Mission Report

Mission Report

Thank you very much for your prayers and support. I finished the first year of my college education at Southern Adventist University. After college, I plan to become a pastor. I am especially, interested in church planting and evangelism in Asia.  

            We went to Waterloo and Freetown, located in Sierra Leone with a group of 14 students from SAU, one teacher, and one ShareHim coordinator. ShareHim worked together with the Sierra Leone Mission conference to plan and coordinate all the evangelistic meetings. Each of us was assigned to preach 19 different sermons at various sites over a period of about two weeks. Freetown is the capitol of Sierra Leone; and Waterloo is the town next to Freetown. Fifteen of us, including the teacher, went every night to preach at various locations. Most of us preached outside in public places for people to easily come and hear us. The average attendance at my site was about 200 people each night. Out of the 200 people, more than 100 of them were visitors. With all 15 sites combined, a total of 479 people were baptized while we were there, and 300 more people have decided to get baptized sometime soon. The team members that went were not necessarily theology or religion majors. In fact, only 5 out of the 14 students were religion or theology majors. The rest of the students’ majors include elementary education, psychology, international business, nursing, and graphic design majors.

The students

Joel S., Rebekah R., Sarah D., Jenny K., Jennifer H., Jacque F., Katie H., Robert H., Daniel F., Kevin F., Sarah A., Stephanie B., Deborah R., and Lizabeth P.

The sponsors

Professor Michael Dant – computer science professor at Southern Adventist University

Pastor David Dobias – ShareHim Assistant Director

           I decided to go and preach in Sierra Leone because preaching 19 sermons sounded very exciting and fun. I have always wanted to preach an evangelistic series. Preaching my first evangelistic series in Africa with a translator sounded very exciting. The local people there were very humble, friendly, and hard-working people. There were not many foreigners in Sierra Leone. So the mere fact of me being in Asian attracted the attention of people everywhere I went. People waved and greeted me as though I was a celebrity because I was a foreigner. The life and culture in Sierra Leone was very different from America. Some of the different things included bumpy roads, spicy food, hot and humid temperature, bathrooms, people carrying things on their head, and handshakes. However, I was able to adapt to it quite comfortably. When I came back to America, I had to re-adapt to my culture again. I miss Sierra Leone.

            The sound speakers at the sites were very loud. Before the meetings started, for about an hour, they played African gospel music over the speakers in a very loud volume. The sound was so loud that I could not even hear myself speak. I had to shout to barely communicate with the person next to me. After about a week of campaign, I was getting headaches from the loud speakers. So, I was about to ask them to turn the sound down. Then, one of my elder shared with me a story. In Sierra Leone, about 47% of the population is Muslim. Many Muslim people want to hear about the Bible and Jesus, but, even if they are interested, if they get caught going to church, their Muslim family and friends would not be happy. The loud speakers were for the people that wanted to listen but are too embarrassed to come to the meetings. Then, one night, an 18 year old, young Muslim lady came forward for the altar call to get baptized. Apparently, she had been listening to all the sermons since the first day from her house. That night, for the first time, she decided to come to the church for the meeting, and she came forward at the end of the sermon, to get baptized. God used different ways to reach people. For the 18 year old, young Muslim lady, God reached her through loud speakers.

          Through the experience, Jesus became more real to me. By preaching every night, I depended and trusted in Jesus more often than before. The enthusiasm and the passion of the local church members inspired me. My view of life changed a lot. Life here on earth is short and fragile compared to the eternal life promised by Jesus Christ. As Christians, we should focus more on the eternal life, and make decisions according to the eternal truths. If I have the opportunity, I will definitely like to go back to Sierra Leone and preach again. People there are so warm and receptive. I have never seen children so hungry for the Word of God. Many children came to me after every meeting to shake my hand and say thank you. Many children asked me to give them a Bible because they wanted to learn more about Jesus. Children are hungry for Jesus and his truth. I was very touched.  

            God taught so many things in this trip to Sierra Leone. Luke 10:2 says, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few…” There are so many souls that are hungry for Jesus and his truth. The sad reality is that there are not enough workers. I am determined more than ever to surrender my life completely to Jesus, and share the gospel to all the worlds. Before the trip to Sierra Leone, I had a burden to spread the gospel to Asia, especially Japan. However, during the trip, I felt like God was telling me to have bigger goals and dreams. Now, I not only have a burden for Japan and Asia, but I have a deep burden for Africa and the rest of the countries in this world. Matthew 24:14 says, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world; for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.” Too many people are suffering in this world. I want Jesus Christ to come back as soon as possible and put an end to all sin and suffering forever. I am convinced more than ever of the urgency of Jesus and his truth. By faith, I am determined to do everything to share the gospel to all the words, so that Jesus will come in my generation, in our life time.

            Once again, thank you very much for your prayers and support. This mission trip to Sierra Leone have truly opened my eyes, and implanted in me a deep desire and determination to spread the gospel to all the worlds. This mission trip introduced me to a new chapter of my life: hopefully, one of the last chapters of my life here on earth, before Jesus comes back again in the clouds of glory with his everlasting kingdom.

            One last thing I learned in Africa that touched my heart. For Christians, there are no good-byes. I may not see my brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone here on Earth, but, I know I will see them again in Heaven. When I left Sierra Leone, I did not say good-bye to anybody there. I just said, “see you later…if not here on earth, we will definitely see each other in heaven with Jesus forever, never to be separated again.” Mission trip in Sierra Leone changed my life forever.

Thank you,

Your brother in Christ,

Daniel Fukuda