Cameroon Trip Report--Part 2

Once we were checked in at the hotel, the pastor left us for a few hours to rest before the church ladies brought in a delicious meal with spaghetti, a stir-fry sauce, rice, oranges, and local soft drinks.  We especially enjoyed the “Special Pamplemousee”—a carbonated grapefruit juice.  The Malta was ok, but not a favorite for any of us.  (President Martin later described it as “drinking a loaf of bread” because of it’s yeasty flavor.)  The Bavaria Apple drink was delicious!  Mrs. Nicolene (Pastor Timothy’s wife) informed us that this would be our last American/western meal.  The rest of the time she would be serving us Cameroonian food.  She promised us ten exclusively Cameroonian dishes by the end of the week.  We counted more than ten that were new to us!  

Around midnight, the team from America arrived—FEA chairman Larry Gardner, FEA president Harold Martin, and Bible Methodist Missions leader and president of SGC, Timothy Keep.  It was great to see them! 

Tuesday was a rest and preparation day. We prayed together, planned some of the details of the sessions, rested, and President Martin and I went for a short walk on the crowded market streets.  

The church provided a meal once again, and Mrs. Nicolene was true to her promise that it would not be western-style food.  I do not remember the names of the food, except for the fufu corn—something a bit like cornmeal mush that is a staple food throughout much of Africa.  There was also cooked greens and maybe some fish in a yummy tomato sauce.  (The meals are all kind of running together in my memory, and I didn’t take pictures of all of them.)  Each day the church ladies brought in our main meal to an open deck area at the hotel.  We ate an incredible variety of foods—at least three varieties of cassava, yams, rice, okra, varieties of fish, chicken, beef, something called pudding (a savory meat dish), hard boiled eggs, local vegetables, beans, plums (nothing like what we call plums!) and others that I have forgotten.  We were blessed to sample a GREAT variety of the local cuisine!

Ok, that's probably enough food pictures, but we really did enjoy trying the different dishes even if some of them tasted unusual to us!

Wednesday was the day for the Shepherds Global Classroom teachers' training.  The theme for this day was 2 Timothy 2:2  “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”  Besides the leadership from Pastor Timothy’s church, several other pastor friends of his were in attendance.  Some of them had traveled for as much as five hours to be a part of the training.  A few couldn’t be physically present, but were watching via Facebook Live.  We divided up the sessions between us with each person presenting topics where they had experience or gifts.  Towards late afternoon, these teachers-in-training were each given a Shepherds Global Classroom book and they took turns teaching a lesson or part of one to a small group of their peers.  This was the highlight of the day for me as these pastors and leaders recognized that it was completely possible for them to set up and teach an effective Bible School anywhere a few interested people could gather.  Though some looked a little nervous at the beginning, by the end all were participating with great animation and enjoyment.  At the end of the session they begged for more time to finish up their lessons.  It was very rewarding to see twenty-five teachers preparing to teach other Kingdom workers who in turn will train more!

Practicing teaching

While the rest of us were teaching teachers, Stephanie held a seminar or workshop for children’s ministers.  Back in April when she had another stroke that affected her speech, we wondered if she would ever be able to teach again.  We are so grateful for God’s healing touch!  She was able to teach/facilitate this six-hour workshop in spite of the heat and humidity that we are not at all used to.  

Children's workers

Thursday through Saturday was the ten year anniversary celebration of Dignity Chapel International.  Thursday morning, Maricka spoke to the women of the church.  That afternoon, I spoke to the youth on being effective witnesses for Christ through holy living.  In the evening, President Martin taught on effective leadership.

Friday was scheduled to be a day of services again, but we had to get PCR Covid tests before our flights back home on Sunday.  Mrs. Nicolene did her best to find out where we needed to go for these tests in hopes that it would be a very short process and we could continue with the speaking schedule.  In spite of her efforts, things didn’t go to plan.  We went to three different places, the first two referring us somewhere else.  The third time was the charm, and we got our that tests which were negative.  In the evening service, the Lord helped me in a special way to preach and teach on the life and work of a missionary.  Pastor Timothy and his church have a vision to reach beyond Cameroon with the Gospel.  They have already begun by sending a church planting team to another district several hours south of Douala.

Saturday morning Pastor Timothy wanted to take us to see a bit of Cameroon.  We were thrilled at the opportunity, so rose early for a quick breakfast.  Before long Pastor Timothy and Mr. Richard, the head deacon of their church, arrived with two vehicles to take us up the coast to Limbe where the first Christian missionaries landed with the Gospel in the 1800s.  As we drove, we passed through rubber and palm plantations.  I remember studying about rubber trees, probably in grade school, and was overwhelmed that God allowed me to see them for myself!  I digress, but you will NEVER regret surrendering your life completely to the service of King Jesus!  

A palm plantation

Fishing boats

Tensions rose visibly the further we drove.  Though it seldom makes international news anymore, a bloody guerrilla war has been going on for six years in this part of Cameroon, especially in the jungle foothills of Mount Cameroon.  One of the ladies who attended the children’s ministry workshop and anniversary celebration has started a foundation to help orphans and displaced children from this war.  Her stories of the awful things that are happening are tragic.  The rebels announce “Ghost Mondays” where anyone who leaves their home on that day is in danger of being killed.  The guerrillas sometimes  carry out some kind of a terrorist attack during that day just to prove their strength.  I was definitely relieved when we took a different road that went to the coastal city of Limbe instead of on into this conflict zone!

In the botanical garden

In Limbe, a relative of Mrs. Nicolene took us on a tour of a botanical garden.  His career in conservation, especially to protect the big primates in this area, made for a fascinating tour guide.  We estimated that some of the palm trees in this park were over a hundred feet high.  We were disappointed that he couldn’t take us to the wildlife refuge because of Covid, but he took us to a fishing community where people make a living fishing in the Atlantic Ocean.  The grilled fish dinner complete with plantain, cassava, and chili pepper sauce was unforgettable!

The Atlantic Ocean

Though we initially planned to be back for an afternoon service, time is flexible in West Africa.  Instead, we got back for the last afternoon session with Brother Keep who did a masterful job of speaking on Effective Discipleship. In the evening service the church people put on a couple dramas that communicated the Gospel in powerful ways, and there was lots of singing and some celebratory dancing for their tenth anniversary.  A lady pastor whose church was instrumental in the salvation of Pastor Timothy when he was in high school preached the anniversary message.  Her theme was living a life led by the Holy Spirit, and the truth was powerful and well-presented.  I am certain that both we visitors and church people were helped by the truth she shared and the spirit in which she shared it.  

A good crowd turned out for this Saturday night service as you can see from this video clip:

Sunday morning, we were once again up fairly early to catch our flight back to South Africa via Ethiopia.  Once again, the process at the airport went smoothly, and our flights were comfortable.  There was nearly an hour’s delay leaving Addis Ababa, but arriving at 5am instead of 4am in Johannesburg really wasn’t too big of a problem.  A kind Christian man picked us up at the airport and took us to the nearby Baptist guest house where our vehicle and Angela Thornton were waiting for us.  By 8:30 we were on our way to Ladybrand and our children.  We got home to Matukeng by early evening.  

Looking back on our week in Cameroon, there are several things that stand out in my memory.  First would have to be the incredible hospitality of Pastor Timothy, his wife, and their church people.  They went far beyond what was expected or necessary, and treated us like royalty.  Our visit was comfortable and enjoyable because of their graciousness.

The church gave us Cameroonian outfits.

My second takeaway was their sincere desire to serve God and be effective in building His Kingdom.  From the first meal we shared, this spirit came through so powerfully.  We knew we were with Christian brothers and sisters who share our passion for the Great Commission.  They exhibited a spiritual depth that goes beyond many churches here which tend to emphasize emotions and a powerless prosperity gospel.   I will always treasure scenes of young people interceding around the altar after the services, and of the looks on peoples’ faces as they drank in spiritual truth while we spoke.  Pastor Timothy’s enthusiasm as I spoke about the possibility of his church becoming a missionary sending church will continue to encourage me for a long time.  

Finally, I left Cameroon knowing that God IS building His Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.  We are expecting great things from Dignity Chapel International!  We believe God is going to helping them train effective, Spirit-filled, holy leaders using Shepherds Global Classroom.  We are praying that their church will grow, and that they will start a church-planting movement in Cameroon.  A few years from now, I can see them sending out godly, fearless missionaries to the Muslim nations of North Africa.  Please join us in praying for them and for the fulfillment of this vision!