Abandoned, neglected and unaccepted are three words that could accurately describe what Mohamed Bayoh experienced at age 16. This was due to his acceptance of Christ and desire to follow Him. Watch how God works; Mohamed’s story is one to hear, following the footprints of redemption, which is the glory of the story through the death on the cross. I had the privilege of watching him closely during our seven day stay in Lungi, Sierra Leone. We served alongside one another and he touched my heart more than any other youthful male there. He is now 22 years old.
Mohamed’s parents are practicing Muslims with a strong distaste for Christianity. His father drove Mohamed out of his home in Freetown, Sierra Leone when he was a teenager and told him not to return. He recalls the specific words of his father: “As long as you’re a Christian, you will not be in this house. If I see you in public, there’s going to be a problem.” You can assume that the “problem” would be something quite more severe than a simple verbal dispute.
With an air of humility and refusal to abandon the spiritual freedom he obtained through his new faith in Christ, Mohamed ventured miles out of Freetown, landing in Lungi. There, he ran into one of Pastor Jacob Gbateh’s elders, who then brought Mohamed to church and explained that he had no place to stay. He didn’t know anyone in Lungi. If you’ve followed any of the previous articles, you won’t be surprised to hear that Pastor Jacob was unhesitant to offer this young man a home to “bring him up in his own way.” He is the pastor for Pure Life Evangelical Ministries and also, a father of 23 orphans.
Mohamed captivated our attention as we watched him diligently, humbly and steadfastly serve the home in which he lived. The main part of our journey there was to execute three nights of revival. Pastor Jacob had obtained a big piece of land on which to build a church, orphanage and hopefully a school. They call this land the “New Jerusalem.” This is the land on which we held the revivals. The members of the congregation built a stage and hung lights the whole way across the land. What fascinated me was that Mohamed slept on the ground in this area each night to watch over and protect the stage and other things on the land for our revival. Rest assured that now, with the orphanage God is blessing them with through Orphan’s Promise, that he is still there guarding the work of his Father’s hands. He has a servant’s heart and as Jacob explains, “He is very, very humble…so humble.” Mohamed is also the sound technician at the church.
In July 2009, Mohamed received word that his mother had passed away. Since and before her passing, his father and mother had split up. This was heavily due to the fact that she wanted a relationship with her forgotten son and the father would not have it. Mohamed attended the funeral and it was no surprise that his father did not come to pay his respect. Mohamed has forgiven his father. His strength of character is known and seen by all of those surrounding him. Jacob is sure he will be a strong leader for the Kingdom.
I had the opportunity of talking with him and also, serving with him in the realm of worship. My husband and I lead with singing and playing the guitar and piano while Mohamed ran the sound equipment. His gracious demeanor and supportive skill really made us feel like a unified team. It was a fusing of two very distinct worlds and we felt more at home than we do in our living room.
I know Mohamed will be an active executioner and helping hand with the project that Orphan’s Promise has facilitated to the people of Pure Life Evangelical Ministries. The youth as well as the children are being equipped with the resources to further their ability to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. It is our prayer that we can continue to drive forward hand in hand with Orphan’s Promise to continue to meet needs in ways that hardly taint our very existence, whether it be monetary support or utilizing the power of prayer.
It really does something when you look into the eye of someone and know his or her history. I would be so bold as to say that deliverance from a broken life apart from Christ is the most poignant experience we ever encounter. The liberation from chains of anger, malice and spiritual imprisonment has been unchained because of the cross. This young man had every reason to battle against the faith and grow in his bitterness, but by the endless and limitless grace of God, he was held tightly in the hand of his Maker. Great things are in store.
