From the Road...

(by Patrice Tsague)
Greetings friends,

It is now around 2 AM Monday morning in Freetown Sierra Leone and I’m standing on my hotel balcony looking at the Pacific Ocean while doing some last minutes phone calls and emails before turning in for our last night here in Freetown. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be used by the Lord to impact nations and advance his kingdom on earth. I had a chance to meet with several people who shared with me the impact that BE and Nehemiah/Bethel Sierra Leone has had in their lives and family in less than 1 year since it has been here in Sierra Leone.

• A young Muslim committed his life to Christ though he is facing persecution from his family he is determine to persevere. During this trip we help him get a short term job so he can earn $130 to pay the balance on his school tuition so he can get he can graduation from College and find a place to stay.

• A young man who serve in the Hotel where we usually stay was scholarship by us to attend the BE classes shared how it changed his mindset concerning doing business and he is now planning on starting his own business so he can one day leave the hotel to run his own business.

• A woman shared with us how since BE her business has expanded she is now planning on taking her first trip to London next week to export her products there

• A young man who in the Timber business shared how he now has the opportunity to work with and learn from a large Timber Company in the US. A dream come true. He never thought it could ever happen to him.

• The highlight for me was when we announce the winner of the business plan competition. A young woman who has no mother and father and has build a Beauty Salon for women hair. She held on to Rod Friesen for at least 5 mns praising God and kept saying thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank Jesus.

Yes, thank Jesus for using all of us to help others build sustainable enterprises to transform their lives, community and nation. We will send you pictures later this week.

I arrived here last week Tuesday with Rod Friesen for their first BE Business Plan Competition and Graduation as well I was ask to teach the first National Men’s Conference hosted by Bethel World Outreach Int’l in Sierra Leone. Our trip has been truly rewarding and fruitful. It was Rod’s first time in Africa and he is looking forward to returning again. Here are some of the highlights:

1. Judge the first business plan competition with 13 students presenting their business plans

a. 1st place was a women Hair Styling and Manicure Salon that employs 4 people with several interns - their prize was an invitation to compete in the Int’l business plan competition in 2011 at NPIM Weekend and visit Dudley Corporation the US leading manufacturer of cosmetic products and beauty care for Africa Americans.

b. 2nd place was an IT company – their prize was $100.00 cash

c. 3rd was a high end Fashion and Apparel company - their prize was $50 cash

2. Conducted the graduation during the Sunday service with 21 graduates

3. We conducted a men’s conference for three days on the topic of “How to fulfill the dominion mandate in your Government, Business and Family .

4. Review the loan package with the local team to prepare them to submit the application for their first initial $10K loan to fund at 5 of the businesses with loan sizes averaging $2000.00 each at 12% interest. Our goal is to have the loan fund operational here by Nov 1st 2010

5. We also brought product with us 3 business opportunities for Nehemiah Sierra Leone and the Biblical Entrepreneur students to consider through one of our US partners Affirm Global. They will be conducting a test market of these products to determine its viability in the local market.

a. An agricultural products to increase crop production

b. A water filter

c. A Solar Powered Night Lamp

6. We reviewed the developments of several projects that have been initiated by US Biblical Entrepreneur and GA Repple Advisor Steve Mc Cain. Mc Cain has already conducted two visit here since we brought him earlier this year and brought several people with him. They working on the following:

a. A timber company

b. Coal mining

c. Electricity

7. We attended a monthly meeting with the Full Gospel Business International of Sierra Leone where we shared our vision for country and they have agreed to partner with Nehemiah Sierra Leone to build kingdom businesses throughout the nation

8. We met with the Executive Secretary of the Agro Business Chamber of Commerce and discuss using biblical Entrepreneurship to train over 500 famers to enhance their business skills and create partnership to grow their businesses.

9. We are leaving today (Monday) to return back to the US but we will make a stop in Ghana to meet with a Pastor in Ghana who want to discuss how to bring BE into Ghana. We will arrive in the US Tuesday afternoon.

Please keep us in your prayers for safe traveling mercies. We look forward to being with you next week at NPIM Weekend. Thank you for your continue sacrifice and support to build kingdom businesses around the world.


Patrice Tsague
Chief Servant Officer
http://www.nehemiahproject.org/