IRIS GUINEA / WHAT THE LORD HAS DONE FOR US
I will start by giving glory, thanks, and praise to the Most High Lord God Almighty for what He has done. I am Pastor Sia Elizabeth Tongu, director of Iris Guinea in West Africa.
I answered the call of God in serving street children, orphans, widows, single parents, and to restore hope and preach Christ, the Hope of Glory. In my service, I faced very tough challenges in housing. I was taken to the police and to court. I faced judges and lawyers. I was asked to relinquish the house with 26 children and others who found the house as their only hope and source at that time. I kept asking myself why is it that everyone is against me, even the authorities, who according to law should defend me?
The reason for this persecution, challenges, and attack on me as I may say was because of the huge transformation the Iris home created in the community. The humanitarian services we rendered - feeding gate children, community children, widows, single parents and many more, made many of these benefiters to see the kind of God we serve. They were drawn in by the love shown and counsel we provided, and it gave them the faith, courage, and hope to believe in the Lord Jesus as the Savior.
It was a surprise to later learn the local community authorities, their religious heads and elders conspired against me because they did not want their children or community to give their lives to Christ or the gospel to spread. I had faced many times direct confrontation and attack by their so-called religious heads. They plotted a lot of strategies to frustrate me to leave the community. One time thieves broke into the house and stole many of our possessions and money, and sometimes stones were thrown on the rooftop. They secretly disconnected the pipe that distributes water directly to the house and many times there were problems with the electric pole.
Leaving the house was not my problem. The authorities against me were not my problem. And the attacks and the bad things facing me were not my stress or worries.
My worries and stress were the people whose hope and source of living (food) was attached to our Iris home. The gate children, homeless community children, single parents, etc., who were all surviving through us. This was my cry!
Romans 8:35 and 37, ‘’Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword?... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.’’
That scripture encourages me a lot. As people who are called to change lives, serve humanity, restore lost hope through Christ, and transform generations to Christ, let nothing separate us from the love of Christ and the good works we are doing through our sacrifices or a penny sacrificed to change lives of people from deprived backgrounds.
Galatians 6:9 reads, ‘’And let us not be weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’’ Victory came - in the middle of the waging force from my landlord and local authorities, when on the brink of losing, when my faith and hope was shaking, and with a deadline agreed upon to quit the house. I was thinking of the public humiliation and shame when I’m thrown out. Where could the children sleep and where would our possessions be kept?
When the conspirators learned a deadline had been set for me to leave, they spread the news all over the community that a big disgrace befell me. Under normal conditions, it is not easy to find a house for rent in Guinea. There are agencies that help people get a house, but you have to pay an excess amount. These agencies or people called ‘’Demacher” have caused a huge inflation on rent here in Guinea. They go to landlords and negotiate prices in their favor. The Demachers often give a high price and they also request for a month of rent which is their pay for their service. This is why they negotiate with landlords to increase their rent. People living in Guinea are very well aware of this situation in the country. The conspirators knowing the difficulties in finding a dwelling were happy that I would not find a place before the said date.
In my challenges, nightmares, and tears, the children and I prayed and patiently waited on God to come to our rescue. And suddenly! We were speechless, lost in wonder, with tears of joy and mouthful of words we could not express when our Iris family and people with their pennies contributed thousands of dollars for us to buy land and build a house against the deadline which was given to us by the landlord. We are more than conquerors!
God intervened by providing us with our own house that has seven rooms, kitchens, toilets, and a very big compound which has room for three more houses, a playground, and place to park cars. We are at peace - safe and loved in our new community.
When you think it’s over, there God begins His miraculous work!
I am so honored and grateful to God for the fullness of joy He has given to us and hope restored. We are conquering our new community in our new home called ‘Village of Hope.' One big thing we noticed in our new home is people have started applying the name of our house to the village. When going to our community, people say they are going to 'Coyeyah-town Village of Hope.'
God is good and His steadfast love remains forever! I find comfort in this work He has entrusted to me and to be part of this big Iris family.
My heart is still after the souls in my former house. Some of them have been coming to visit the new home. I am praying and trust God to open a center around my former home to provide meals for the people living there now.
Keep us in your daily prayers as we are striving to provide decent and quality education for the communities where our churches are established.
Thank you for praying for us, thank you for supporting the work in Guinea. We pray you one day come to visit us and to serve with us.
Many thanks! God bless you!