The Evangelist – N’Gardi Bangalee

N’Gardi Bangalee is known as “the evangelist” at COTN in Banta Mokelleh, Sierra Leone. She’s called that because she is one. “I think I cannot only keep the Word of the Lord to myself. I have to share with others,” says fifteen-year-old N’Gardi.

But N’Gardi hasn’t always been so outspoken about her faith. It wasn’t until COTN’s first summer camp in 2004 that the sweet-natured, joyful teenager realized it was her responsibility to tell others about Jesus. She was just eleven years old at the time.

“It made an impact in my life when I went to camp, because their teaching was that God has given us Christians a job to do—to go out and preach the gospel to everybody,” she says.

Since then, this remarkable teen has done just that—taking what she’s learned at camp and her love for the Lord and telling anyone she can.

“Some people haven’t heard the gospel, so I go out and teach and present to them that Jesus loves them, that he died for them,” says N’Gardi. “Especially my colleagues in school. I invite them to church and talk to them. To those who have no hope and to those who think, ‘I don’t have love,’ I tell them that Jesus loves them and cares for them.”

With each COTN summer camp (there’s been three total so far) N’Gardi says she has grown not only as a Christian, but as a leader to her peers as well. “The camps teach us about leadership,” she said. “How to be a leader when you grow up, how to be a leader in your community, and how to be responsible.”

Of course, there’s also fun, games and many chances to meet new friends at the COTN camp, which lasts a week. And N’Gardi can’t help but get excited about the sports. But, she says she most looks forward to learning more about God. When she thinks of all the younger children it will impact, she concludes, simply, “It is so important to have camp.”