Four heads surrounded the heap of equipment. Things did not look good. The mountain of speakers had produced nothing but a blanket of white noise for hours and with commencement approaching the situation was looking grim. Desperation showed on the faces of the youth leaders as they watched their months of planning begin to slip into oblivion. Suddenly a blast of sound filled the hall with music, leading to a jubilant eruption of praise. Even the repair men were dumbfounded at the sudden restoration of music in the hall. The story of the landmark National Youth Conference of the Christian Reformed Church of Sierra Leone was miraculous from start to finish.
The Youth of CRCSL raised two thirds of their budget, a true mile stone in a church that has been almost totally donor-reliant for some years. The youth worked after school and on Saturdays doing domestic work to complement the individual contribution of Le1000 (equivalent to about 25 cents USD) and 5 cups of rice. The work was not easy nor was it quick, but the conference was worth every drop of sweat shed to pay for it.
The conference itself was a four day series of lectures dealing with redeeming the time in which we live. Each day culminated in a two-hour prayer session covering both domestic and foreign concerns. Additionally the newly ratified CRCSL Youth Constitution was read and discussed by the exiting body of youth executives. This land mark document represents a new wave, a church governed by Sierra Leoneians, not foreigners.
The CRCSL National Youth Conference was a precedent setting event in every way. A new biblically based wind is blowing in the sails of the youth fellowship. If the other sections of the church follow the precedent of the youths the future looks ever brighter for the CRC in Sierra Leone.
Zach Adams
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