DESMOND THOMAS has loved the nations since he was an O'level student in Freetown.

"Geography was my favourite subject," he recalls. "I could sit all night and study; it was a joy."

However, his plans to pursue architecture or geology faded after he watched an evangelistic TV programme which transformed his life.

Desmond describes his religious background as 'Christianity plus tradition'. "It didn't affect my daily life," he explains. "When I listened to the programme, I realised I was not saved. I didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus."

Desmond prayed and his family could see an immediate difference: "They observed that my life changed, and what they saw, they liked - no drink, no smoking, no girls."

For a year Desmond followed some discipleship correspondence courses. A school friend invited him to visit the nearby Pentecostal Bethel Temple.

"It was shocking! People dancing and clapping, going to altar and falling down. But I kind of liked it." He started attending the church and was soon baptised in water and the Holy Spirit.

To his family's surprise, Desmond refused offers of support through Sierra Leone's premier university, Fourah Bay College, and the chance to go to Atlanta to explore architecture: "You don't pray about going to America - America is a yes, yes thing!"

Instead, he attended the Evangel Assemblies of God Bible College in Freetown. There he discovered his apostolic calling: "One of my drives is Romans 15 verses 20-21. I want to build where no one else has built."

Flaming Evangelicals was formed at this time, as a group of like-minded pastors with a vision to evangelise the nation. Soon Desmond realised that the converts needed nurturing - so he planted the first Flaming Evangelicals church, in Kingtom, Freetown. Twenty years on Flaming Evangelicals numbers 4,000 members in the UK and Sierra Leone.

Originally Desmond only came to the UK in 1993 for a stopover. But a bishop back home told him, 'The Lord would have you start a work there.' So Flaming Evangelicals UK was birthed through a campaign in Brixton. One of Desmond's leaders then urged him to visit a community in west London whom he had seen evangelising in Trafalgar Square - the Jesus Army.

"Are these people in the right place?" Desmond wondered when he saw the diverse community. "Their zeal for evangelism, their excitement, is African - but this is Europe!

"The blend was beautiful - married, single, celibates, many nationalities. I could see them embracing every aspect of the Bible. I knew God had to be here."

This was the start of Desmond's relationship with the Jesus Fellowship and the fledgling Multiply Network.

Over the years Flaming Evangelicals enjoyed retreats at a community house in Milton Keynes, and Desmond was able to get leadership and direction, provocation and challenge, from the Fellowship's senior leaders, such as Noel Stanton.

Desmond returned to Sierra Leone to start Ministry of the Word in 2004. This has four aspects: a Bible school, 'Days of Glory' revival meetings, a weekly TV ministry on Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service, and a programme of church planting. Alongside this is networking - which is where Multiply comes in.

"I can realise through Multiply what I can't through Ministry of the Word," says Desmond.

In January 2006 Desmond inaugurated Multiply in Liberia with 20 pastors. Pastor Daniel Menyongiai is his key leader there. In Sierra Leone there are 50 interested pastors.

Desmond has many dreams. He has bought an acre of land in Waterloo, on the Freetown peninsular, on which he wants to build a church, training centre, and residential and temporary accommodation. But he has space for others' dreams too: "I'd like people to say of me: 'This is the man who helped me realise my vision and nurtured me towards its fulfilment.'"

This is the purpose behind his proposed radio show Tell Me Your Dream. After 11 years of civil war, Desmond describes Sierra Leone as in need of "a resurrection of hope".

"People are forgiving each other," he says. "The preaching of the gospel has helped to release people from hurt. It's going forward from there. Over half the people are unemployed. They have no food, no electricity.

"I want to birth dreams in the heart of the people - and the government. To tell them, 'The war is not the end of your life. You can still fulfil your dreams.'"

Everything else in Desmond's life has taken a back seat for the sake of his apostolic vision.

"For my family and me, it's a miracle how we have lived for the past two years. It's purely a faith thing. The Bible says: 'Seek ye first the kingdom and His righteousness and all other things will be added unto you.' He has not failed us.

"I'm a nations man. I want to go beyond the boundaries of Africa and Europe. I want spiritual children from India, from America, from all the world.

"I tell you, the harvest is ripe!"

This article has been extracted from Streetpaper and Jesus Life publications