Welcome to The Evangelism Podcast, where we explore the joy and power of sharing the gospel with the world. Today, we have a special guest – Pastor Ostranuel Kamara from Monrovia, Liberia. He was born a Muslim and today Pastor Kamara shares his incredible testimony of coming to faith in Jesus after a miraculous encounter, and how God is now using him to reach his own Muslim village with the good news. Tune in as we discuss the importance of evangelism and how God is opening doors for the gospel, even in the most unexpected places.
Connect with Pastor Kamara on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pstostranuel.kamara
Summary:
- Pastor Kamara was born a Muslim in a village near where the evangelistic crusade of Daniel King is taking place. He had a powerful conversion experience and became a Christian after hearing a voice asking him about where he would spend eternity.
- Pastor Kamara’s village is predominantly Muslim, with no churches present. He has been praying for years to bring the gospel there.
- During the crusade, Pastor Kamara’s family members and friends from his village attended and some, including his non-Christian uncle, accepted Jesus.
- Pastor Kamara and Daniel King feel that God is opening doors to plant a church in Pastor Kamara’s home village, which has previously been resistant to Christian evangelism.
- They pray for the Muslims of Liberia to come to know Jesus as their Savior, not just as a prophet.
Transcript:
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:00):
Welcome to the Evangelism Podcast. I’m Daniel King and I’m excited about telling people about Jesus. Today I have a very special guest with me, Pastor Kamara from Monrovia, Liberia. Thank you for being on the Evangelism Podcast. Thank you so much.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (00:16):
It’s a privilege being with you
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (00:18):
This week. Now you and I have known each other for almost 10 years now. You came to my house in Tulsa, Oklahoma 10 years ago, and you asked me to come to Liberia
(00:33):
And you began to pray that God would send me to Liberia. And now because of your prayers, here I am and so excited that you are able to join us for a crusade here in Hun Liberia. And tell me a little bit about how we got connected. We’re both members of the International Convention of Faith Ministries ICFM. And we’ve met each other several times at the conferences that they often have. And one of my good friends, pastor Tom Brown from El Paso, Texas, he actually ordained you. How did that come about? How did you meet Pastor Tom Brown?
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (01:13):
It’s a friend of mine that were following Pastor Tom Brown on to Pastor Tom Brown website. And he loved the teaching of Pastor Tom Brown. And within that time he told me that, look, I see this bishop, I mean pastor at the time, he was not a bishop yet. And then he told me that I think he would like to be connected to him. And then I had opportunity and I just got my visa to go to the US. And then I arrived and it was a senior year, the ordained Bishop Toran as a bishop. And then he sent for me and he received me. And then he said, the law is asking him to ordain me. I was trying to hesitate, but then, and the law told me yes. And then since Tom Brown ordained me, it took a new ship of my ministry.
(02:02):
And then he also introduced me to our CFA International Convention of Faith Ministry. And while we were discussing, because I had a plane and I be praying because I came from Lofa County here district at that time it was a district a time, just maybe 20 minutes to 15 minute drive from here. And it is a Muslim time dominated, no church had ever been dead. And I’ve been praying, oh God, I need men to come and help like a miss call. And then when I was telling Tom Bryan, I said, look, my heart is to take the gospel back to my people. And he said, oh, I got an evangelist that I know. I want to introduce him. And at the time your mom was at his church, your mom and died?
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (02:50):
Yeah, my mother and father were at his church.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (02:52):
They went to visit there and so it was high. He connected us. And you opened an arm to me and you invited me and I flew to Taw and you took me, you took me to your house, you took me to or university. You came in a lot of places to give me some sizing and we discussed and I told you that I want you to come to Li and said we should pray about it. But then the eboard, I came and then Coronavirus came and we couldn’t connect again. But here today you are in and my prayer is,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (03:27):
Well, it shows that your prayers are powerful even though it took some years for me to make it. My desire is to come to every nation and to preach the gospel. And I’m so happy that God has finally brought me here to Liberia. And so I actually didn’t give you any warning that I was coming on Sunday night. I landed at the airport and I remembered that you were in Monrovia. And so I just sent you a text message and called you on the phone and you answered and you said, oh, Daniel King, it’s so good to hear from you. And I told you I was coming here to hon and you decided to come with us.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (04:10):
Yeah, when I saw your text, the first, there was a jaw that hit me because this is what I’ve been praying for. And then later when we did a call and you say, can you come over? Maybe we have lunch, breakfast together. Then we can discuss. And then I was able to get to you the next one. So when you told me about coming to Calon, in fact without plan, I knew it was God timing. So I don’t need to put anything in place because this is what I’ve been praying for all this year. And you are telling me tomorrow morning we’re leaving and I just went to my wife, I said, look, we are soldier. When the loss goes right dead, it remind me of what the scripture talk about, the raptured, when Jesus come, when Jesus come, we’re in you. The Bible said the one that is on the hot stop, we not come down. Yes, we not come down. We not come down. You remediate two will be lying on the bed and one will be taken and so forth. So we are already it. So I told the world that if Jesus will come to rapture his church and I’m on the street, I’m not going to go back to make no plane. So I just thought about, I said, okay, I’m going with
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:28):
Now. It’s really special that you’re here with us helping to do this crusade in this place because you were actually born in a village very near to where we’re doing the crusade. And you were born a Muslim.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (05:43):
Yeah.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (05:44):
Tell me a little bit of your testimony. How did you come to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (05:49):
Okay, about 30 years ago, maybe 32, 33 years ago. I remember when I was 17 years, 17 to 18 years ago when the war was here, we have the classes and the first thing that happened to me in four year district, I’ve not explained it to you yet. In four year discipline, when you came in and they drove the rebel and I came to see a brother, what was there, we were sitting like this and this guy had an arm. One of the rebel had an arm, and then we were, they said up, but we have some civilian here, where are you with arm? He said there was no rhyme was in the arm. And he removed the magazine, we could see no rhyme and he put it back. We were playing with it, but then I was sitting opposite to him. And then I don’t know, his hand touched a trick out and the gun fired going to hold the sun. And where I was sitting right to my stomach and then I don’t know, I can’t explain up to my, he
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (06:48):
Shot the gun right at you?
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (06:50):
Yes. And you weren’t injured. And I saw the chair wore, had a mac, but then actually my spirit left me like I was dead and everybody rushed to me, but they are looking in my stomach. They can’t see no arm. And I’m just waiting to forward and died and I’m looking like that. And I had a trauma for good three months every time I think about it. And I was not safe at that time.
(07:14):
And even the God who God spared your life, and even the rebel God who did that shooting, literally walked to me and said, you are not an honor man. God have you for the purpose. Can you imagine? He was saying that. And then I have to go back to my hometown assembly home from full foia. And then one evening I sat at the back porch of the house and I was just thinking about life. This is a war to country. No school. I was not going to school. Things were difficult. And I started thinking how this life is going to be. And then I heard the voice audibly, if you die, what will you spend eternity. So I turned to see that maybe someone was speaking to me, but I saw nobody and the word repeat the second time and I become trouble. And immediately when I become trouble, then I started talking, okay, but then I think I need to be serious in saving God.
(08:07):
But I thought it was a Muslim way, so I wanted to maybe I was not committed as a Muslim to a certain level so that I went to my uncle. I said, I think I need to be more committed because the voice that I heard, what will you expect in eternity? Hell or heaven. But then just within that time I heard and inward it were leading me. Leave, go back to Monrovia, leave, go back to Monrovia. And the road was black. The rebel was on the window with the gold. So I walked from here almost to Monrovia. Wow. It took me five to six days walking in
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (08:43):
The forest. Yeah, even driving the other day it took us over eight hours driving. So you were just walking through the
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (08:48):
Forest. I’m just walking through the forest wherever there will be a night we sleep. The next day we continue along with my brother that they just threw you down there. One of my brother, the other one, I said, he’s the head of brother. We walked together and my mind was actually going back to Monrovia that since there is war here and then I can go to school, I need to go to school. So let me get to Monroy, go to school. And then when I got to Monrovia, I met my father because my father had already left from, he was living innoVi, my biological father. His brother was here. And then he told me, he said, I’m glad that you came. I want you to go to see Mary. That was a Kelly school and that was a bigger school. Then there’s a lady that told me, no, my church have a school.
(09:32):
Can you attend the school? But then they had a school in the church building on Sunday they have service. On Monday they remove the chair and they do the partition and they had classes. So my father said, that is not a school to the standard. I want to send you to a best school of standard. But I told he said no, because I’ve been convinced. But I think that God orchestrated it that way. And when I went to school, none together was talking to me. She already told the pastor that this guy is a Muslim, he’s coming. So I started going to the school, which was a Christian school, and then she was teaching the Bible and I was not interesting. I don’t want to take the Bible. And she said that you Muslim? I said, yes, I am. And she use the same word.
(10:17):
If you die, where will you spend eternity? Have you ever thought about that? Then it came to me. When I went home, I was trouble the whole night. And the whole night I was trouble. So I became confused like the Bible’s a multi to M in the divided of decision, but the law is near the body’s of decision. So my prayer that I did, that was the best prayer that I ever could do. I said, I want to know if Muhammad is the way of Jesus is the way. That was what was pond in my mind because I was not in the midst of this to I’m a Christian or a Muslim, and then that night is a fair to sleep. And Jesus appeared to me in a dream. He came almost to the cloud and on the open feet and he said, I am the way the two and the alive.
(11:02):
But one of the things that discovered when I look at his face, I could see love and clear for his eyes. And then he said tongue. When I turned him, he said, I saw the wide open feet and I saw people were being tortured, was suffering. And he said, preach to them. And when I opened my mouth to preach, I saw a lot of people were being heal. And I wake up that morning and I went to school and we had a chapel and the cover for and I gave my life, and there’s a peace that came into my heart and the peace I’ve never experienced in my life, all in me was trouble. But I see the peace and the kind. And then I said to Jesus, when I came, I was so excited and tell him, my father said, guess what, today I accepted Jesus.
(11:57):
I’m going to church on Sunday. He said, look, look, look, you may have been deceived by those white people who brought this gospel here. I said, no. So he just left it. He thought I was joking. The next morning I went to church. When I came back, he said, what did you from? I said, I went to church. He said, I told you not to go to church. So we had one of our uncle that live around the, and that Sunday evening they called me and they said, your dad said you went to church? I said, yes. He said, do you know that you’re not supposed to go to church? You are a Muslim. What are you doing? I said, I have seen the truth and the truth will set me free. And he beat me on my head, slapped me on my head. I don’t know where the bone came from. And I said, you can kill me right now. But I have seen the truth and the truth. And Jesus had revealed himself to me and he told me He’s the way, the truth and the life.
(12:54):
And then that high, I will curse out of the house. My father said he was not going to take care of me the game pay my school fee. But Jesus did everything. But the good part about it, after 15 years, my father finally accepted Jesus Christ. And when I asked him, because he walked to my church at the time, I started the church. And then I asked him, I said, what brought you here? He said, something just told me God. And I asked him about, he said, I believe the God. He said, I said, what make you to believe? He said, from the day you walk out of the house and you told me that you are going to serve Jesus, I’ve been watching your life and I see your life. And then there what I know that the scripture will said that you are episo written on our heart, read by every man that when we become a living bible, when people look at the kind of life you live. And I say, I believe because they live, you live. And then my father accepted Jesus Christ as a Lord and personal savior. Then all my sister that was in Monrovia, we had a meeting and he said, anyone want to become a Christian? Follow him. And my father had two wives and I began to talk to him. Now you accept Jesus Christ as a Lord person, savior, you need to marry one wife. And he left the other wife and he married
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (14:18):
The other wife in the church. And we officiated the wedding of my father. I preach and officially the wedding of my father.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (14:29):
And the good part about it, everything he had, he give it with Brenda, all the charm.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (14:36):
He was tying charms around his waist.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (14:38):
Yes. For protection. Because where he was working, they fought each order for power.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (14:44):
So he cut off all the
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (14:45):
Charms, all the juju beads. Yes, all those beads cut it up and I burned it.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (14:50):
You burned
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (14:51):
It?
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (14:51):
Yes. Wow. And so Monday night we had a pastor’s conference in Monrovia
(15:01):
And you brought a group of ICFM pastors that you’ve gathered together. And I preached on evangelism in the importance of going everywhere and telling everyone about Jesus. And then we began to pray for people. And God gave me a prophecy for you. And I don’t prophesy often, but when I hear the voice of God, I speak it out. And so I just felt that God was saying that in your village, that you were born in, that you would start a church in that place. And I prophesied that, expand your vision. You have a wonderful church in Monrovia, and we started talking about the village that you were born in and you haven’t been to the village for 30 years. Yes. Plus. Plus 30 years plus. And so I said, God wants you to plant a church in that place that you were born in because the village that you were born is a Muslim
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (16:04):
Village.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (16:05):
Everyone there is Muslim, Liberia
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (16:07):
Has today. There is no church there. As we’re speaking now,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (16:11):
Liberia has many Christians, but there are pockets of Islam all over Liberia. There are whole villages that have no churches. No
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (16:20):
Churches.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (16:21):
And so even though some people look at the demographics and say, oh, most of Liberia is Christian, there are still many Muslims that need Jesus here in Liberia. And so your village is a Muslim village. And so you hopped in the car, came with us up here to Calon, which is just very near your village. And you immediately started calling your family member saying, Hey, I’m going to be in the area. Can you come to the crusade? Tell us what happened.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (16:52):
Some of them, the first thing that started, I called my sister while we were on the way and I said, I will be in VMA in the next two hours. And she came, she was so excited. She said, I’m going with you to the crusade. Wow. And the next day she followed. And then when I got there, I called my uncle and I called some of my friends and read the tape. And then they were so excited and I told them, this is the emergency trip. I did not plan to come to the village, but I’m going to be to the village. I mean to just maybe a 15 to 20 minute drive. But what happened yesterday? And you prophesied. So when my uncle came, he was so excited. When you pray for him,
(17:39):
He said he fear something that you have never feared before. And when you left, he told me, he said, from today I will be called Pastor Peter, because his name is Peter. He is not even a Christian yet. But he says, I will be called Pastor Peter. He have not yet even said, but when you pray for him. And then he said, I will be Pastor Peter. And I brought Joe to me. And last night when we came back to the crusade, why you were ministering. And I walked down the aisle and behind the profile I call him and we started talking and he told me not, I’m ready now to accept Jesus Christ and his wife. And he accepted Jesus Christ. And
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (18:24):
After the crusade last night.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (18:25):
Yes. And I led him to Christ also world by word. And he told me that right now, if you’re ready to play in a church in ma, our hometown, I’m going to be the first man to be the disciple of Jesus Christ. And then we talk a lot. He was so excited. I could see a joy and happiness on his face that, I mean, I have never seen him. These are people you don’t tell them about Christianity before. And I’ve been praying over 30 years for this village.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (19:00):
Wow.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (19:02):
I go,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (19:03):
This is the younger brother of your father?
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (19:05):
Yes, the younger brother of my father. From one mother and one father. Wow. So you’ve been praying for this village. I’ve been praying for the village for over 20 some old years that Jesus, if I, this morning I received a call from one of the friend that we grew up together and he said, you in, but we heard that you’re supposed to be coming here, but we are waiting to work to do anything you going to do. You want to be part of it
(19:40):
And God have opened the door. I read a scripture yesterday from Psalm 60 verses eight and nine, and God said, who will bring me to a strong city who will lead me to either? And there are strong city taken by the strong men, demon, the strong men, but God is looking for people. So I mean you just an answer, God bring you. This has been the first of it. Come over a decade to have a crusade in Koala. I know foia, it been happening, but in this is the first. So you broke the hatch, you break the stronghold over the ceiling. You have been the first for over decades, even when I was a little child growing up here, we have not seen no crusade like this here. This is the first of his car.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (20:37):
And you were at the crusade last night. Tell us what you saw. What impact do you feel the crusade had?
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (20:43):
In fact, the first thing I saw, the hunger of the people,
(20:47):
The cry was just increasing and increasing. And lastly, when you minister, I could see from the people, they were so hungry. But one of the things that happened is that when a lady came up who been blind, could see for several years, nine could see, and even he was trying to touch your nose. The whole place went, wow. I mean, this is the doing of the Lord. And we believe that you are sin by God. It is our prayer that you come back again because you are just started the fire. You need to come back and keep fleeing the fire. Amen. I’m so happy I’m one of the happiest person on the face of the island. Now I’ve been praying for my village to know Jesus Christ. And now they are telling me if my brother and I, we were discussing, he said He going to give my number to one of my uncle who have access to the learning, that they would make an arrangement to give a land to start a church. Wow. Praise God. It’s a miracle. It’s a miracle. And this is a city, and this is a village that when we were growing up, every missionary that come, they will not accept the missionary. The missionary will go to the next village,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (22:11):
But they
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (22:12):
Will accept you
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (22:13):
Because you’re a son of the village.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (22:14):
They have already accepted me. I’ve been receiving a lot of call that they are ready to accept me. It means that Jesus had opened the door. And guess what? This year when we started the beginning of the year before the watch night, I was praying, and the Lord said to me, 2025 is a year of open doors. I was not looking at either side. I was looking at maybe open door to other nations, other continent. But now I know it’s an open door to my hometown. Hallelujah. Amen.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (22:53):
Well, it’s so exciting to be here. It’s so exciting to be a part of this miracle bringing Jesus to this Muslim village in Liberia. And I believe that the church that you plant will grow strong and powerful and you will be able to disciple your uncle and he will be Pastor Peter. He spoke the prophecy even out of his own mouth before he even became a Christian. But then last night, he gave his life to Jesus. And so God is working here. Let’s just finish by taking a moment to pray for all the Muslims in Liberia. Jesus loves Muslims.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (23:38):
Yes,
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (23:39):
Jesus died for Muslims. And Muslims have great respect for Jesus. They call him the prophet Issa, and they know that Issa does miracles in the Quran. Jesus does many miracles, and I’ve seen all over the world that Muslims will come to Jesus when they see him do miracles. And so let’s just take a moment to pray for the Muslims of Liberia that they would see Jesus not only as a prophet, but also as their Savior. Go ahead and pray.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (24:12):
Father, in the name of Jesus, you said, who will bring me to the strong city? Who will bring me? Father, we make ourselves available. Lord, we thank you for the testimony that Muslims are coming to Jesus Christ. We thank you for this ing. We thank you for your seven Daniel King that you are sent. Father, we know that this is a Macedonia call that will been calling, Hey, we need you. And today here is he. We thank you for using to break the stronghold over the city that today the fire has spread above. Father, I thank you that today my own people are calling for the church for Jesus to be in the Muslim lion. Father, we thank you, oh God, because you have opened the doors and no man will shut the door. I thank you for many who are already hot, been softened because you said the heart of the king is in your hand. You are already soft in your heart. We thank you that my will be saved, my will be delivered. My will be liberated. In the name of Jesus, we pray for all the Muslim in Liberia. We pray for all the Muslim in the world that day. We come to know Jesus. Lord, as you appear to me, appear to them one by one in the name of Jesus. Thank you, father, for saving my people. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (25:51):
Amen. Thank you Pastor Ku for being on the Evangelism podcast. I’m so glad,
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (25:59):
And I want to say this is one of the greatest thing that ever happened in my life to see my people being saved. I’ve been praying. Praise God. Amen.
Evangelism Coach Daniel King (26:13):
Thank you Pastor Kuma.
Pastor Ostranuel Kamara (26:14):
So keep praying for us. We need your prayer. Amen. Amen.
