Staff Highlight: Pastor Charles Saywon
I (Ashley) am excited about these next upcoming blog posts because I have the privilege of introducing you to each of our Hope 4 Liberia Board and staff members! God has blessed us with an incredible team, both here in the States and on the ground in Liberia. We could not have put this together on our own. The bond that we all share is just part of the proof that this is where we’re supposed to be. Together, we share struggles, pray for each other and laugh…a lot!
Today, I am featuring Pastor Charles Saywon, our Liberia Ministry manager.
Charles is a Wesleyan Pastor, with a sweet, loving wife and two lovely daughters and is a huge asset to our team.
He has a strong heart for the Lord and that is evident in all that he does and puts his hands to. He is compassionate towards lost souls, and has a go-getter personality with a laugh that comes easily and a voice that prays mightily. We are grateful that he joined our family and team.
I took the time to ask Pastor Charles a list of questions in order to help you get a better glimpse into who this man is.
Question #1. “What are you most passionate about?“
- Pastor Charles said, without any hesitation, that spreading gospel was, without a doubt, the thing that he was most driven and passionate about.
Question #2. “When did you surrender your life to Christ?”
- Charles was brought up by his Aunt, who raised Him in the Lord but he never came to the personal conviction of needing a Saviour until 1988. It was at that time that he began living his life for Christ and was baptized. His Aunt continued to be a strength to him, guiding him in his faith until she died in the civil war in 1999.
Question #3. “What do you enjoy doing?”
- In his spare time, Charles enjoys reading. He loves to read scripture and also other spiritually uplifting books.
Question #4. “What do you love about your wife and how long have you been married?” (He seemed to particularly love answering this one) 😉
- When asked this question, I could just hear Pastor Charles smiling broadly through the phone. He told me that what he loves most about his wife, Rina, is that she always smiles and makes him very happy. He said that it is just so sweet and he loves it so much about her. This year they will be celebrating their 20th wedding Anniversary!
Question #5. “Name a time in life that you sensed God’s presence real with you.”
- Pastor Charles said that it was hard to think of just one. Throughout the course of his ministry he could think of so many things that it would fill up an entire book. God has just been so faithful in His life. One instance that he gave me happened between 2007 and 2008. He was attending a church conference and went through some teaching that convicted him of his need to walk deeper in his walk with Christ. He felt the presence of the Lord speaking so real to him and it spurred him on to growing stronger in his faith.
Another instance occurred between 2003 and 2004. His family had been through many difficult times in their lifetime, not always having a place to sleep or money for food but time and time again, God never failed to provide. In this one particular event, he and his wife were walking home, very tired and each carrying heavy loads on their heads. On their way, they were stopped by two strange young girls who offered to take their loads and help them carry it for a little ways. This seemed odd. Charles and his wife had never spoken to or seen these girls in their life and couldn’t understand why they were wanting to help them. After a moment of hesitation, they finally let the girls take the loads and walked with them. When they had just about reached home, the girls told them that they needed to go a different direction and putting the loads down, left. When Rina and Charles turned around to watch the girls leave, they were nowhere in sight; it was if they had vanished somehow. To this day, they have never seen those girls again and still don’t understand what exactly happened, only that God was with them and had provided some respite that was so very much needed in that moment.
I want to end by thanking you, Pastor Charles, for being part of Hope 4 Liberia and part of our family as well. You are such a blessing us and this ministry! God bless you!