November-December 2014 WattsLine Posted

Announcing:

 November-December WattsLine   

is now posted under Newsletters  

for easier viewing and printing, 

                    YOU are invited to subscribe for email delivery of the                             bi-monthly "WattsLine" via MailChimp. 

Just complete the "Subscribe to WattsLine newsletter" 

form in the upper right blog corner under my photo

First Wedding Celebration in Cameroon

Since arriving in Cameroon. I have admired photos of the wedding guests wearing outfits sewn from an  official wedding cloth, wondered what wedding festivities here are like (getting married in Cameroon is a complicated process compared to the U.S.) and have longed to join with a couple in celebrating their special day. My opportunity finally with an invitation to the November 22 wedding of friends and colleagues, Gabrielle Jones and Herman Charles Anaba.

This morning wedding ceremony took place at Complexe Scolaire International La Gaiete.		The radiant couple  after the “I do’s.”
Waiting for lunch or snack  with colleagues at the Espresso House Bastos between the morning wedding ceremony and the late afternoon reception. We are all wearing outfits made from the wedding cloth Charles and Gabrielle chose. This is a common way of showing solidarity with the couple.		Mini-Equip 10 Reunion. I went through the Wycliffe 6-week online/2-week Orlando onsite  Equip 10 training with Gabrielle and the Chris & Lori Gassler family in Spring 2011. Whenever  two or more Equip 10 participants get together, we call it a mini-reunion and take a photo to share with others. What a joyful mini-reunion this was! I also went through  the 5-week Cameroon Branch Orientation  (CAMBO) training with Gabrielle .
I have not yet gotten the hang of tying headwear – a common part of Cameroonian culture and expected in many churches. A yellow and print headpiece was sewn for me, I had no idea what to do wth it, but have observed that Cameroonian ladies seem to enjoy teaching us expats the local ways. Seeing some familiar faces from Odza Baptist Church where I’ve visited several times, I walked up and asked for help. The lady who quickly and gladly obliged (orange hat) is the mother of  my friend and Hope Social Action president, Nzeuga Hugue (not pictured here).	Thank you Mrs. Nzeuga for doing my headpiece!   I received a number of compliments on my headwear AND several friends asked me who did it...they knew I had NOT tied my fabric into the nicely intertwined layers...LOL! I DO want to learn this skill myself. (Thanks Lori Gassler for pic.)

What Do Puppets Do When You Are Not Looking?

What do puppets do when you are not looking?  Was my African “David” trying to A) stand on his head; B) turn a somersault; C) pray; or D) ___________? 

On November 9, I left Bible Club during coloring time, hurried home to grab food before rushing off to a farewell dinner for a colleague friend. I quickly grabbed David from my tote bag and plunked him  down on the table without looking, hurried to get a pot of green beans from the stove (YEA!.. .still warm and a quilted bag would help keep them that way), and dashed off to the dinner. This is the way David landed and stayed till I returned him to his rectangular Cameroonian fabric  tote bag ‘house’ the next morning to protect him from the dust that comes in the windows.

David enjoys being with children. He loves the Psalms written by the Biblical David and he likes to lead others in his favorite song, “This Is the day the Lord Has Made” (Psalm 118:24). 

 Bible Club

LEFT: Thankful...for answered prayer. On November 8, only four kids were present at starting time (they usually come early)... but after prayer for more youngsters to hear God's Word, our group gradually grew to 31. Thankful for the opportunity to share the story of Naomi and Ruth - rich with takeaway lessons.





Preschool 
Storytime -  
The Greenhouse, A Learning
Center for Missionary
Children,
Yaounde

Helping Hands Children’s Home, Bamenda 

Bible Club & Storytime

Odza Baptist Church, Yaounde - arrival day with parents of a colleague friend.
David could hardly wait to start making new friends.

Now what was David up (or leaning down) to? It finally dawned on me…He is really excited about Grandma Gracie (who loves Proverbs) coming to live with us soon.  She was initially expected next weekend (update: hopefully early December). 

I’m excited also! Please do not expect me to stand on my head. 

September-October 2014 WattsLine Posted

Announcing:

 September-October WattsLine   

is now posted under Newsletters  

for easier viewing and printing, 

YOU are invited to subscribe for email delivery of the bi-monthly "WattsLine" via MailChimp. 

Just complete the "Subscribe to WattsLine newsletter" 
form in the upper right blog corner under my photo

World Teacher Day 2014

WORLD TEACHER’S DAY 2014 was observed on October 13th at “The Greenhouse, A Learning Center for Missionary Children.” We cherish and enjoy supporting Bible translation and several Christian missions in Cameroon via education.

 Pictured are: Naomi Emberson (Gr. 3&4), Kay Watts (Librarian), Katie Majorins (Kdg.), Barb Lane (Gr. 5 & 6), Mary Santos (Field Education System Coordinator), and Karen Merry (Gr. 1 & 2). Along with the reading, writing, and arithmetic, we also strive to “teach them to observe everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:20

Grateful for others on our team who teach Music, P.E., French, and ESL, and also Kindergarten

Summer 2014 Summary

Helping Hands Children’s Home, Bamenda School was out for the missionary children in Yaounde. Where does an educational missionary go on a missions trip when there is desire to serve beyond their assignment? There are various possibilities, but scriptures about caring for orphans kept coming to mind. My heart leapt at the idea of serving at Helping Hands Children’s Home in Bamenda, seven hours away. HHCH is a Christ-centered orphanage that provides a secure and loving home to orphans that have come from desperate and destitute situations.                    In July, I spent 2.5 weeks at this Christian orphanage (facebook.com/pages/Helping-Hands-Childrens-Home/273109682721899) assisting with summer school, tutoring children in reading, presenting a storytime on 5 days (4 days joined by two area missionary families), processed books and streamlined library organization. Other teaching opportunities included the neighborhood Kids Bible Club held at HHCH and Children’s Church at Calvary Chapel of Bamenda.
Reading Tutoring: Godwill practicing	Nkeh practicing reading		Sandrine practicing reading with canine companionship
Teen gals after African folklore session and little Willie	Monitoring math worksheets		Middle group using Tupperware stencils I donated
Storytime: dramatizing a story	Storytime: singing with frog puppet, seeing who could jump highest		Storytime: “Peter Rabbit” craft, book and stuffed  toy Peter
Storytime with a fav book – “One Smile.” I shared African folktales and character building stories.	Storytime: “David” talking with children		Storytime “David” leading  his fav song – “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made”. Glad that Boutwell and Hamm missionary family children joined four storytimes.
Baby Promise	Two youngest of HHCH family – baby Promise and “Willie”		Uh oh! Baby Promise is not a happy camper. She is so used to being held by children and staff from the front.
David following boy reading a Bible verse	Kids Club @ HHCH, with neighborhood children		Hanging with the kids and the canines
Taping code paper strip labels on spine for various genre while listening to some beautiful Christian music from an all-night wake down the road.	Boys assist me in put color code paper strip labels on spine for various types of books (board books, easy readers, chapter books, Bible/devotional, science, history, etc.)		Great fellowship with the Schliniski clan. Jake and Holly (2nd and 3rd from left) are the “Win Our Nations” Cameroon Coordinators in charge of HHCH. Holly’s dad visiting from FL, Malcolm Blowes is WON  Director.
Around YAOUNDE
Three official checkout days were held  at the Yaounde ERC, one including a storytime.		Lunch bunch at Istanbul Turkish Restaurant, Quartier Bastos, Yaounde. I had a shawarma (a wrap of beef, mixed with yogurt + fresh cucumber, tomato and onion). Delicious…just as friends had said.
Carolyn Partridge and I visited a Bible study at the Association La Solution, a center caring for children living in the street. This is a ministry of Hope Social Action Association, Odza Baptist Church.Please join me in praying for God's special blessings on the papa and mama of the center and on Nzeuga Lankio Hugue Robin, President of Hope Social Action Association who faithfully leads the Bible study and coordinates other outreach ministries. Also for needs of Hope Social Action: Bibles, food, clothes, meds, school fees and school materials, and professional training.		While waiting for the boys to arrive for Bible study, the ‘mama’ at the Association La Solution center caring for street children looked straight at me and spoke to me. Via translation I learned that she mentioned difficulties she experienced and that it was an encouragement to her to have another mama (older woman) to visit. Hmm…sometimes just our presence speaks volumes of caring support. Thankful God helped me push past two sets of circumstances that day which could have deterred me from getting there.

My African “David” who arrived early July in the suitcase of Carolyn Partridge’s parents. I felt like a child on Christmas morning with anticipation!	David wasted no time after his arrival at Odza Baptist Church in chattinng wuth the children.	David meets our neighborhood Bible Club and leads youngsters in singing “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made.”
I love critters. Feeding Lily, our local sitatunga (anteloge) after a game of playing pickleball with our 'Healthy Choices' group.	Lily the antelope likes big leaves.	A Sunday morning at church
Ex-Pats' Fourth of July Picnic on the fifth. Celebrating our homeland from faraway. Playing cornhole (corn or bean bag toss into holes of a platform.	Listening intently to fellow missionary  share at our Fourth of July Picnic.	Making smores at our Fourth of July picnic. I managed to find some red, white, and blue to wear.
THANK YOU Esther Lawrence for working three days at the elementary ERC library and a week at secondary RFIS library. You were a real blessing! Esther also stayed @ the Schliniski home in Bamenda and assisted at Helping Hands Children’s home.	Enjoying a tasty, economical Cameroonian meal on CABTAL compound with my guest Esther Lawrence from Liverpool, England…thanks to Marie (standing)… available 4 days a week. Best endole I’ve ever eaten.	Celebrating a family getting to their missions assignment. Gabrielle Jones (3rd from left) joined me in welcoming Chris and Lori Gassler and children Noah, Ben, and Kristin to Cameroon following their language studies in France. We all participated in Wycliffe's Equip #10 Orlando training in spring of 2011...a mini-reunion.
Off for a Saturday with friends to explore some of God’s creation in Cameroon. Here we do the ‘packed sardine thing’ in a taxi.	Picnic in a city park with friends	At Mt. Febe overlooking Yaounde