My name is Pastor Alex Ansumana.  I hailed from the village of Teblahun in the Bumpeh Ngao Chiefdom of Sierra Leone.  I was born a Muslim and became an Imam.  I am a husband and father of 7 children.  I also care for 6 children whose parents are Muslims and unable to supply the needs of the children. 

​

My conversion to Christianity came as a result of having lost three children.  At each occurrence, I would seek the council of elders.  I was taught that each time my wife delivered a baby a witch was devouring my child.  The advice I was given was to consult with mediums and follow their directions.  I did so out of faithfulness to my Muslim heritage and trust in the elders. 

​

During my time in school, I would often hide and join the Roman Catholics at their church.  I once took a pocket bible from a friend.  During my reading of the bible, I learned that my problems would end if I followed Jesus.  Mt 11:28 “Come to me, all of you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Upon hearing of my interest in the bible, my late father disowned me and put me out of the house.  I came to stay with a Christian friend until my father’s anger subsided a little.   After trusting in Christ, my wife, Geelo, and I were blessed with healthy babies.  This helped to lead me to serve God with all my heart and worked to become a pastor.   

​

My mother, uncle, and brothers who still live in Teblahun now look up to me.  They seek support from me even when I struggle myself.  They see the difference in my life and they are coming to the decision that it is because I have Christ in my heart. The entire village is now beginning to see my Jesus and are questioning their heritage and beliefs.  My prayer is that God helps me carry Jesus to their lost souls.  Brother Philip has visited my village many times now and helps to display the love of Christ to them.  Philip is my witness to the conditions and helplessness of the lost souls in Teblahun. 

The name, Teblahun, is a mende word meaning cut it out of your mouth.  The story of the name is a follows: “Our great, great, grandfather was a warrior named Pa Gugbou.  His name meant father grey hair.  He lived in a hut with his family when occupying land in the bush led to many battles.  Many other warriors made several attempts to defeat grandpa to take over his land, his wives, and his children.  One day Pa Gugbou heard that five warriors were on their way to battle with him.  He took his family to the GBonge hills and hid them in a cave.  He left them there to confront the warriors.  The warriors told him that they were going to defeat him and remove him from the area.  His reply was, “Teblahun”, cut that out from your mouth.  He fought bravely and overpowered them. “

​

During the brutal civil war in the 1990’s the rebels entered our village.  They brought with them nearly 1000 men, women, and children they had captured in other villages. We were now all victims to their madness.  They showed us no mercy, killing and maiming for the fun of it.   They even dumped corpses into our well, contaminating our only drinking supply. Everyone suffered as the rebels taunted and laughed at us.  I turned to my fellow Christians and asked them to pray with me for deliverance.   The Lord saw fit to spare us so that we may continue with the work of spreading His word across our land.