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Isaac Jammeh

My Christian Journey


This may surprise many of you but those of you who know me personally can testify to this testimony to be nothing but only truth. First, I'm Landing Jammeh, born into a Muslim family (first and the only Christian in my entire family). My parents were practicing and devoted Muslims. My uncle (father's brother) was the 'Imam' of my village (Batendeng Kajara). At a very early age, I lost my beloved mum, and was adopted by my auntie who married 10 kilometers away from my village while my dad remarried and moved to the city. Growing up in the absence of your parents is something not easy and I wasn't exempted. 'Sympathy' was what I grew up with, instead of love. Sympathy may look good, but in reality it is that negative attitude others feel towards you because of certain misfortunes that has happened to you. As the only child of my mum and the first of my dad, my dad wanted me to follow my cousin to Tallinding Arabic School to do Islamic Studies. It was the very wish of my dad for me to be well versed in the Quran and possibly one day be the Imam of my village. When that news got to me at my adopted village (Somita), I rejected it, because: 1. I didn't want to be separated from my dearly and beloved auntie. 2. There was an English Primary School in Somita which I really wanted to attend. It was almost impossible for my dad to accept my desire to attend an English School, but he later did, under the condition that I would do good at Islamic studies which was part of the school curriculum. I didn't fail my dad during my Primary School school days; in every exam I topped the whole class. In fact, I was the first student in Somita Primary School to sit to the Common Entrance on a first attempt and made it to High School. I'm not saying this with pride, but I'm naturally intelligent. During my Primary School days, I had the burning desire to know the Quran and also to speak the Arabic language. Apart from the Islamic Studies we used to have at school, every night I studied the Quran with others (Karanta). Not only that, I had someone who used to teach me the Arabic language. I used to have three different teachers who equipped me to be a better Muslim. During my Primary Schools days, I used to challenge Christians in order to convert them to be Muslims. That desire of preaching the Islamic Faith got stronger in me when I found myself in a High School (Kinderdorf Bottrop), in Brikama. I kept on challenging Christians and demonized Christianity. I remember one of my classmates who wanted to be a Christian yet I took that as my responsibility to stop him as soon as possible by reporting him to his parents. Oh! I was very horrible. During my third year in High School, I got sick which nearly took my life. It all started when I was studying my Chemistry notes late in the night, my door wasn't closed and a strange windstorm blew in, the candle went off. An Instant cold hit me and the rest became very sad and helpless for me. I was taken to hospitals, tests were done on me, nothing positive was diagnosed. With no medical solutions for me in the city, I decided to go back to my to my auntie at the village because I said to myself "If I was to die, let me die under her eyes." It was in the village (Somita), that one of my Christian classmates who was on an evangelism mission, heard my situations and decided to visit me. To be honest, I used to hate him but because he came to see 'sick Landing,' I hid my hatred for him. But little did I know those visits of my Christian classmates would be the beginning of my miraculous healing, and something that would change my life forever. After a couple of visits, my Christian classmate began to preach his Christian God, Jesus and Holy Spirit to me. Although he too was young in the Christian Faith, but the healing power in Jesus Christ he talked about was my focal point since that was my must urgent need. I became very interested as far as healing and good health were concerned. I secretly accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior in August 1993 at a very young age. I kept my new founded faith personal and in secret. After accepting Jesus Christ, I boxed the Islamic materials in my possession and never opened that suitcase again but the 'juju's' and other stuffs I got from marabouts, I put them into the toilet for good. After separating myself for Jesus Christ, I had my first divine dream. In that dream, was the day of Judgment where I and countless people were condemned to Hell. On our way to Hell, I stopped and made U turn. I didn't continue to Hell but I recognized some faces who went. As a new convert and sick too, I was beaten and nearly killed because of my new founded faith in Christ Jesus. Not only that, I was rejected and I had no place to go. I became homeless, going from one house to another. People insulted, attacked and began to call me all types of names. My Christian friends arranged for me to meet one Rev. Jeahwan Lee who heard of my story. After that meeting, Rev. Jeahwan Lee asked me to stay with him at West African Mission in Brikama. Staying with Rev. Jeahwan Lee, many began to say that I became Christian because of school fees, since I lost my dad too when I was still at Primary School in Somita. But the truth was, I had a full scholarship from Brikama Area Council well before I converted, and many of my classmates can testify to this. Not only that, the records are still at Bottrop and SOS High School, plus Brikama Area Council. I converted to Christianity for these reasons: 1. I wanted to be healed according to the promises in the Bible. 2. I was very curious to know this Holy Spirit my Christian classmate talked about. In the West African Mission, through the prayers of my brothers and sisters in Christ, I was miraculously healed. Although it wasn't automatic but it was something gradual. In the mission, for the first time I began to love the world even though I accepted Jesus Christ. I partied to the extent that many people thought that I was a fake Christian, but little did they know that Christ is very real to me. I learned the Bible under Rev. Jeahwan Lee at the Mission, and how I could understand the scriptures was something amazing. I had never been to Bible School while at West African Mission, but I came out top at almost every Bible Test we did. After many years in West African Mission, I moved out to be on my own but maintained my job at the Mission (this was after my high school). Life began to look differently for me since I had to provide for myself. Two years later, Rev. Jeahwan Lee asked me to accompany him somewhere. On the way, he asked me what I really wanted to be in life, I answered, "Evangelist". He stopped the car and asked me to kneel down and prayed for me. It was in the same year, Rev. Jeahwan returned to South Korea after 30 long years in the Gambia. Life after Rev. Jeahwan Lee left, it wasn't easy for me, and I began to echo Rev. Jeahwan Lee's words, prayer, prayer and prayer. Prayer became my only hope in life, since I had no where to turn to for help, except God. Life became harder, I became a private teacher, and an unqualified teacher at Essau Secondary School. After a year, I left teaching for Forestry, but later left everything because the pay weren't good. I Became jobless, no money to pay rent and sometimes no food. In that difficult situation, I had the choice to go back to my old faith and be with my relatives, but I chose to stay with Christ in suffering and even ready to die in him. It was during those difficult times that I drew nearer and closer to my God. I began to fast and pray. Sometimes I would visit a brother in Tujereng for fasting and prayers. During one of those hard days, a strange and funny giant being appeared to me in my house and wanted to kill me (that wasn't a dream). I was afraid but from nowhere, I heard the audible voice that said...' I am your guarantor in life, he will do nothing to your soul'. After that voice, the giant being disappeared. God in his grace, gave me a very wonderful job in the Gambia. A job that turned my whole life and I loved it too. I used to have friends and the money was coming everyday. In fact, to party, D10,000 plus a week was nothing to me. God had blessed me to the point, I can't remember how many school fees I had paid or students I had sponsored. I cannot also tell how many bags of rice I bought for people or number of people I fed. But there came a time I realized that the emptiness and hunger in me, wasn't about money, but something greater (God). Years later, I went to UK twice, but the last one was the must amazing one. I didn't come with money but it was where I also had a clear revelation of God. In fact ,one Sunday, a guest pastor in the church I worshipped, singled me out from the congregation and said, "there is an Evangelist Anointing on me" this made me remember the desire of my dad, and the prayers of Rev. Jeahwan Lee. I'm not a Super Christian but only a sinner saved by God's grace. So many times, I came to points where everyone thought I was finished but all of a sudden, the same people would hear good news about me. Non-Christians will say there is luck on me, but what they don't understand, I'm walking under divine grace. Some Christians mocked me, saying I'm the worst sinner, but what they too don't understand, God loved me while I was even a sinner. Secondly, they don't understand that God doesn't answer our prayers because of ourselves righteousness. I'm a proud Christian, but I used to have a dark side; I didn't want people to know I was a Muslim, and also my real name which is Landing Jammeh. If I was in the presence of people who knew me, I avoided talks on faith to avoid persecution. But there came a point where I had to be bold in my faith or turned back, but I cannot be silent or be ashamed anymore about my Jesus who dearly loves me. Jesus Christ is very real, He truly loves you as He loves me. He wasn't ashamed to go to the Cross and die for us in order for us to have Eternal life. So, why should we be ashamed of Him? These pictures are my very self. One was me at Tujereng during one of my prayer visits, and the other is also me. God has brought out His best out of me. Never think that someone out there helped me out, it is only God in Christ Jesus who is my very present Help. This God has always being Good to me, and He still is. My whole life is full of God's mercies and blessings which I can go on and on mentioning.

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