May 2015 in Cameroon

For the May 8th Chapel lesson at “The Greenhouse, A Learning Center for Missionary Children,” I shared a favorite Bible story using lesson 4 - "The Boy Jesus" Luke 2:40-52, from Lessons from Luke  (Teacher's guides, coloring pages, and big picture books).

It was a pleasant surprise when a student raised her hand to tell me that the 5th and 6th graders were studying the same story in class and learning the same memory verse - that the whole school was repeating in a variety of ways - Luke 2:52 "And Jesus grew in and stature and in favor with God and men." 

YES! I explained how this is an important story illustrating Jesus' obedience to his heavenly parent  and to grow as Jesus did - physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. The verse reminds adults to live balanced lives.

Teaching children the same story and verse at  Église évangélique libre de Yaoundé (Free Evangelical Church of Yaounde) before a review game. Hanging in the background are cards labeled 5-10-20-10-5. When a child answers a question correctly, they throw a ball (or choose teammate to throw after their first correct answer). My experience in Bible Club and Children's Church is that youngsters listen more intently when there will be a fun review game. 

Explaining the Educational Resource Center Summer Reading Program to grades 5 and 6. “David” sports his new Cameroonian soccer threads as he assists me in encouraging both summer reading and play along with hanging with family and friends.

A mid-May week was a great one for mail. Thank you cousin, Pam and husband Larry (KY) for this delightful librarian t-shirt, frog items (Fully Rely On God), and Christmas card which arrived mid-May via sea freight. THANKS sis, Juanita, and friend, Marsha Hanshew, for birthday and Easter cards mailed directly to Cameroon. TIA! ("This Is Africa.") We missionaries learn not to be rattled by timing...we just get excited when sea shipment and paper mail arrives and are grateful.

5/23/15 Neighborhood Bible Club - story of Elijah running from Queen Jezebel. I asked children what they were afraid of and pulled things from a bag I had been scared of as a child (toy snake, dog).

Celebrating with friends Dr. Eugene and Dr. Joelle Sobngwi their commissioning day  - he as a deacon and she as deaconess in charge of Children’s Ministry at  Église évangélique libre de Yaoundé (Free Evangelical Church of Yaounde).  I have been Joelle's English conversation and prayer partner. It's been a pleasure working with her in children's ministry at EELY and spending some time with their family. I so appreciate Joelle bringing her three daughters with her to my apartment and praying for me the day I left Cameroon for furlough and medical testing.

The visits and prayers of two other Cameroonian friends / community ministry colleagues who came by also touched my heart the day I left Cameroon. All three thanked God for me and asked Him to bring me back to Cameroon..."We need her." 

And away we go! Onward to furlough. Enjoying Sprites while waiting at the Yaounde, Cameroon airport for our flight to Brussels Belgium. I appreciated leaving with friends who are a bit more familiar with international airports than I - Christy Carmean and children, Karen Merry, and Elaine Bombay.

Other: 
~Visited a Bible study at Association La Solution, a center taking care of children (esp. boys) living in the street. This is a ministry of Hope Social Action Association, Odza Baptist Church. Took six boxes of our Educational Resource Center discarded books for their bilingual character building program and reading practice.

~Took discarded ERC books and arranged for other donations to be taken to nearby church, Mission Evangelical Church of Cameroon (Mission des Eglises Evangélique du Cameroun - MEEC), Tropicana. Worked with library coordinator Frederic OWONO MESSI to organize books books in age and subject categories in their new library for church members and the neighborhood.