West Africa Partners
Serving communities in Sierra Leone and Liberia
In 2002 a young man named Saah Joseph met a team of people from Jefferson Baptist Church (JBC) in a refugee camp in Senegal (West Africa). Saah had ended up at this camp after years of running from the civil wars in West Africa beginning at the age of 12 (when his father was executed by rebel soldiers) in his home country of Liberia. At the time of the meeting Saah had just heard that his mother had been shot by rebels in the civil war going on in Sierra Leone (country from the movie “Blood Diamonds”) and needed surgery. JBC provided Saah the funds to return to Sierra Leone and paid for his mother’s surgery.
Several weeks after the surgery JBC was able to contact Saah to check on the condition of his mother. Saah told them that his mother was doing great and that he had started a church in the refugee camp he and his mother were living in. Saah explained that there were many refugee camps and villages with no churches or schools and he wanted to plant more churches and open schools. JBC send a team lead by Pastor Dee Duke to see firsthand what was going on in Sierra Leone. When they arrived, Saah already had started two churches with an attendance of more than 200 people each.
After seven years of partnering with Saah Joseph, his African team, and eight additional churches from Washington, Oregon and California; there are now 25 churches with over 5000 member and 20 schools with over 6000 kids receiving an education. In addition, other projects include 37 fresh water wells, fishing business, agricultural projects, work training projects for adults, restoration of a reservoir, and several clinic and medical facilities.
Since Saah has allowed God to use him, he has been honored by the Liberian Government as the nation’s Goodwill Ambassador for all that has been accomplished there. In addition, in March, 2009, Saah and a team from one of the West Africa Partners (WAP) member churches had a meeting with the president of Sierra Leone, who expressed admiration for the work being done in his country and his interest in helping fund the schools that WAP has started.
Today, Pastor Dee Duke from Jefferson Baptist church and Saah Joseph are still working beside each other with the goal of planting 100 churches. If you would like to be involved in the major work that God is doing in the countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia or you want more information please call (541) 327-2939. We are not looking for financial supporters. We are looking for people that would be interested in traveling with us to the countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone, and then to let God lead you from there as to future ministry opportunities. The need is obvious and the opportunities are limitless.
West Africa Partners are very thankful and excited to be a part of the work that God is doing in the countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone, and we would like you to see first-hand how God could use your faith-based organization as well.