reading while we give you more information on the above highlighted activities.
STUDENTS UPDATE
Our 13 full time and 10 part time students held on firmly with their academic and evangelistic activities. Nothing happened to any of them and gratefully, they are all intact.
EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN AND CONVERSION OF SOULS
The administration of Kenema Bear Valley Bible Institute acknowledges the dire need of the Gospel to be preached to the dying souls; hence her effort is always directed to evangelistic campaigns. The month of June, 2025 was not an exemption. Our evangelism was directed to the southern part of Sierra Leone, specifically, Taiama Town. This is not the first time that we have directed our campaign to Taiama. Three years ago, in April 2022, we carried out a very successful campaign there in which 23 souls were converted, 12 brethren were restored and the Taiama Church of Christ was restored back to its usefulness before the Lord. More information is given about the territory of Taiama and the Taiama Church of Christ in our April 2022 report. We would encourage you to please go over or if you have not read it, to please go and read it at our website (www.wetrainpreachers.com). Therefore, just like in April 2022, this year again in June, we decided to launch another campaign at Taiama at the invitation of one of our graduates, Sheku Pessima who serves as the preacher at the congregation. This campaign took place between June 11 – 15, 2025. At the end of the campaign, five souls were converted and five brethren were restored. Apart from the conversions resulting from the campaign, we had three more from our weekly outings, eight from the alumni efforts and nineteen from the evangelistic teams’ efforts. So in total, we had thirty five souls being converted and five brethren being restored.
NEW INTAKE, ENTRANCE EXAM AND INTERVIEW
Because of the dire need for vigorous evangelism in West Africa and for more committed workers in the Lord’s vineyard in Sierra Leone and beyond, our school administration engaged our coordinator, Steven Ashcraft to have another intake though the current final year students are yet in session. For some months or even a year we had been discussing this. Our coordinator, who himself is so evangelistic, accepted the proposal and in fact, extended the discussion to international level. He has been evangelistically working in Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal, just like he has been doing in many other West African nations. So we explored the possibility of bringing committed brethren from Guinea, Bissau, and Gambia to Sierra Leone in order that after their studies, they would go back and claim many souls for Christ. Fortunately for this first adventure, 3 Gambian brethren arrived in Sierra Leone and joined the local students to take the entrance exams. Eventually, on June 26, twenty students wrote the exams and were interviewed. All of them were found worthy and were admitted. It is true that sometimes it can be very difficult to get brethren in the church of Christ who want to add to their knowledge in the Scripture, who would subsequently be committed to evangelism. Yet the Lord keeps on blessing us with students, coupled up with the great efforts of our staff, local congregations and our graduates. Brethren, this new update of a new class truly will be rewarding for the growth of the church in Sierra Leone and Gambia. The fact is, as you get more committed and trained brethren in the local congregations and on the field, there is a high tendency that the congregations will grow both qualitatively and quantitatively. And as our school is heavily focused on evangelism, anyone who passes here MUST be pushed toward evangelism. So where you have 10 graduates, for instance, 8 or 9 must be zealous for evangelism and spiritual matters. If this continues, in the future, many souls will be won and many brethren will grow to maturity. Of course we are not saying that we do not desire to grow from this level that we are as a school. We want our students to acquire high learning skills to handle the Scriptures and share it with others thereby converting them. Meanwhile, we are grateful to God and to the Bear Valley family for what we have yet. The Diploma that we are offering yet is well appreciated!
UNIQUE ALUMNI UPDATES
As you have been updated from our previous reports, our graduates are making some great efforts on the field. Holistically, they have been involved in the following:
· Evangelism
· Visitation / follow-up
· Organization of Church programs
· Edification etc.
We have brought a list of some of them here for the first time with brief descriptions of their individual activities in their localities. Please patiently read on to at least have a little picture of how our graduates are working. This is not an exhaustive list, but it will give you some sort of idea of the graduates’ activities.
Sheku Pessima: Brother Pessimia lives in the southern part of Sierra Leone and serves as the pulpit preacher at Taiama Church of Christ. His little “tent making” is plumbing and uses it to survive economically, especially as his congregation is in the village and almost all of the members are poor peasant farmers. With all this, yet Brother Sheku makes a lot of efforts at his congregation and beyond.
Hassan Fallah: Hassan lives in the Freetown capital and serves the congregation at the Hastings as her Assistant Preacher, Evangelism coordinator and the youth minister. This brother is one of those active members of the evangelism team in Freetown. His work extends to other local congregations around Freetown.
John Fambuleh: Brother John works in the far interior of Kenema District where he serves as the preacher at Tongie Church of Christ. This brother helped in establishing two more congregations around his locality. The road to where he lives is very bad, that is why he does not get visits from us, yet he remains focused and we are connected through communication. He many times complains of inadequate manpower and mobility for visiting the local congregations that he planted and some areas where he plans to plant more congregations.
Jonah Momoh Lansana: Jonah and his family live in Kailahun town, the District Headquarter. He preaches for the Kulula congregation. He is one of the committed members of the evangelistic team in Kailahun. Brother Jonah helps to organize other preachers in the Kailahun District. He is engaged in subsistence farming to survive with his family.
Alex Bockarie: Alex is one of our six graduates from Kono District in the eastern part of Sierra Leone. Out of our six graduates, three (Emmanuel Ansumana, Alex Bockarie and Maxwell Temundor) are living in Koidu town, the headquarters of the District. Alex is one of those living in Kono District. He and Emmanuel are extensively involved in the youth ministry in the District. Brother Alex serves as the assistant preacher at the Koeyor congregation in Koidu town. Because of his engagement with the evangelistic team, he does usually worship outside of his local congregation.
Emmanuel S. Ansumana: Emmanuel lives in Kono and joins forces with Alex to push the Lord’s work there. This brother’s influence has spread all over Kono; he is a young man with a serious focus on the Lord. Emmanuel, just like many of the graduates comes from a very poor background and sometimes this weighs so much on his needs. But he never allows anything to affect him or his commitment unto the Lord. He is greatly involved in the evangelistic work across the District and preaches for a new village congregation at Daama.
Fatorma Kamara: Brother Fatorma is one of the six graduates from Kono (we have 4 in training currently again) who lives outside of Kono currently, though goes there during holidays. He lives in the south, at Bo specifically. He is furthering his education at one of the Colleges in Bo, Njala. But at Bo, Fatorma’s involvement in the work at McRobert Street Church of Christ is worthy of notice.
Patrick Manga: Patrick is also from Kono but lives in Freetown. He went there to learn a skill (plumbing). Just like Fatorma, Patrick is making a lot of impacts at Freetown. Currently, he is the youth minister at Thunder Hill Church of Christ and he is one of the very effective members of the evangelism team in Freetown. He cooperates with other congregations to promote the interest of God. Sometimes when his colleagues at Kono plan spiritual programs, he goes and joins them (the distance from Freetown to Kono is around 270 miles) and afterwards, returns. Though a member of the Thunder Hill congregation still goes to the new congregation at Zara Drive to help build up the new Christians from time to time..
Steven Ansumana: Steven, like Patrick is from Kono but also lives in Freetown currently. He also went there to learn a skill. He is also very active at the Trade Center congregation in Freetown. His work and Patrick’s overlap in the ministry and they are blending well.
Justine Chokpelleh Jr: Justine is our graduate from Freetown. His father is the preacher at Trade Center Church of Christ in Freetown. Prior to his graduation from the Bible school, he worshipped with his parents at Trade Center. Upon his graduation, some of the preachers around Freetown who had begun a mission work at Lungi Airport (known now as Freetown International Airport) where they had established a congregation and had died, approached him whether he could relocate to Lungi to restore the congregation. Justine agreed and relocated to Lungi. Before agreeing, he contacted some of our staff and he was encouraged to take up the work. So while taking care of the Lungi congregation, Justine cooperates with the evangelistic team in Freetown as well as the school here in Kenema. Upon his invitation, the school carried out a very successful campaign at Lungi.
Peter Focko: Peter is one of our nine graduates from Koindu, the home town of the school director, Peter Sahr Makundu and the academic dean, Michael Triyoh. Though Peter hails from Koindu, yet resides presently at Njala, Bo. He is there studying Agriculture at Njala University. While in Njala, Peter helps to coordinate the evangelistic activities of the Mokonde congregation. Currently, the lead preacher is sick, so Peter is the one in charge as an interim preacher.
Joseph Focko: Joseph is our graduate from Koindu. He lives there and is heavily involved in evangelism. He assists the preacher at the Kusedu congregation. He is also involved in the Mission work in Liberia.
Tamba Cyprien: Brother Cyprien is a Guinean who relocated to Koindu, Sierra Leone before being trained at the Bible school. Upon his graduation, he went back to Koindu and dwelt there. He serves the congregation at Yengema as her evangelism coordinator. Cyprien is highly also involved in the development and growth of the congregation at the Yengema new congregation and other congregations around. He actively participates in the evangelistic team activities.
Fayia Nyuma: Brother Fayia, just like Cyprien, is a native of Koindu who works and lives there. While he was with us, he was selected as the Students’ Body Leader. Because of his love for God, even after graduation, he continues to show his dedication to the service of our Lord. That is why he preaches for the new Kpayeh congregation which he together with other brethren helped to plant. He greatly helps to coordinate the affairs of the youths around Koindu and environs.
Nelson Koroma: Nelson works and lives around Koindu and preaches for the Fasedu congregation in the village. His wife helps him greatly in the ministry by being so much involved in the women ministry as well. This fine Christian couple is truly contributing to the growth of the Church around Koindu.
Eric Turay: Brother Eric as well works and lives around Koindu and assists the preacher at the Komendeh congregation. Just like Nelson and others, he is heavily involved in evangelism and cooperates with other local congregations for the advancement of the Gospel.
Romeo Ngainda: Romeo is also an indigene of Koindu who takes care of the congregation at Fandu. He is also a very active member of one of the evangelistic teams in Koindu. Moreover, Brother Romeo teams up with other graduates around Koindu to help initiate and coordinate spiritual programs of the congregations around Koindu.
Victor Sahr Moore: Brother Victor is another graduate from the Koindu community, specifically Dia, who assists the preacher at the Dia congregation. He is one important figure at the congregation and beyond.
Patrick Ngagba: Patrick is one of those brethren whose story looks similar to that of Abraham in the Bible who left his home town by the leading of the Lord to go and live in another community. He originally hails from Fasedu, a village around the Koindu community but relocated to Buedu, another Kissi town where the Church had been established but lacked a preacher. The Kissi tribe in the three countries (Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia) is known for its dedication to the service of our Lord. It is no surprise that Brother Patrick chose to relocate to Buedu to lead the congregation. Brother Patrick’s presence in Buedu has witnessed a tremendous growth of the congregation and has led to the establishment of another congregation at Baoma. Our brother is ever ready to work for the Lord!
Jacob James: Brother Jacob is our graduate from Dia who assists the preacher at the Dia congregation.
Sahr Essah: Essah is our graduate from the Fasedu congregation where he and his brother, Nelson Koroma, another graduate join hands for the growth of the Fasedu congregation and beyond.
Joseph Missailie Jr: Joseph is our Dean of Students as well as the preacher of the Burma III congregation in the Kenema Township. This tells of his total commitment to the Lord. As a member of our school team, it is already established that he is involved in many spiritual activities ranging from mission work, teaching in class, cooperating with other local congregations, pushing others to be more involved in the Lord’s work, etc.
Abu Missailie: Brother Abu is one of the younger brothers of Joseph. Just like his brother, Abu is so much focused on the Lord. He assists the preacher at the Kamanda Street Church of Christ in Kenema. He also leads songs and helps to coordinate the evangelistic activities of the congregation.
Andrew Katter: Andrew is one of those graduates whom upon graduation selected a mission field to work. He lives in Kenema town but travels to Panguma (some 44 miles away from Kenema) every week for evangelism and to take care of the Lord’s Church there. He has been doing this for many years. At Kenema, he is fully involved in the organization of the youths.
Peter Alfred: Brother Peter assists the preacher at Tungie congregation in Kenema District. He teams up with John Fambuleh, another graduate to build up the Tongie congregation.
James Ndoinjeh: James originally comes from the same Tongie congregation as Peter and John but relocated to Freetown. He currently attends the Regent Church of Christ in Freetown.
Amara Saffa: Brother Amara comes from Kailahun Town but relocated to Jengbellu village to take care of the congregation there. At Jengbellu, he also teaches at the village primary school- the medium through which he also uses to share the Gospel. He actively cooperates with other preachers in the District for the spread of the Gospel.
Bockarie Jusu: Bockarie is another of our seven graduates from the Kailahun Township who leads the congregation at Gbalahun. He also cooperates with other preachers from other places, meeting together for planning programs. At his congregation, he does effective evangelism.
John Sengbeh: Brother John, a graduate from Kailahun also teams up with other graduates like Momoh Jonah Lansana, Morie Lahai and Tamba Yambasu to pilot the affairs of the congregation at Kulula.
STUDENT’S AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Daniel Munda
Daniel Munda is a fine young man, who is one of our dedicated students in the final year. He was born on the 4th May, 2004 at the Police Barracks, Kenema District, Eastern Region, Sierra Leone. He is the first of the three children of Finda and Hopender Munda. He and his siblings were raised by their mother when their father died. Daniel grew up in a Muslim home and was introduced to Islam at a tender age. But interestingly, through God’s providence, in 2021, Brother Peter Sahr Makundu went on evangelism and preached to him and his mother. It was in that year that he and his mother were baptized on the same day. Before his baptism, they could call him, Abdulai, the Islamic name that Brother Peter was not comfortable with. Therefore after his conversion, Brother Peter encouraged him and his mother to change his name to Daniel Munda. They both accepted and till today, his name remains Daniel. Brother Daniel registered a speedy growth in his Christian faith; he quickly developed interest for evangelism, song leading and some other aspects of worship. With these developments, he was selected as the song leader and the secretary at the Campus Church of Christ in Kenema where he attends. He is also one of those youths that help to coordinate the affairs of the other youths in Kenema Town. After his secondary school in 2022, he was enrolled at the Bear Valley where he is expected to complete his program by early next year, Lord willing. All in all, we are glad to have a student like Daniel!
APPRECIATION
We want to continue to express our gratitude to this God-loving team of great Brothers Steve Ashcraft, Keith Kasarjian and Mark Reynolds and all the Bear Valley family worldwide, for supporting us again to have admitted another set of students. Brothers, may God continue to uphold you with His mighty hand for what you are doing for the Church in Sierra Leone. In like manner, the Bear Valley administration in Sierra Leone is very grateful to Brother Francis Musa, the Director of Studies in Guinea, for the vision that he had some years ago to have sent us to Nigeria to study God’s word. We are doing whatever little today in the Lord’s vineyard because of His selflessness manifested in us. He and the Niceville congregation in the USA continue to be held dear!
CONCLUSION
In brief, the Bear Valley Administration and the Lord’s Church in Sierra Leone continue to show appreciation to you all for reading, praying for us and for sharing your resources with us so that we can continue to do what we are doing. Above all else, we are all grateful to God for the privilege to be His children
Your brother,
Peter Sahr Makundu,
Director,
Sierra Leone Bear Valley Bible Institute