4th Week Includes Two Visits

Mark Lambert discusses the many support services such as residence permit
(Carte Organismes), Visas, Driver's license, Cell phone SIM cards, Housing,
Monthly Financial Reports, Shipping and more

My fourth week in Cameroon, January 27-February 2, and the 3rd week of the CAMBO orientation class includes  .

-Sunday With Yaounde friends -  see "Yaounde Friends - Church & Overnight Visits";

Yaounde Friends Debrief; Water Filters and Lamps; Visiti to Aviation Dept.; Solar/Bucket Shower; Missionary Kids and Third Culture Kids; MKs - Parent's Perspective; Preparation for Village Visit; Admin. - Support Services; Cultural Data Notebook and Village Assignments; Contingency Plans; Head to Bamenda Friday; stay overnight at guesthouse; Bamenda to Bambalang village 

Thursday for lunch together we had "fufu and njamajama" and were told not to use any utensils - the traditional way to eat this typical Cameroon food. Think grits (consistency of dough) and greens. Break off ball of fufu, press thumb into center to make a handle-less spoon, scoop up the greens, and bon appetit!

Please pray for health and safety of the group as we travel to Bambalang to experience village life. Pray also that we may be a blessing to our hosts and village residents. I expect to be offline Friday, Feb. 1 -- Thursday, Feb. 7.

This week I received my   Carte Organismes  - Cameroon resident card, good for two years before renewal is necessary.

Yaounde Friends - Church & Overnight Visits

Kay,  Ceci, and Carolyn 

One part of our five-week CAMBO orientation to Cameroon culture was a church visit with and overnight stay in home of Cameroon friends. Each CAMBO participant family or two singles were assigned to a Cameroon family. It was the privilege of new itinerant teacher Carolyn Partridge and I to attend church with, spend the day and evening in the home of a remarkable lady, Miss Cecilia (Ceci) Engoro, who works in the I.T. department of Rain Forest International School.
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Ceci, Kay, Dylan

Ceci, her cousin Lillian, Kay

Kay, Ceci's niece and nephew,
Princess, 2 and Dylan, 12

CHURCH: We walked awhile, took a taxi, then up steep rocky dirt trail. There was much singing and dancing (more than an hour). I appreciated the message and some other things being translated from French to English.

An awesome children’s praise team also led congregation in worship – three children approx.. ages 8-9, two older girls (one 14, pastor’s daughter). The children took turns with microphone; they sang boldly and with conviction, esp. the young boy, and did simple choreography. I could not understand what they were singing, but they sure did; I knew they were singing to His glory.

For communion – there were pieces of broken bread loaf; small glasses of folere juice (purple, from pineapple juice and hibiscus flowers). Folks were asked to pray with those sitting near us, ask God’s blessings on them…a beautiful experience.

After service, there was a newcomers fellowship with the pastor & wife in a different room; cold folere juice (yum!) & cookies were served.

There was a very heavy rain during the service and that steep dirt trail turned into a steep slippery mud path. Ceci held onto my arm going down that mud hill, and her nephew Dylan held onto my arm going up muddy road back to their home.OK, there was just a tad of sliding. I was the ‘senior’ member of the group and the family looked after me well! (I have a deep tread pair of heavy duty sandals for mud, thanks to my sisters, but it’s not the rainy season yet.)

MEALS: Dinner: Fried fish, cassava, peanut sauce. I have eaten each of these before, but it was good to see how dishes were prepared and ask questions. Ceci explained cleaning fish, cutting eyes out, gutting…uh, I was not quite ready to offer to help with that project. This peanut sauce was delicious and far better than my first attempt last week…so glad  peanuts and peanut butter are easily available here.

Supper: rice, fresh carrots and green beans, little bits of a different kind of fish, onions, garlic, pressure cooker.  I really like one-pot meals and look forward to duplicating this one (with cleaned fish from grocery).

Breakfast: roll and hot Ovaltine (now on my grocery list)

Evening PRAYER: Ceci asked how she could pray for Carolyn and I; I asked how we could pray for her nephew Dylan who lives with her. We went around the room, shared prayer concerns, prayed for person on our left. My heart was touched by this 12-year-old boy’s request that he do well on his school exams and that he understand the Bible when he reads it; I was moved by his beautiful prayer for his aunt. 

It was meaningful for Carolyn, Ceci, and I to share family photos and life stories and also great to fellowship with several members of her extended family during the day.  It was fascinating to hear how God has blessed her career journey, her starting a family fruit juice business (I’ll be a regular customer after my village stay), her buying a farm, and her dreams/prayers to expand the farm's productivity.

I praise God that Ceci hosts a weekly children’s neighborhood Bible Club in court area outside her apartment...that happens to be Carolyn's and my neighborhood. I heard about and saw photos of this outreach ministry before coming to Cameroon, and would like to assist some with the Bible Club.

Carolyn and I both plan to have Ceci visit in our apartments. I cherish becoming acquainted with this dear sister in the Lord.

Third Week & Life in Cameroon

January 20-26 was another valuable week in the Cameroon Orientation program. 

CAMBO – Week 2 included: Cultural Transitioning; Preparing Food in Cameroon - Part 2; Gender Roles; Bargaining and Shopping + Market Assignment; Medical Practice – 2 sessions; Administration - Language Services; Schooling/Homeschooling; Child Safety; Yaounde Tour; Yaounde Friends Preparation (to attend church with, stay overnight with Yaounde family); FROG (Fully Rely on God) Branch Worship & Prayer Meeting.

So what is life in Yaounde, Cameroon like, a city of 1.5+ million people? I am truly blessed compared to many Cameroonian neighbors, but of course there are many adjustments…such as:

-Electricity goes off frequently... Nine times a less than 3 weeks. Candles and flashlight are my new best friends!

-Internet network is excruciatingly slow where I live, and sometimes will not connect at all via proxy. I'm exploring options for local service that various neighbors have.

-No car; walking up and down steep rocky mud hills/dusty road to go to/from orientation classes, then it will be to to/from the school co-op in several weeks. Great exercise 30++ minutes a day. I've been told for years I should  walk approx. 30 minutes a day.  Lost a few pounds; working on losing more.

-Must soak fruits and vegetables in diluted bleach water; cooking from scratch. Whole foods are healthier for us!

-Must use filtered water for drinking, brushing teeth, etc. Tap water is not safe for consumption…but I’m thankful to have tap water, a hot shower, and consistent water so far (recommended to save water in a barrel, it's not always always available).
-No clothes dryer. Hey, I was a child of the 50's, only washing machine then also so am used to clothes pins. I had forgotten how wonderful fresh air dried clothes smell. I was amazed at how fast things dried, but we are near the equator.
-No air conditioning in apartment or classrooms.

-Dusty – need to dust and clean tile floors at least weekly if not more…no big deal.

-Noisy -  lots of music and singing from a nearby hotel during evenings, into mornings. I was told to bring earplugs and I did.

No surprises - I knew all these things would be a part of life...thanks to friends here on Facebook and people I met who had lived here.

Personal adjustments:my hairdryer and mini-blender burned out on the 220 voltage; the small iron I brought does not work here/have replaced it; ceiling fan in bedroom stopped working... will deal with these other things in time, as transportation downtown is arranged. (My short hair dries quickly!) I check very carefully now before plugging into the adapter anything I brought.

Learning to take things in stride, do what I can when I can and be thankful for what I have and can do.  I have so very much for which to be thankful. I have always cherished the “Serenity Prayer” by Reinhold Niebuhr:

 

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SPECIAL THANKS to Dan and Marsha Hanshew for moving my remaining boxes of things to storage.

Next weekend living conditions will be much more rustic - my orientation class spends five days in a village...will be very interesting. Stay tuned!