Over a meal, Tristan Liam, an International Mission Board missionary, asked his friend Vennico, “What helps you persevere in your Christian walk despite all the persecution and mockery you face?”
Vennico is from one of the largest unreached people groups in the West African country of Guinea, and he is the only believer in his whole family. Liam asked this question because they discussed Vennico’s visit to his home village where certain family members turned their faces away and refused to greet him, referring to him as a “fool” and “lost.” It is a big deal in African culture to be rejected by family.
“Hearing of the mockery stirred my heart and pressed me to ask the question,” Liam said.
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Vennico gave a profound and inspiring response. “I look to my right and to my left,” he said. “And I realized that I am not perfect. My prayers are not perfect. But, Christ! He is perfect.”
He told Liam how he once lived a reckless, “hedonistic” life, but now, through faith in Christ, he is accepted by God. “I am completely different!” he exclaimed. “Everything about me has changed!”
Vennico has made great strides growing in his faith, and he pointed out how their church in Conakry has been an enormous help and an encouragement to his growth.
Every Thursday, Liam picks up Vennico early in the afternoon, navigating the busy streets of Conakry, the capital and largest city in Guinea, to bring him to his own home. They eat together, sharing dishes Vennico loves, like rice, beans and fish.
“He doesn’t like spaghetti or American fast food,” Liam jokingly revealed.
The meals turn into informal conversations about family, culture and the challenges of living as a new believer in a predominantly Muslim environment.
This story of discipleship doesn’t begin with Liam, though. Vennico first met another IMB missionary on a beach who eventually helped him on his spiritual journey.
How it began
Rees Morgan was discouraged. Here he was in Conakry, serving as a Project 3000 explorer with the IMB.
“I was in the dumps, actually,” he recalled. “I was learning French and was tired of language school. So, I decided to spend a day in my hammock.”
As Morgan walked on the beach, he noticed Vennico holding a Bible. He called out to him, attempting to use his new language skills.
“I don’t speak French,” Vennico replied, and they laughed as Morgan asked him about his Bible. Vennico told Morgan he was a Christian, to which Morgan replied, “That’s great,” and went on his way to set up his hammock to relax.
He spread the canvas, sank into the woven ropes and opened his own Bible to read. After a few minutes, he glanced up and saw Vennico watching him with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
“Do you want to read the Bible with me?” Morgan offered. “Yes, I would love that!” Vennico replied.
They spent that time going through the first four chapters of Matthew and discussing what the “kingdom of heaven” is in Matthew 4:17.
“What’s crazy about that event is, over time of continuing to hang out, he became my best friend,” Morgan said. “We did everything together.”
Morgan invited Vennico into his modest apartment over the next few months for a deep dive into Scripture. In those afternoons, Vennico read, asked and slowly began to understand the gospel.
Vennico attended a Catholic school, where he began to read the Bible, but he did not gain clear understanding. It wasn’t until he met Morgan that the message of God’s Word became more than an abstract idea. It transformed his life, which led to his profession of faith in Christ and baptism.
He and Morgan started a spike ball ministry where they would meet other young men and invite them to a weekly Bible study. This outreach led to a group of eight to 10 people meeting every week.
A new spiritual mentor and close friend
When Morgan’s term in Guinea was up and he went back to the U.S., he made sure Vennico was still plugged into discipleship. Morgan introduced him to Liam, and they became good friends.
“I first saw Vennico at church,” Liam said. “Rees told me about their time of studying the Bible together and how Vennico has a real thirst for God’s Word. I asked him if he would be interested in a more regular discipleship relationship.”
Vennico agreed, and Liam arranged to meet him once a week. The routine soon became a cornerstone of Vennico’s growth as a church leader.
Gradually, members of Vennico’s family are growing in their acceptance of his Christian faith. “About 30% of my family now talks with me,” he said. “The rest still opposes me. It’s a slow progress.”
Liam and Vennico spend roughly two hours each week, dissecting Scripture as well as studying church history, the Reformation and modern missiology.
Vennico began writing sermons, breaking down passages verse-by-verse, and presenting them to his peers. He organized a neighborhood Bible study that meets every Monday night and continued the evangelism ministry he started with Morgan.
Vennico dreams of planting a church on the unreached border between Guinea and Sierra Leone. It’s a vision he shares with both Morgan (who now serves in Richmond, Virginia, ready to return to the field) and Liam (who continues to meet with him every Thursday, feeding his hunger for God’s Word).
What began as a walk on the beach, seeking a break from learning French, turned into a spiritual mentoring involving two IMB missionaries and a former Muslim seeking to understand the Bible. Pray that the fellowship of these three men may result in a church plant in an area of the world filled with lost people who need to hear the gospel.
Names have been changed for security.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chris Doyle and originally published by the International Mission Board.
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