Mahn and Laytay Krua

Ministry Focus

The war in Liberia began in 1989 and killed 250,000 people, forcing 1.2 million of the country's 2.5 million abroad as refugees. God brought Rev. Mahn Krua and his family with the first wave of Liberian refugees to settle in the U.S. God gave him and his family a vision for reaching the refugees and immigrants who are seeking freedom in the U.S. Rev. Krua is a powerful preacher who exemplifies the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to transcend language, culture and ethnicity when he preaches with his assistant, interpreter and son, Torli. According to Rev. Krua, his message from the Word of God is not for refugees alone. America really needs a wake-up call! Rev. Krua is a seasoned church planter and missions specialist, who has successfully established new ethnic churches in the U.S., assisted American churches to adapt to the changing demographics of cities, and is raising new refugee leaders to return to their native countries as missionaries.

Faith Story

Rev. Krua was born in Gbesseh Town, Grand Bassa County, Liberia, when his parents, who were healers from the Dan group, were on a healing journey across Liberia. As Mahn was growing up, Baptist missionaries traveled to rural Liberia with the Good News of God's saving grace. Gardua Gbayou was among the first converts led to Christ by the American missionaries. Later turned a Liberian missionary, Gbayou led young Mahn to Christ. A relationship between the two developed and soon Mahn began learning the Word of God under Rev. Gbayou's tutelage. There were no Bibles at the time and young students of the Word relied on only two Gospel Tracts: "Arbi Yar Wai, The Lord Has Spoken" and "Lar Zian, The Way of Salvation." Mahn's only desire was to preach like Rev. Gbayou. Later Mahn married Esther Mawiah. The newlyweds wanted to build their home, but yielded to God's call to build the first church in their village, Graie Baptist Church. The Kruas went on after its completion to Tappita Bible Institute to prepare for full-time ministry. After graduation, the Kruas were sent to Ziah town to help build a church and the first Christian school in that region. Mahn, a radio preacher, Bible translator, evangelist and church planter, saw his ministry grow and then get swept away by the storms of civil war and critical illness.