The Last two weeks in Pictures

Sorry for the lack of pictures...but we have had an exciting two weeks! 

Two Sundays ago we had Pastor Ernest and his family in to the church in Ndop and then to our house for lunch.  He is the director of Camp Joy.  He preached for us and informed the church in detail about the camp.

On Monday two weeks ago, Matthew, Chrysanthus, and I hiked up Ngoketunjia Mountain that overlooks Ndop.  This is the mountain that the division is named after.  It affords a beautiful look at most if not all of the thirteen villages (if you know where to look) in Ngotetunjia...plus Sabga and then looking the other way to Banso and the Foumban area. 

Overlooking Ndop...

We celebrated "the 20th of May" in Ndop for their 50th anniversary of Independence (1960).  There was lots of marching and speeches, etc. in Ndop.  Matthew, Chrysanthus, and I passed out maybe 1,000 tracts and had fun watching it all before calling it quits due to the hot sun. 

This is Elias taking some coins from the Fon (chief) of Babungo, our neighboring village.  We brought him some gifts for his very large family including lots of soap, salt, and Bibles.  We hope to begin a Bible study in this village on this coming Friday.  Please pray for the furtherance of the gospel in this town.  Here are a few more pictures of this impressive palace and compound. 

My flight to Akwaya yesterday.  Felix is here witnessing to the lady that I was going to take to the hospital.  He was witnessing in Pidgin and the ladies daughter was translating into her village language. 

The deaf students on the grounds of Mbingo Baptist Hospital. 

Ready for takeoff at Mbingo heading back to the home base at Sabga.  I landed in Sabga with some incredible tail winds.  The weather was strange that day but we are thankful for two safe flights in support of Felix and the Akwaya people. 

Ok, so this is why you all should really be praying for us...can you guess what we found in our yard the other night?  I am holding up a snake skin that a large black poisonous snake decided to shed as he came out of hibernation in our yard.  The dogs were barking at an alarming rate and sound, so I went to check what was happening.  I shouted for Matthew to bring me a machete and some sticks or anything.  By the time we got all situated and ready to kill he slipped down a hole...probably the same one he had been sleeping in.  I was so mad that I missed the opportunity to kill him, but I was afraid it might a spitting cobra.  I hate snakes!!  Anyway, after failing to coax him out again by pouring fuel then water down his hole, we decided to seal the hole with cement.  Maybe he is dead, but who really knows.  So, the largest snake I have seen so far in Cameroon was in my very own yard!!  You can see the snake would be about 5 feet long in the above picture.  We hope your week does not include any snakes!!  Have a great week and thanks for praying!

This last week...

This was a very busy and profitable ministry week.  We thank the Lord for the strength to do the work of the ministry here in Cameroon.

I flew my first passenger mission this week taking Pastor Felix back to his ministries in the Akwaya region.  I also returned a medical patient and her mother to the same airstrip.  The winds were up the whole day, so I am very thankful for safety in the landings and takeoffs.  We had to cut the field with machetes before I could safely takeoff. 

Then we finally moved our container from Camp Joy down to Ndop in our yard at the house.  What a job that was!  We are all amazed that it was able to be maneuvered into our yard. So, after a being in Cameroon for over a year, we are finally all moved in :)

Matthew and I finished stamping John/Romans and along with Chrysanthus, we passed out over 1,500 on Friday to the government high school students that walk by our house.

Mother's Day

I think Abby wanted to post a Mother’s Day update, but she is too busy with our kiddos to post!  So may I just say that she is a wonderful mother and wife.  Elias and I made a card for her before church and that was her first realization that it was even Mother’s Day!  We don’t have all the reminders in Africa of the Hallmark holidays.  After church, Elena made her own card for Abby.  I made Abby rest a bit while I cooked us all breakfast for lunch…made me appreciate more all the cooking that she does for us every day.  This post may a be a week late, but we had a good day celebrating a wonderful mother! 

Family Conference

We had a great week of family camp/conference at the Needham's house in Sabga...can you tell there were quite a few people?!  Missionary families from all over Cameroon came to enjoy the cool weather, the great preaching by Pastor Scott, and the fellowship of like-minded families serving the Lord in different areas of this wonderful country of Cameroon. The Needham's and Pastor Scott's team left for America immediately after the conference.

We drove home to Ndop each evening, and the kids fell asleep progressively faster each night!

5th Anniversary

Thank you to all who wished us a happy anniversary.  The week before our actual anniversary, Abby and I left the kids with the Yeiter family and headed off for the mountains.  We enjoyed a little cottage rest house that has awesomely cool temperatures and a great relaxing view of the mountains and valleys around.  Then on our anniversary a few days ago, we put the kids to bed and had a nice candle light desert getaway in our new “master-suite” guest room behind our house.   Abby made tacos for the family that night and then had made an awesome chocolate pie that we had by ourselves later (the kids got to enjoy some the next day).  Thanks for all your prayers, cards, and emails! 

Pics of everyday life

Here are just a few pics of some happenings around the house…enjoy

 

The mouse was our two-month old house guest that has managed to elude our traps and my bat…until last night!  It was a home run for my mini Louisville Slugger!  That was in honor of the Cubs defeat of the D-backs just a few hours before.  We have to have some kind of diversion in Africa!  We are finally mouse free…for the moment!!