Among The World’s Most Hopeless & Destitute

Social Justice Opened Doors

“They’re not trained for leadership and they’re not business savvy, but they’ve got tender hearts that have made them available to serve the impoverished souls of Sierra Leone, West Africa.” Danny Loeffelholz, University Blvd Campus Pastor, Grace Community Church.

According to the Human Development Index, Sierra Leone is the third lowest ranked country when assessing the life expectancy, education, and gross domestic product of it citizens. The Human Poverty Index measures its people as the seventh poorest among the nations of the world. Couple those factors with prolific corruption following a decade long civil war that decimated the nation and erased its last vestiges of hope and what you have is a literal hell on earth.

Those measures alone would lead one to believe that stepping into Sierra Leone is the last place you would find two vibrant, young, American women with promising careers. But that is exactly where Stefani Masten and Amanda Storer have decided to storm hell’s front door, among the world’s most hopeless and destitute.

Pastor Danny Loeffelholz first met Stefani Masten and Amanda Storer at a small group study for single twenty-somethings. “They were good friends who met on the job who had hopes and dreams of going where the gospel was needed most; a place where the message of the saving grace of God available through Jesus would penetrate the darkness,” said Pastor Loeffelholz. No one would have thought it would end up taking them to a country once used by wealthy Europeans to subjugate the weak and pillage the poor for profit made through the illicit trade in humans. As God’s will would have it, their first foray into social justice would take them to a nation full of desperate people, many of whom are forced into the modern-day slave trade to simply survive. That is exactly where they felt God intended them to go, a place rife with opportunity for their skills as Physical and Occupational Therapists to be used for God’s glory. God had other plans though.

Stefani’s first trip to Africa as a therapist on a six-month long adventure on a Mercy Ships mission to Sierra Leone. Her job led her to literally live among the poor in the community in order to identify with them while also providing help and medical assistance. While serving, she came across a young, paralytic twenty-something victim of polio who made purses, by hand, in order to support himself. Not imaging the implications of meeting that young man, she purchased a few purses as souvenirs from her trip to take back home. “When I arrived home, everyone asked about the purses I carried,” Stefani said. “All my friends wanted them. So I figured on my next trip, I would pick up more of these beautiful handmade purses. That is when I first started having dreams of manufacturing the purses for sale stateside and using the proceeds to assist the impoverished of Sierra Leone.”

Her enthusiasm became infectious. Soon, Amanda Storer, a coworker, decided she too wanted to get involved. So together these two simple therapists, who wanted to do good, started praying and making plans. They then started to shared their vision for the people of West Africa with their small groups leader who was also a pastor at Grace Community Church. Pastor Danny Loeffelholz first thought, “They’re not trained for leadership and they’re not business savvy, but they’ve got tender hearts that have made them available to serve the impoverished souls of Sierra Leone. How can I help?”

Help is exactly what Pastor Loeffelholz did. He and Steve Rumpf, the Global Outreach Pastor at their home church, started mentoring them as they followed God’s call to serve. Next thing they know, their vision for ministry is captivating the minds and touching the hearts of their friends, loved ones, and church members throughout East Texas.

They then decided to visit Sierra Leone together, this time to scout out opportunities. Their travels took them to a trade school full of former sex slaves learning how to read, keep books, cater, tailor, and hair dress. This trade school was a perfect venue to serve. The school needed supplies and financing while Stefani and Amanda were looking for a place to pour their lives into for the gospel. It was a perfect fit.

They committed to serve and the trade school committed to helping manufacture purses. The school needed sewing machines that worked, and desks, and, and, and. So Stefani and Amanda started praying and they stood back amazed at the blessing of God poured out to this little trade school half way around the world, in the middle of a destitute country, 70 percent of whose citizens are Muslim.

Many wonder, why are these Muslims listening to the gospel of Jesus being shared? Especially considering two white female Americans are doing the sharing. Stefani answers, “It is because we arrived to help meet a physical need. They listen because they know we truly care. Sharing the good news of Jesus crucified and arisen is much more than telling someone, ‘Be warm and well fed.’ Sharing the news that God came to save is more readily received when we also provide a warm blanket and making someone a good meal.”

When I asked Stefani what she thought about radio host Glen Beck attacking churches for their involvement in social justice causes, she simply said, “People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. This caring opens a door for us to share the multiple and varied blessings of God. We’re not about only meeting physical needs, but also nourishing souls with the life found in Jesus. That’s social justice. That’s the heart of Jesus.”

Stefani and Amanda have big plans for Sierra Leone. Amanda says, “We hope to take teams there to serve. Long term, we hope to have a factory built for the production of purses. We hope to make this enterprise self-sustaining. Maybe we can even add jewelry and tops to the product line. Who knows?”

These young ladies have found out that what they plan isn’t always what God has in store yet they plan.

If you would like to assist Stefani and Amanda in their efforts to serve the people of Sierra Leone, please call the multi-site church offices of Grace Community Church; 903.593.3800. Or email the church office; info@gcc.org.