Jenneith's Visit to Sierra Leone & The Gambia 2
We then made our way back to Freetown on Thursday and were supposed to leave for The Gambia on Friday, but this had to be put back to Saturday because of flight arrangements. This meant that we missed a party the Gambian youths had organised for our arrival. Fortunately we had a member from our group who was able to make it and represent us.
When we arrived in Banjul we were taken to the Trinity methodist church in Serrekunda where we were introduced to the leaders and some of the youths from the youth fellowship. The Gambian youths too were exceptionally welcoming and hospitable to us. I have no doubt that we all made long lasting friendships. We were then given a day by day breakdown of the activities they had planned for our short stay. From the outset everything was excellently organised and planned especially in our honor.
On Sunday we had the church services, Monday an excursion to the roots island, Tuesday, shopping, a picnic and a farewell party to mak up for the welcome one we missed.
The Sunday morning service was held at Wesley Methodist church in Banjul and was a special service as it was also the youth rally. It was very interesting to note that that the youth rally not only included Methodist youth but also Anglican and Catholic, who all performed songs and choruses. The evening service was also a special one because it was the welcome and the installation of two reverends, both as probationer ministers, one in the Bethel Circuit and one in the Serrekunda circuit.
Tuesday morning we went shopping in Banjul with some of the youths as our guides. We went to a picnic on the beach in the afternoon where the youths were racing against the some reverends, and then went to the farewell party in the evening, which was where the representatives from ABMY established the international partnership with the Gambian youths.
The ABMY UK group now holds international partnerships with the Methodist youths of Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Gambia. This partnership is an exceptional way for Methodist youths of different countries to get meet, and fellowship together. It was because of this that we had 3 Ghanaians with us around our tour of the provinces, as the group had met them last year when they went to Ghana. It also meant that the youth desk secretary of Sierra Leone and the newly elected president of the national youth fellowship travelled with us to the Gambia.
The international partnership was explained and explored more on the Sunday evening as representatives from the UK, Ghana, The Gambia and Sierra Leone, were invited to take part on a programme on national television in The Gambia. There was a representative from each country and they held discussions and had to answer questions from the viewers about the work ABMY is doing and why we were in the Gambia.
Because of a cancelled flight back to Freetown we lost a couple days which would have been used to sight see around Freetown and visit some museums. We did however get a brief history as we travelled in and around Freetown. On Friday evening the methodist youths of Freetown, put on a musical concert. There were about ten groups of youth fellowships who performed. Saturday was a free day for us and most of went around different areas of Freetown.
Sunday we worshipped at Zion Methodist church on Wilberforce street in Freetown. This was also Men's fellowship service were there were bible readings and choruses in 8 different languages. Loko, Yoruba, Limba, Fante, Temne, Kroo, Kria and English. The theme was "Uniting all men to praise God".
This was a very good ending to our 3 week trip to Africa.
I hope that I have given you a little insight into what this trip was about. I was very overwhelmed with the exprience every step of the way. This experience will be invaluable in terms of life lessons learned and memories made.
I ask that you pray for the ABMY youths of Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and of course the UK as they continue to go from strength to strength in the good work that they have been doing and I ask for your continuing support and encouragement of the youths in our church and our circuit, that they may eventually form a youth fellowship, which with guidance and help will be very beneficial in terms of strengthing the faith of out Methodist youths and get them interested and invovled in Church, which can only be good for their future and for the future of the church.
Read the first part of Jenneith's trip to Sierra and The Gambia (including The Bunumbu Youth Group) ... Sierra Leone & The Gambia
Jenneith Codrington is a member of Dalston church.