Called to be Submissive by Samuel Ibrahim Samura
I was born into a family where both my parents and other family members are Muslim, and our culture demands that you grow up following their footprints. My name was not Samuel Ibrahim Samura, but Ibrahim Sorie Samura. “Samuel” was a name given to me after baptism because I hear and submit myself by hearing the voice of God.
I grew up with both parents not knowing who Jesus is or was, but they preferred to send me to a Christian school to acquire quality education. We had devotionals during school, lead by teachers or fellow students, but I never paid any attention because their teachings were about Jesus. In ninth grade, I finished reading the Quran for the first time. I was appointed as the youngest Imam in our community mosque, which gave me more ego (not knowing who to submit to except those above me in authority). I was under rule and not grace, so I found it difficult to agree with people and refused to back down in situations. I had several encounters with the Gospel, but my strong beliefs in Islam made me not receptive to it. I even drove people out of my area who came to evangelize to us. I had no respect for Christians.
On July 27, 2014, I went on a holiday to visit my Aunt Kadiatu and cousin Philip. I went to support Philip in studying for the West African Senior Secondary School Examination (WASSCE). My aunt had become a Christian after getting married. She and her husband always woke up to pray at 6am, while I went to the mosque to pray. One Saturday, while I was doing the laundry, Aunty Kadiatu was hosting a home bible study, and the teacher of the study looked at me from a distance and asked me, “whose son is he?” My aunt responded, “He is my son.” They sent for me, and the teacher said, “I see an evangelist in you.” I told the teacher that I am a Muslim. The teacher re-emphasized his words, and said “his time is now.”
A few months later, I had a dream. In that dream, I saw myself in a big building with a bright light shining over me and a loud voice saying, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” I neglected the dream the first day. On the second day, I had the same dream. I woke up at midnight to pray about the dream. I explained the dream to my aunt in the morning, and she said, “that is the voice of God.” The third day, I had the same dream. As I prepared to read the Quran, I became blind instantly.
I cried in a loud voice which woke everyone up, but I could only hear their voices. People from the community told my family to take me to church. Even when I was blind, I strongly refused and requested that they take me to the mosque. Aunty Kadiatu accepted my request, and they took me to the mosque. The Imams read all the Surats they knew that should help, but I still couldn’t see anything. The Imams requested that they take me to a witch doctor (Juju Man), but my aunt took me in the evening to the midweek service at their church. As I stepped into the church for the first time, there was a voice saying to me “be still”. The same teacher that prophesized on me saw me and said, “Saul is coming”. The preacher requested that everyone stretch their hands out to pray for me. He said the Holy Spirit ministered to him that I could only get my sight if I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal savior. It was very difficult for me at the time, but I later submitted myself to the Holy Spirit and confessed that Jesus is Lord, and I instantly regained my sight.
My parents never allowed me to return to their house because they heard about me receiving Christ. Everyone in my family shunned me, but I was willing to submit myself to God’s will, and today my mother and sisters are Christians.
I am grateful to God that I am not only submissive to the will of God, but died to self, broken and service-oriented for Christ. At Word Made Flesh Sierra Leone, I have commissioned myself to serve Christ. I consider people who are vulnerable and help people who are in need. Now I travel to slum areas of Kroo Bay with the Good News and take care of youth who are involved in drugs.