Amanavil

I flew to Amanavil on Thursday and Friday in preparation for our major dental/evangelism outreach there next week.  Pray for clear weather, good running planes (2 of them), healthy pilots (three of us), and for God's hand on the workers (about 20 or more).  I'll post more details of the week as it goes by.

I flew supplies into the Amanavil field and then flew Felix over to another airstrip to get some other things.  After returning to Amanavil, I flew Benjamin back to Sabga.  Benjamin was smoothing out the Amanavil airstrip for several days in preparation for all the flights next week. 

This is just a bonus picture.  One of the Needham's visitors brought Elias a toy helicopter that Elias has slept with for several nights! 

Bangolan

Several from our church did an evangelistic outreach and survey of a village in our division that we have never visited.  Bangolan is about an hour plus away from here and would seem to be inaccessible by car in the event of a heavy rain shower.  The road in spots was destroyed from last years rain but was easily passable in the dry season.  One bridge had collapsed (and a house nearby as well), and the planks on the temporary bridge were very insecure even coming up and banging on our car! 

The village itself is composed of Islam, African Tradition, Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, and others.  The people were very careful to make sure we were not JW's before they would even speak to us!  We met some in the palace, a pastor, medical workers, students, taxi drivers, motorcycle guys, and market workers. 

The people enthusiastically received the New Testaments we brought, and we distributed about 1,000 of them.  Here are a few pictures.

 Chryanthus preaching to a sick lady

 Visiting the palace

Distributing Bibles in the market

Babessi

Chrysanthus and I drove down the dusty Ring Road to Babessi on Thursday for some follow up and New Testament distribution.  We had not been there for almost a year I think.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that portion of the Ring Road actually under construction to begin putting black top down.  The widening and grating already cut our time on the road down in half to about a half hour. 

Once we were heading to a house back in the quarter, I saw something that I had to stop and see closer.  The tree that was being sawed into planks was a palace tree, usually the biggest and oldest in any village.  They were sawing into planks with nothing but a chain saw.  Very interesting to watch.  The two men were thrilled to take their own New Testaments from us.  We distributed about 180 New Testaments in the middle of town in about 10 minutes.  Pray for the Word of God to have free course in these open hearts.  We were able to witness to several people throughout the day. 

Trip to Yaounde and Christmas pics

Here are few Christmas pictures to show you all some of the things that you sent to the kids. 

 Chloe digging into Christmas breakfast before the time! 

 On Monday, Abby, Elena, and I took a trip to Yaounde, our nation's capital.  Tom Needham flew us there, we hired a taxi for the day, and finished passport paperwork for Elena and I at the U.S. emabassy by mid-afternoon.  We were flying home by 4 pm!  Thanks to the airplane that was a one day trip instead of a three day trip.Chloe and Elias stayed at the Needhams to play all day.  

Ready for takeoff!

This is the first real playground we have seen in Cameroon.  I guess it was prep for McDonalds when we come home.  I am sure that our kids don't really have any memory of America except from pictures. 

 Elena was so excited about this playground that she kept talking about how she was going to tell Elias all about it.  Elias will have to wait until we get to Yaounde again! 

Flying home to Sabga

 The kids running to meet us after we landed. 

Happy New Year!

We hope your first week in 2012 has been great.  Ours has been a great time to rejoice, reflect, plan for the future.  The very first day of the year, we baptized a young man in our church! 

 The water is a bit low during dry season :) 

 All three of our kids need to learn to swim...they love playing in water anywhere! 

 I think we need a church bus or something! 

 Trying to fly in dry season is a bit challenging...its not easy to see the ground sometimes.  This week the whole Akwaya region was covered by several thousand feet of smoke and harmattan that made for a challenging flight in the smog. 

One of our Gendarme friends came for a visit this week! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Cameroon a few days early (better than a few days late)! 

Here are a few pictures of what we have been doing this month...

 Kids playing with "snow" sent to us from Iowa!

Testing the camera for family pictures!

 ...our best Christmas gifts from God!

"I told you once, I don't do solo shots!" -Chloe

 

Flying to Amanavil, Akwaya to drop off supplies for a new bridge.  Bro Tom is starting a church and the river is often too high to cross during rainy season.  Also, pray for a dental evangelism outreach there in February.

Ladies' meeting of fellowship churches at the lake in Bambalang

  

 Building lego WWI fighter planes with Elias...

 ....building a wooden bi-plane later after we opened a Christmas package from America! 

We had several days of New Testament distribution in the neighborhood (quarter) of our church.  They were meant as a Christmas gift from our church to all our neighborhood.  All in all we were able to give out about 3,600 or so.  Thank the Lord for all who helped and for our home church for sending the Scriptures! 

Me and my baby girl! 

Happy Thanksgiving...belated

We drove about 3 hours to spend Thanksgiving with a number of missionary families.  Here are a few pictures...

 Elias and Nate eating first while waiting for the rest of the boys to get their food...

Elena and the girls table...

 

Driving several hours and then taking 240 stairs to the top of a hill that looks down into a crater lake.  This was the day after Thanksgiving picnic that we normally take with the other missionaries.

 At the top...right behind us is the beautiful blue lake and surrounding crater...

 A better view of the drop-off

 Abby holding on tight to the kids!

Playing American football on the picnic...at the bottom of the hill :)

A few days after Thanksgiving I was able to get an official airstrip checkout by Tom Needham at the Banso Baptist Hospital airfield.  The field is pretty sloped and is divided by a dog-leg turn in the middle.  I did about 4 solo takeoff and landings on this challenging field.  The pictures are of Tom doing his own takeoff and landing after I finished mine. 

What do you do when the juju is on your car?

Well, the answer is just watch and enjoy the show.  At least that is what I did along with the Cameroon-index-finger-wave to show disapproval.  There is a never a dull moment in Babungo.  Today, Abby and kids came with several from our church to help in the Babungo afternoon Bible study.  Before we bagan, we heard clanking metal instruments and looked out to see palace men all dressed up in traditional outfits marching down the road next by our Bible study.  I guess they were announcing to all who cared that the juju (witchdoctor) men were soon to follow.  I guess there was a big funeral down the road, and the person must have been associated with the palace.  Sure enough, the juju soon came dancing and running down the road being led by a bunch of boys in native attire and spears.  The juju come in all forms, shapes, sizes, and apparel.  These today were pretty scary looking.  One was half tree and half demon.  The other was half demon and half fire and feathers.  The latter one proceeded to climb up my RAV4 and show his superiority and power by dancing and prowling on top of my roof.  I thought it was pretty "impressive" until someone told me that he left two big dents in the soft metal on top!!!  I guess I could go to the palace and complain to the chief what his people did.  The people with me were pretty upset over the lack of manners of this witchdoctor!  Please pray for our Bible study.  It is days like to today that remind us of the spiritual powers at work in Babungo.  Elena and Elias watched spellbound today.  While they are afraid of the juju, Elias likes to talk about beating them up, and Elena knows that Satan is the influence behind them. 

Still here!

It has been way too long since I posted, so here are a few pictures. 

 

Eating at our favorite (and only) restaurant in town...the Royal Garden.  Actually, it is a very nice place for a town of 25,000.  

It was a perfect, beautiful week for our Bible Conference in October.  We had a week of teaching, films, and preaching to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. 

Showing some slides teaching the history of the Bible

Pastor Ernest preaching the final message

Reading and eating popcorn with Chloe late on the first night of our family vacation.  Some how Chloe is a night owl.  She often will lay quietly in her bed for over an hour or two.  This time she got to stay up with Abby and I. We had a short 3 night stay at a resthouse near the hospital where Chloe was born.  We also finished some needed documents for Chloe and had a good time together.

We decided to go exploring and take a picnic with us.  We were not disappointed.  All of have our "picnic" hats on for the trip! 

We found a nice spot to eat with an incredible view of the mountains and villages around Mbingo. 

Chloe picking flowers...

Elena picking flowers and running to give them to Abby.

At the top of a nearby hill overlooking all the other nearby hills! 

Running down the mountain on the way back to the rest-house. 

Watching the sun set over the airstrip at Mbingo Baptist Hospital. 

Pray for us next week as we have a week of soulwinning training and outreach.