Family Camp 2011

We had an awesome family camp this year in Sabga, and we didn't want to come back home to Ndop.  Here are a few pictures of some of the families serving in Cameroon.

Preaching, Camp Director extraordinaire, skit time...

 

 Our hosts, the Needham family

 Sinclairs not too far away in Bamenda

 Us with the Van Gelderens.  They left for the airport this morning. 

The Bachmans from several days away in the farthest region north.

 Winches 7 hours awaya in Douala

 Loeschers, 4 hours away

 Ellen and her singles short-term group from 4 hours away

 Mossmans, also from 4 hours away

Our plane mechanic friend, Don and Ann Wright with Pastor Felix, Evette, and Godlove

Elena with her friend from Sabga

Elias had a very hard time waking up from his last nap in Sabga today, so I took his mattress outside...he thought that was pretty funny :) 

Another visit from home

I couldn’t resist posting these pictures of Chloe…some of my favorite ones.  Her personality is emerging more and more every day J 

 

Also, here are some pictures of Pastor and Mrs. Van Gelderen with us.  He held a two-day conference at Living Hope Baptist Church in Sabga for the national believers (and a few of us missionaries).  It was a tremendous time of teaching, Q&A, and prayer. 

 

Then on Sunday Mrs. Van taught Abby’s children’s Sunday school along with some of the Needham girls helping.  Pastor Van taught the adult Sunday School and preached for us as well.  We had them over for lunch, and then Pastor and I went to the Babungo Bible study while Abby, Sarah, and Mrs. Van stayed back at the house to fellowship.  It was a tremendous day for all of us.  Our church had custom made for the Van Gelderens a bamboo sheet with a reminder to pray for Cameroon.  

 

Today, we begin our annual missionary family conference, and Pastor and Mrs. Van Gelderen will be speaking to all of us.  All the families will be staying in Sabga this year…both at the Needhams place and in a few rented houses down the mountain. 

Puzzle-time

Just a few pictures of the kids this last week...

Chloe loves her blanket and now sucks her thumb when she has it...

Elena loves her little sister, and Chloe loves her.  When Chloe hears Elena's voice, she will look around and try to find her and then start laughing and clapping :) 

Grammie, can you send Elias more puzzles...he says thank you!  This is him this morning...he found the key to the washroom and tried to unlock the door himself.  I helped him unlock it, and he went and found his four floor puzzles.

 He had them all four put together not too long after that. 

 Elena doing her own puzzle before breakfast.

 Elias after church tonight doing his puzzles again.  By the way, he did them about 4 times during the day too.

Thank you to the Cummins' who sent a letter with some stickers inside.  The kids put these water stickers on their hands and loved them! 

Glastar inspection

Don Wright with Gospel Flight is here with his family for a few months.  We started inspection and repairs on my plane this week.  We are finding a few problems that may take some extra funds to take care of.  Pray for continued wisdom to find any and all problems to ensure more safe flying. 

On Monday, I removed all the inside paneling including seats and floor boards.  This exposes all the tubes, control cables, wires, fuel lines, etc. so the mechanic can look everything over. 

 Here are all the interior pieces sitting in the hangar until we finish the inspection. 

 Elena enjoyed playing with Don and Ann's son Nick all day Monday. 

Yesterday, I mostly worked on replacing the forward rudder cables.  I am gradually learning many things when mechanics come out here to help us, and this was something new and interesting.  It is great learning the details of how the plane is put together and how it all works. 

Here is where the cables I replaced attach to the rudder pedals. 

Elias' First Flight

Today, we went up to the Needham's house see the Don, Ann, and Nick Wright.  They are here to help with all sorts of things including the annual inspections of the airplanes.  I forgot to get any pictures with them today, but we'll get plenty later.  Elena has been talking about them coming for weeks.  Nick is a year or two older than her. 

Anyway, the weather was so nice, that I asked Abby if she wanted to go flying.  Then I asked Elias if he wanted to go hiking up the mountain or if he wanted to go flying in the plane.  His face lit up and he said he wanted to go in the plane.  He absolutely loves airplane magazines and watching when I fly over the house.  Here are some pictures of his first real airplane ride today! 

A beautiful day to fly! 

Strapped in and ready to go!

He sat with his hands folded the whole time :)

 A nearby village that suffered from a tribal attack from its neighbor a few weeks ago.  From our view, we saw so many houses destroyed by the violence.  We have heard many sad stories of those without a home and living in fear.  Pray for the villages around us at this time.   

Half-way through the flight, his nap time caught up with him! 

Busy kids...

No matter what else may be happening, you can count on the kids keeping themselves occupied with all sorts of activities. 

Puzzle time

When Elena had malaria last month, Aunt Barb sent this puzzle down to her.  We had fun doing it just this week :)

Elena helping Elias with his puzzle.

 Elena and Elias "reading" before bed.

This picture doesn't need words

 We went to the Needhams today...lots of fun!

Family pics

Its been a while since I posted picture of the kids, so here are a few.  March has not been too busy, so that has been nice.  April will be fairly busy for us and we will also be having our annual missionary family conference in Sabga. 

Couldn't find a mini-SD card, and I finally found it barely showing in the laptop's DVD drive...along with an old SD camera card.  Elias had put them both in there.  I was looking for something to fish them out with, and Elena suggested her red plastic knife...it worked! 

 Reading a story to Chloe

 Playing with Aquilla...Chrysanthus' little boy

 Friend from Akwaya staying with Chrysanthus' family in Ndop. 

 Picnic above Camp Joy

Bum trip update

For the first time since we started reaching out to Bum, I was not personally on the trip...well sort of.  In the last post, I flew pastors Julius and Chrysanthus over Bum and then landed them about a three hour motorcycle ride away from Bum at a field in Lassin.  So, while I didn't accompany them on the ground in Bum, I flew over it with them and kept them in prayer.  Here is an update on their trip.

They had a small motorcycle accident on the way while when going down a hill the brakes failed!!!!!  Thankfully, they were able to "crash" into a motorcycle not to far in front of them before they got going to fast and out of control.  They escaped with some small bruises and sore muscles. 

They arrived a few hours later in Fonfuka, Bum and had a wonderful time evangelizing and also encouraging our brother in Christ there.  Several people trusted Christ through their witness.  They were also able to visit some government officials that we know.  The head government man is the former man from Akwaya...what a blessing!  He has promised to help us with our desire for an airstrip there.  The guys also were able to visit and preach to many in the local clinic.  The clinic has no resident doctor and so many heart-wrenching stories of the sick and dying.  One lady gave birth to triplets, lost one of the babies at birth and then died herself.  Now there are two little orphans.  Pray for these and others! 

They were also able to spend time in the village of Kimbi, Bum.  Several also trusted in Christ there.

Their trip back was an exceptionally short 6 hours...4 and a half hours on a motorcycle through the bush parts and a taxi for the last hour and a half.  That is in comparison to the 9 hour ride by car on the main road that is now virtually destroyed.  I am praying they will fix it up. 

While I was flying the preachers to Bum, the chief of Bum was drinking tea in my house!  Abby sent me a text message while I was out, but I couldn't be there in time to greet him.  Abby was a wonderful host and gave him and his wife and driver some needed hospitality on their trip. Ask her about it sometime :) 

One picture of the trip...

Lake Oku, a crater lake at 8,500 feet in elevation.  It sits next to Mount Oku, which is around 10,000 feet being the second tallest mountain in Cameroon and West Africa. 

Lassin/Bum

I flew two pastors today from Sabga to the north side of the Ring Road.  We circled over Fonfuka, Bum before heading over and landing at the airfield in Lassin.  The guys will take a motorcycle several hours to Fonfuka.  Pray for them as they preach the gospel and follow up with believers from previous visits into Bum. 

Amanavil

Today I flew into Amanavil, Akwaya with Tom Needham to finish my checkout on that field.  I landed the first time with him, and then flew and landed solo three times.  It was a beautifully perfect day for flying!   After the practice, we both preached to the big crowd again and gave out many tracts.  Pray for a preacher to come and stay there. 

I wish I could post the video, but our connection is way too SLOW for that!