Titus Sehwon Namen Biography

Titus Sehwon Namen is my name. I am a Liberian, one of nine children of a Christian couple (Kergongor and Wonyiah Namen). I am one of the first of two pairs of twins in my family. We (my twin sister and I) were born in 1979, a decade before civil war erupted. July 26 is our birthday and it is also our nation’s independence day. I am five feet seven inched tall. A typical West African, I am black with dark brown eyes, dark hair , of course dark everything but my teeth. I am single, still praying and looking for a compatible wife. 

A child of a quiet, respectful, respectable Christian couple, I firmly hold into the basic Christian values Mom and Dad inculcated into us (their children) from youth. I personally professed faith in Christ at eight. Like my father, I am also quiet, sometimes reserved and even shy at other times. But I am sincere, at least sincere enough to tell when I was insincere. I occasionally cause people to laugh, especially when they are already smiling. I like reading, writing, and listening to melodious gospel music. And I hope to someday produce books and songs.

God has called me to partner with Him in His soul-saving business, to join the few workers on the vast and ripe field. What a privilege! As but a tool, I am being sharpened by the Lord of the harvest at the Evangelical Theological Seminary of Liberia, for the sharper the tool, the more effective it becomes. Now a senior student, my desire is to plant churches, especially in rural areas where the gospel of salvation yet needs to be heard. I have no doubt He made, called and is preparing me for this task. He allowed me to become the first person in the history of my generation to complete high school, the only person now getting higher education, the first person to have and be supported by foreign friends. God’s hand is in this! Why? In order that He will equip and use me. It is also my prayer and hope that God will sharpen me enough to sharpen others, for the immensity of the harvest task demands that many personas be made capable to harvest.

Meanwhile, I am working with a church that God used us to plant in a slump community in central Monrovia a year and a half ago. I am assisting the pastor there. I thank God for the opportunities and challenges. I also conduct Bible Studies, and teach the Gio (Dan) New Testament to members of our congregation who are not able to read and write English. Our mission’s class also ministers to ex-combatants turned armed robbers, gangs and addicts.

I am humbly grateful to God that He saved me and that He is pleased to save and bring people to Himself using a nobody like me!

Myers Kaykay Biography

"This is the best time of my life.  For the first time I am not afraid.  I am free to go around and I am getting book.  I just want to keep learning more and more so I can get a good job in the future and worship my God."  exclaimed Myers Kaykay after being asked what he wanted the world to know about him.  Myers makes this exclamation after a life full of hardship beyond most American's ability to endure.   His life is still hard; however, for the first time it is free of fear!  Even as he spent the last three months homeless, he remained happy that he could eat every day, have a place to wash his clothes and go to school (school is what Myer's meant when he said he is getting 'book').  Recently, Myer's took a small loan from us (the total of $5) in order to make a mat shack for himself.  He repays us $.25 every week which gives him a sense of ownership and responsibility - he loves it!  And with that $5 he has made a really nice spot to lay his head.  It is warm, clean and is always there!  But how does one get to the place where he can rejoice over such basic things?  It was not 'easy-oh'!  

Myers Kaykay was born in 1988 in a small Gbain village.  His father (Mohammad) was a Muslim man and his mother (Esther) was a Christian woman.  Myer's has fond memories of working in the rice fields in his village.  Included in these fond memories was the times where the lice on his head would be so bad because of the fields that he and his mom would sit by a tree and she would pick at and wash his little head.  This intimate time with a mother (who never looked down on him for such a condition) means so much to Myers now as he thinks of how much he misses her.  "On the hot, hot days my mom would draw water and bring me a drink in the fields, " he recalled with a smile.  The littlest acts of kindness were not taken for granted by this young boy.  And young he was!  He began working in the rice fields when he was 5 years old.  Yet, he loved his life.  To him work was his fun!    While Myer's worked hard in the fields his mother worked hard at her own learning.  She became a qualified teacher and took an interest in teaching the children around her.

However, like so many lives in West Africa, Myer's was turned upside down in the 1990 war.  As the soldiers came rummaging through the villages, his father fled to the city for refuge and Myers hid in the jungles with his mom and sister.  On the return home from the city, Mohammad did not pass the 'proper Liberian accent test' at the check point and was executed on the spot.  Myer's mother's education no longer was welcomed and the others in the village grew jealous and despised her.  Just a short time after losing his father, he saw that his mother was 'witched'  (this means she was poisoned by those who practice witchcraft).  For 2 1/2 weeks, Esther's belly swelled bigger and bigger as the pain increased more and more before it took her life.  Myer's says that he will never forget seeing what she went through.  It grieves him still with an emotion many here refuse to show.  Myer's sister, Cecile stayed in the village long enough to bury their mother before escaping to Firestone with her brother.  

Myer's began the 21centery living in a stranger's home in a strange town far away from the Basa country he was used to.  However, his sister made sure he always had food to eat and a place to lay his head.  Even for a short time, Cecile arranged Myer's to sell for a man who agreed to send Myer's to school.  For 1/2 a year Myers attended night classes in Firestone.  Though this was the first time in his life he ever attended school, he was well on his way with knowing how to read and write because of the training his own mother gave him.  Yet, once again, that wonderful gift did not last. 
 
Late one evening, the man who was paying for the schooling had his house broke into by a gang of armed robbers.  They took 'everything' out of the house and beat the man with machetes.  Since all the 'goods' for selling were taken and all the money in order to buy more goods, Myers was out a job and school.  The man himself did not have a means to support his family, let alone help another.  Things were not easy for Cecile any other to support her brother so Myer's was sent to his uncles in the city of Monrovia.  Every day he would go out and look for work. Some days he would find work and then be able to buy food to eat.. however, many days he did not.  After a couple years, his looking brought him to ELWA.  There was news that a new home was being built and perhaps day workers were needed.
 
"I can work here today?" Myer's asked as Gary pulled in to the drive way with a car-full of cement, wood and supplies.  "Yeh, sure," Gary said to the 10th -12th person who came looking that day.  Grab a shovel.  

For three weeks Myer's worked without stopping.  When all the others would take breaks or goof about, Myer's pressed on.  It only took a couple days for Gary to notice his hard work and smile.  He was eager to help and even sang the instructions Gary gave him while he worked.  "Rake the soil and make the ground level..." he would sing.  There were three guys that worked as hard as Myer's and all three were hired permanently after the house was finished.  Myer's only wanted to go to school.  He was thrilled to accept a job which only required him to do light yard work for 4 hours a day; but allowed him to go to a good school every day, eat every day and have all his needs met.  This was especially meaningful when his uncle informed him that his wife from the bush was coming to the city with their 6 children and Myer's would have no place to stay anymore.  Which brings us to the beginning of the story...  

Myer's story is not over yet.  He began going to church but has very little understanding of Jesus.  Weekly, he engages in conversation with us and Enoch about God.  However, he forgets each time of the importance of Jesus.  He definitely has the understanding that he needs God - yet, his understanding that Jesus is the Only Way, Truth and Life is still coming.  We are praying for the Holy Spirit's work in his life so that he might see.  

Myer's story is not unusual in this country.  Everywhere we go we meet people who have endured the unbearable and they are continuing to endure.  We hope to introduce you to a few more... Please pray for Myer's with us...