Wum and Nyos (2)

Lake Nyos, site of the 1986 disaster that killed 1,700 Cameroonians.  Read about it at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nyos
and http://www.geo.arizona.edu/geo5xx/geos577/projects/kayzar/html/lake_nyos_disaster.html

Pastors Julius, Chrysanthus, Ernest, and me at the base of the lake.  We slept in army barracks at the top of the lake.  The soldiers are there guarding the environment.  We were eating around the fire at night while one of soldiers was telling us about the 12 to 16 meter pythons that live nearby.  He new everything about that snake and enjoys hunting them.  I requested to sleep in his room and it was granted to me!!!  We declined a python hunting expedition.  I learned things about pythons that I wish I never knew! 

Sunk into a mud pit on the way home...

30 minutes and 10-15 guys later! 

Pray for this site near the town of Wum where we are praying to put in an airstrip to reach Wum and villages inside and outside of the Ring Road. 

Akwaya, Wum, and Weh

I have been averaging about 3 flights per week in support of Pastor Felix and the Akwaya ministry.  Bush flying is starting to be a little more fun...but never the same and never boring.  Today a lady was on the end of the runway while I was on short final, and she seemed to be stopping instead of continuing off the field.  It looked like she was turning around to see why and what her friends were shouting at her for.  Maybe she heard me revving my engine, or maybe she got the drift from her friends, because she finally started running!!!  I flew bro. George and his wife from Sabga, so they could minister with Felix and Yvette for half a week.  Pray for an unstable situation between Nigeria and the Akwaya region of Cameroon right now. 

Tomorrow (Thursday AM), I am leaving on what we plan to be a drive around the short circuit of the Ring Road.  Going with me will be Pastor Chrysanthus, Pastor Julius, and Pastor Ernest, and we plan to stay away one night in one of the towns.  We are planning to see Menchum Falls, evangelize in Wum and Weh, contact traditional leaders about the stalled airstrip development for Wum, and see about other possible locations for an airfield.  This will be a true test of the capabilities of our new RAV 4 on the difficult roads.  Pray for Abby and the kids while I am gone.  They will be staying in Sabga, so they will surely be having a blast! 

Family Times

Here are a few pictures of the last few weeks in Cameroon.  The kids are growing in many ways, and we are enjoying our time together…

Back at it...

When we arrived back in Sabga, we celebrated our new car with a chicken feast.  We never had time to do this for celebrating our renovated house, or for the birth of Chloe, so we said that the three chickens we ate were for the house in Ndop, for Chloe, and for our new RAV 4.  We just invited a few friends from Sabga and had a great time of fellowship.

Mami Regina and baby Chloe

Making a family visit to a family in Babungo

Leaving Babungo back for Ndop. 

After a two and a half week absence from flying, I was back at it on Saturday and today.  Today I did two flights taking people into Akwaya to help Felix and Yvette with Holiday Bible School and the monthly Men's Retreat.  The picture above is the winding Menchum River. 

Flying my partner in Ndop, bro. Chrysanthus, out to Akwaya today to preach, teach, and evangelize for the Holiday Bible School and Men's retreat. 

Yaounde/Douala

Can't remember what he had in his mouth...marker maybe?

I think the most beautiful thing in the picture is the girl with red hair :) 

 Car shopping on a Saturday in Douala.  Abby, Chloe, Genesis, and I took Abby and George J. back to the airport in Douala. Genesis, George, and I spent the day shopping for car.  Praise the Lord, we were able to pay for this 1999 RAV 4 on the following Monday!  I'll post  more about this later.

Abby and George's flight was overbooked Saturday night, so we took Sunday afternoon to go and see West Africa's tallest mountain...Mt. Cameroon.  Can't see it either?

As we started to head back from the mountain, the clouds were lifting.

Mt. Cameroon is over 14,000 feet tall and is a semi-active volcano.  The last eruption was maybe 15 years or so ago. 

Sabga hike

Sorry, we have been too busy to update.  If you want to see a lot of great pictures of when Abby Joshua was here visiting, you can you can go to her own blog: www.abzinafrica.blogspot.com

Here some pictures from our hike to a local waterfall in the mountains near Sabga a few weeks ago:

I think this area of cliffs and water is Africa's Ireland. 

All the girls: Abby, Abby J, Rosemary, Elena, and Chloe

Akwaya ministry

I flew national evangelist-pastor Felix and his new bride Yvette to their home in Akwaya last week.  Pray for this ministry to continue to be used mightily of the Lord as this church planter now works along side his wife to help him in the ministry. 

Getting ready to leave Sabga

Pastor and Mrs. Felix and some of the people of Meyerim, Akwaya

Abby and the kids waiting at the "control tower" 

Elias and his buddy Nuhu

Holiday Bible School

Last week we had our first ever Holiday (vacation) Bible School in Ndop.  Bro. Genesis from Bamenda organized it for us and did a great job leading the children Monday through Wednesday afternoons.  I'll let most of the pictures speak for themselves...

Abby J. was a big help coming all the way from America to teach and lead songs :)  

We had in the 20's the first day, in the 30's the second, and in the 50's on the last day.  Praise the Lord for a number of children who also trusted Christ as their Savior. 

Rains made us rearrange our planned activities. 

Elena and two of her best friends from church. 

Trying to finish the game before the storm comes...

Back in the Air

After more than three weeks of canceled flights due to bad weather as well as a busy schedule in Ndop, I was back in the air yesterday and today.  Praise the Lord for an absolutely beautiful morning before the rains blasted in during the afternoon.  It is amazing how fast beautiful, innocent-looking cumulus clouds can build up into the sky soon throwing rain down to the ground.

Above pic...Flying two campers back to their villages in Akwaya.  One had an injured knee and the other was recovering from malaria, which kept them from trekking the three day journey with their friends.

The first sign of buildups on my way back to Sabga.  Forty-five minutes later this same stretch of sky was blocked by towering clouds.

I flew two Muslim men out of the bush today.  The one sitting next to me went blind two months ago due to some illness.  I flew them to Sabga and helped them get to Mbingo hospital.  Pray that I would get a chance to witness to them as our family heads to Mbingo in a few days for a one-day break. 

Flying over one of the areas that I call "Africa's Ireland."  It is right before Sabga.  We hope to take a picnic or hike to that waterfall in the bottom right while Abby Joshua is here. 

Home-sweet-Sabga!  I had just dodged a bunch rain showers over the Bamenda area and was able to find a hole to get back to the sunny-side of the mountain.  Praise the Lord for two great flights.  I am scheduled to make at least two more on Thursday if the weather is nice again.  Felix and his new bride are moving back to Akwaya, and I'll fly them back.  Today, one of my flights was taking a bunch of their gifts from the wedding and food for their house.