Following God Back to America

It has been a very long time since I have written anything on the blog. It was just two weeks after my last blog that we felt God drastically changing the course of our lives once again. Dale shared that we made an emergency trip back to the US to be with his family while his mother was dieing. She left her earthly dwelling to enter into the presence of her Savior early in May. We celebrated the life that God gave to her on Noah's 6th birthday.

It was almost exactly one year ago that God placed His call upon us to follow Him to Cameroon. On May 20th of last year, Dale received an email requesting for teachers to go for the coming academic year. We knew immediately that this was God's desire for us to pursue the possibility of teaching at CBTS. With a great deal of prayer and discussion, it was within days that things seemed to begin falling into place for us to follow God to a place we had once thought we may go to someday but had never before felt God's leading. Everything happened so quickly...we were about to begin our 8th year in ministry at Valley Springs, then suddenly Dale was resigning. We needed to raise support in record timing. God provided. Then we thought we would be leaving in August after a very busy summer of packing up and moving out of our home and lots of traveling: a drive to WI/IL to visit family, Jamaica missions trip, and a wedding in Australia. God's plan for us was again different from what we expected. We waited...and waited for Visas. Then in the middle of October, the decision was made that we would go on a six month Visa instead of continuing to wait for residency. Our flight left two weeks later. Looking back now, I can't imagine how two weeks could have possibly seemed to be a short amount of time to actually finish what we needed to do and go.

Our first semester in Cameroon was cut in half. Dale's teaching schedule was full, lecturing extra hours in the evening to make up for lost time. I tried to move more quickly in the English grammar course but just couldn't ever seem to get ahead. We looked forward to a change of plans for the second semester. We changed our flights and instead of leaving 6 months after arriving, we were going to finish out the semester and see some of Dale's students graduate the first week of June. The teaching schedule was more relaxed with no need to schedule extra hours of class time(though this meant Dale was able to pick up an extra course and teach 5 instead of 4.) We seemed to have relaxed a little too much. Just after mid-terms, during the mid-semester break, we learned that Dale's mother's condition was getting much worse. We thank God for the encouragement from TLI to come home. We considered whether Dale should come alone while I stayed in Cameroon with the boys. When the decision was made for us all to return, we thought we'd leave in about a week. Over the two weeks that followed, there was only one flight out with space for 7. We had one day to pack, and needed to begin the drive toward the airport the following day.

It's hard to say goodbye, but even harder when it doesn't quite go the way you thought it would. In the 36 hours between when we thought we might be leaving CBTS and our actual departure, we experienced an incredible love, care, and persistence in prayer from the CBTS students and staff. I cannot express the impact it had on our family to be on the receiving end of their heartfelt prayers and genuine concern.

I'd like to write a separate blog about other things...like the experience of leaving the country. I am glad we only had to do it once. Josiah will be very quick to tell you that the day we flew out was the worst birthday he has ever had. If we don't ever write the blog, you'll have to ask us when you see us.

When we got back to the states, Dale's mom almost seemed to improve. She ate a few meals in the first week we were here. We are thankful for the time that we had with her during that week. Though she did not remember what we told her, she was very responsive and God blessed us with several opportunities to talk with her. Since her health seemed to be more gradually declining, Dale made plans to return to Cameroon to finish his courses during an intensive two weeks of teaching. The afternoon before he was to leave, her condition seemed to drastically change. The decision was made to cancel the flight. That night she passed away. Dale was able to be with his family during this time and also to proclaim Christ through his mother's story during the memorial service. God's plan is perfect. Again things didn't quite seem to go the way we had planned them to.

Dale returned to Cameroon a week later than the first flight was scheduled. I drove up to Wisconsin to stay with my family during the time that he was away. We've enjoyed extended time visiting with family, but we also feel displaced. Our homeschooling became difficult to continue and our regular routines have nearly disappeared. After having no colds or illnesses our entire time in Cameroon, several of the kids were coughing just a few weeks into our time here. We've enjoyed many luxuries of American life, frozen pizza, parks, bikes, etc. Last weekend, Noah took a spill off a bike which landed him in the ER with 3 stitches on his forehead and glue on his knee. The rest of the adventures in the Mid-west will have to be told at another time.

This afternoon, Dale called to tell me he was on the plane and coming home. I think I am finally writing this blog tonight because today there was closure to our time in Cameroon. After 2 more weeks and 50 hours of lectures, Dale has finished his courses at CBTS. I am confident that God has used Dale to teach the students what they could not have learned simply reading the assigned texts or watching a video lecture. I also trust that as many of the students of CBTS have walked closely through this past year with us, their lives will also be impacted by God's amazing faithfulness and never failing plan. I am eager for my husband to return, and we are eager to begin sharing more with you of our delight in being a part of God's work in Cameroon. More than once over this past year, God changed the plans that we had made as we sought to follow Him. And we continue to stand in awe of Him as we look back and rejoice in the plans that He made and the confidence that He gave in order for us to be used by Him to proclaim Christ in all things and in all circumstances.

Reflecting on Following Jesus and the Cost of Discipleship

We have had to make an emergency trip back to the States because we have learned that my mother is on hospice care, suffering in the last stages of dementia. As we wrestled through the decision and how it is going to impact our ministry at the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary, I have spent some time reflecting on some of the “harder” sayings of Jesus found in the gospels.

Jesus says in Luke 14:26-27, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

And, again, Jesus says in Luke 9:59-62, “To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

In returning to be with my family as my mother dies, have I put my hand to the plow and looked back? What does Jesus mean that I cannot be his disciple unless I “hate” my own father and mother and wife and children?

Well, I believe that Scripture, and especially Jesus, does not contradict itself (himself). These hard sayings should be interpreted and understood in light of other statements we have from Jesus.

Jesus condemns the Pharisees and scribes for breaking God’s command to honor parents in Matthew 15:3-6. “He answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, “Honor your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever reviles father and mother must surely die.” But you say, “If anyone tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father.” So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.’”

These Jewish religious leaders had a hunger for money and even went to the extent of selfishly withholding financially support from their parents. They would designate their money as “given to God,” with the thought that any money spent on themselves, as religious leaders, was spent for God. It was a really deceptive and greedy practice that dishonored and harmed their parents.

In this encounter, Jesus emphasizes that we are not to break God’s command to honor our parents. Part of honoring our parents is supporting them with what we have, whether it is financially or, as in my situation, with time and presence. Jesus’ call to discipleship is not a call to break God’s command to honor our parents.

What are we called to give up in following Jesus? I believe the clear message from Jesus in the Gospels is a call to give up a divided heart. Jesus says in Matthew 6:21 and 24, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Jesus is making an application about money, but the principle about the master of one’s heart is true for anything that rules your heart. Jesus is the true king and he will share the allegiance of our hearts with no one or thing. This was his challenge to the rich young ruler, whose heart was captivated by his possessions (see Matthew 19:21-22). This was Jesus’ response to the Pharisees’ dishonoring of their parents (see the quote from Isaiah in Matthew 15:8). This was Jesus’ challenge to the potential disciples in Luke 9. If anyone is to follow Jesus, they need to give their whole heart to him. It is not a call to dishonor parents.

So I pray with the psalmist in Psalm 86:11, “unite my heart to fear your name.” I want an undivided heart in following Christ, wherever he leads, whether it is to Africa or to the bedside of my dying mother. While I do not fully understand all of God’s ways, I trust that his leading and plans are perfect.

A Glimpse at the Students of CBTS

We have come now to our mid-semester break (they don’t call it spring break, because they don’t recognize our traditional seasons). I have been intending to write this blog post since the beginning of the semester. I have wanted to introduce you to the students at Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary. Those of you who have supported us in being here have actually been investing in the future of the church of Cameroon by equipping these students. We count it as a great privilege to be used by God to connect you with the work he is doing in this portion of his global church. Let this posting be a guide for your prayers on behalf of the current and future ministers of the Cameroonian church.

Let me begin by introducing you to the entire group of students I have the privilege of serving as a teacher. There are about 350 students total attending CBTS. I have a total of 134 students within my five classes. Of these 134 students, 28 are women. 76 of these students are married (most married students also have children). 22 of the married students have 5 or more children. In one of my classes, I have a student who is a widow with four children.

70 of the students are in my two Certificate of Theology (CTh.) classes. The CTh. program is designed for those students who have completed only a primary school education. It is a five-year program that would correlate with our sixth through tenth grades. My other three classes are on the BA/MA level (they are mixed into the same classes). I have 8 MA students (and, for the record, I am technically unqualified to teach MA students, since I, myself, have only completed a MA degree; not to mention all of the other ways I feel unqualified to teach these students).

The age range of the students is vast. We have the traditional-aged college students, who are single and young and boisterous. And we also have a lot of older students (in their 50s and 60s), for whom this is the first opportunity that they have had to go to seminary. I have never asked the students their ages, but, if I was to guess, I would say at least half of the students are older than me (I’ve actually been shocked a number of times when a student has shared his/her age with me because I have always assumed he/she was much younger than he/she really was; Cameroonians seem to age very well).

Because of housing and financial constraints, many of the married students come to the seminary without their families. And most of these students see their families only at breaks (between semesters and at the mid-semester break).

The number one prayer request I hear from the students relates to paying their school fees. Cameroonians have no school loan options or any scholarships available. The typical student will solicit their family members or their home church for sponsorship. These sponsors would then help pay their fees. Half of the tuition fees are due at the beginning of the semester and the other half is due after the mid-semester break. Many of my students went home for break to solicit sponsors for their fees. The seminary has said that they cannot return to class until all of their fees are paid.

The semester tuition for the certificate students is about $100, while the semester tuition for the BA students is about $160 (these do not include other miscellaneous fees). Depending on the work, these fees equate to one to two months worth of wages for a Cameroonian.

For every student English is either a second or third language. This presents some challenges as everything for the school is in English (lectures, textbooks, assignments, etc.). Also, every student is here to prepare for some level of ministry in his or her church. CBTS is one of the only options in Cameroon for the Baptist students to prepare for ministry.

Let me share more specific information for some select students:

Shadrack (CTh. 5, which means he is in his fifth and final year of the certificate program): He is married with eight children. He grew up in the village of Ndu, where CBTS is located. In January, he was appointed as the pastor of Kihfe Baptist Church on the outskirts of Ndu. He will continue in this ministry when he graduates in June. I had the privilege of preaching at his church last month.

Tangi (BA 2): He is married with four children. Tangi actually has served in the pastorate for almost as long as I have been alive (since 1978). He attended CBTS at the beginning of his ministry for his certificate degree and now he has returned for his BA. He has a son who is attending seminary in Nigeria (from what I understand, Cameroonians regard Nigeria to be one step ahead of them in ministry development). He continues to pastor his church, about 30 minutes away from the seminary. He hopes to be involved in training others for ministry.

Ajara (BA 4): She is a widow with four children. Ajara grew up as a Muslim and came to faith in Christ with very little knowledge of the Bible. She has come to CBTS to know the word of God and to be prepared to tell its truths to others.

Nathan (BA 2): He is from of family of “about 26.” His father has five wives. Nathan is the only Christian among his Muslim family. Before coming to Christ, he studied and translated the Koran. He asks for prayer for the salvation for his family.

Gabriel (MA 2): He is married with 3 children. Gabriel has already pastored for 10 years and now is studying at CBTS on a study leave. He actually is an in-demand preacher and conference speaker. He travels most weekends to preach in various parts of Cameroon.

Anita (CTh. 3): She is a single student who was orphaned as a young child. Growing up, Anita was passed around to different relatives. She was given almost no education and was required to work in various homes throughout her childhood, never receiving any pay. She is the only Christian in her family. Anita happens to be one of our house workers. She helps with dishes and cleans our home on a weekly basis. Isaiah adores Anita, especially when she has a bucket full of soapy water to wash the floors.

Helen (BA 1): She is married with one child (just under a year old). Helen’s husband is in Yaounde (about 10 hour drive away), while she is here with her son studying. While Helen is in class, her son is in the seminary childcare. Sometimes she comes late to class because her son doesn’t want to be separated from her. She is a singer who has produced an album and leads worship in chapel and at our local church.

As I said earlier, let this information guide your prayers on behalf of the students of CBTS. We praise God for this privilege to serve with his servants in Cameroon.

A Day in Ndu

We've had many people ask what a typical day looks like for us here at CBTS. I hope to give you a little picture into our daily lives, and probably a bit more of a weekly perspective.

On a typical day, Dale gets out of bed between 5 and 5:30am. These seem to be some of the best hours for grading papers, even if he has been up until midnight the night before grading papers. I like to sleep in a bit longer, usually 6:30 or maybe even 7:00 on occasion. Dale heads to chapel each morning by 7:25. Monday mornings we usually wait for Martha to come around 8:00 to make french toast or crepes. Sometimes I make a pan of muffins. Most other mornings we have a coffee cake, bread, or baked oatmeal that has been made the day before. After breakfast, either Micah or Josiah has to tie Billy Bob somewhere on campus where he can get some good grass to eat.

We begin our school day usually between 8:30 and 9:00. Often times the boys get a little break mid-morning to run outside for a few minutes. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I am usually still trying to finish up some grading in the morning before our English grammar course meets after lunch. The boys like these days because it means a long break. Most days we get most of our schooling done by lunch time which is always at 12:30. This is because it is a break for all on campus and guarantees us that Dale will be able to be home to eat with us.

As I've already mentioned, on Monday and Wednesday I teach English grammar at 1:25pm. The campus is fairly large and takes about 5-7 minutes to get to the classrooms from our home. While I am away Micah and Josiah spend time reading, and Dale reads with the three little guys. Usually, when I come home from class at 2:30, Isaiah and Jonathan come running to meet me. Dale tries to use the next hour and a half to do a little more grading and class prep. On days that I am not teaching for CBTS, we usually continue school at home a little longer into the afternoon.
From 4-5:00 every weekday afternoon the missionary women walk together. It's good exercise, but more importantly, a nice time for fellowship. We make four laps around the campus and usually anywhere from 2-4 of my littlest boys run out for a hug when we pass the house. This means I might have to jog a bit to catch back up with the women. After our walk, I come in to begin preparing dinner. Martha typically prepares something before she leaves between 2:00 and 3:00. I simply have to warm it up. Some days we still have massive amounts of laundry hanging on the line that we need to move under the covering behind the house or bring inside. Before dinner, one of the boys makes an attempt to untangle Billy Bob from his tree and bring him back home. They prefer to have a little snack in his bowl(he likes carbs best) so that he doesn't try to drag them through the yard while they tie him up.

After dinner we try to enjoy some time together as a family. We play board games, watch a movie, read, make attempts to call family back home. If the power has been out all day, it usually means we need to do some ironing. I am not sure if we have written much in our blog about why we have a laundress and a cook. We happen to be very fortunate to have a washer, but it doesn't do too well with clothes that actually have dirt on them. This means all of the kids clothing, Isaiah's diapers, any clothing we walk to church in, and often anything I wear for walking group must be washed by hand. We also iron EVERYTHING. Yes, even socks. There are flies that lay eggs in the clothing and will burrow into your skin if the clothing is any bit damp when you put it on. You then find yourself with a maggot growing under your skin. Fortunately we have had no experience with these yet, but we do ask our laundress to iron all of our clothing. With seven of us in the family, our laundress works full time washing and ironing. I also usually wash a load of diapers, some towels, and bed sheets on the weekends to try to keep up with everything. I will try to write a separate blog later this week on our cook and food consumption. Maybe I can get a picture of the motorcycle carrying all of our food home from market.
By the time we get the boys into bed, we are usually exhausted. I find that most nights I fall asleep grading papers or trying to read a book. If Dale and I try to watch a movie together, it usually takes about 3-4 nights to get through it. I have a tendency to fall asleep during the most exciting parts of movies...like battle scenes.

Although we have a cook who makes us lots of wonderful things, I find I am spending more and more time baking and preparing a meal myself. I think I am beginning to miss experimenting with recipes myself. We usually make most of our own meals on the weekend or eat leftovers. I've always loved baking (much more than cooking) and have enjoyed breaking out our Nestle Chocolate Chip stash to make some cookies. They seem to be discoloring a bit now and probably need to be eaten up tonight in pancakes. We also bought a few coconuts at market this week. It took a ridiculous amount of time to cut, shred, and sweeten the coconut. Unfortunately, both recipes I tried with coconut didn't turn out well. I think it's the altitude? Yesterday we made our own Wheat Thins.

Dale often tromps out to the forest on the weekends with the boys. They usually come home with sticks of various sizes that are being made into bows, arrows, spears, or swords. A few weekends ago, Dale and some of the boys visited some guys in the dorm. They were a little surprised to learn that the little daggers that they think look so neat are really for more practical purposes...like peeling fruit.

Before we came to Cameroon I was told that if I ever figured out what we did with our day and where all the time went, I would have made an amazing discovery. I can honestly say that I am not really sure where the day goes. Most people assume that since we have a cook and a laundress, we must have lots of free time. I think maybe everything that we do accomplish on our own just takes that much longer. For instance, we don't have a microwave and can't use water straight from the tap, so if I need warm water for a recipe, I have to heat it up on the stove top. I think we also spend a lot of time talking. There are students who frequently stop by. I can't just open the door and say, "Hi, I'll get Dale." That'd be very rude as taking time for greeting is very important here. I am thankful for growing relationships with our househelp. I've found I easily get distracted from what I am doing and get involved in conversation. Everybody has a different story displaying God's grace and faithfulness in their lives, and it is wonderfully encouraging and challenging to hear them.

Boys, Boys, Boys...and a few girls

It's been a long time since we have blogged. We went two weeks without regular internet service. It's amazing how dependent we have become on the internet for information and communication. Thankfully we were able to check email a few times over those weeks through a cellular internet device and had the opportunity to let family know that we were okay.

The purpose of this posting is really to simply show some photos of the kids for friends and family back home. They are growing physically and learning contentment in all that God has given us. We have moments where they are running and playing outside, excited to see new little faces show up in the yard to enjoy some football or gymnastics, and other times when they can't think of anything to do with themselves. (This was no different in America...we are still learning.) This past week has been a new season here in Ndu which has kept the kids inside quite a bit. We thought that there was only rainy season and dry season. We have now learned that just as the rainy season is about to begin, we enter smokey season. People are preparing their farm field for planting and that means burning out all of the brush, weeds, and left behind cornstalks. I'll try to get a picture posted soon of the farm fields here on campus. The smoke makes breathing and seeing difficult, but when the fields are ready for planting, the campus looks great.

Isaiah and Jonathan can often be found helping in the kitchen. Isaiah also has a fond affection for Billy Bob. Fortunately, Billy also seems to like him. They communicate well with each other since Isaiah makes a better goat sound than anyone I have ever heard. If you're concerned about the photos, yes, we really did buy large daggers(or small swords, depending how you look at it) for the three older boys. Don't worry, Noah's is relatively dull and the other boys only use them for shaving sticks and creating the sharpest wooden swords and daggers they can possibly make.

Chickens

When Dale and I were first dating, I was working at a Christian bookstore in northern Wisconsin. One memorable afternoon, Dale stopped by for a short visit. He smelled awful and was covered with blood and chicken feathers. Dale had spent the early part of the day butchering chickens with a family from our church. I think this activity was required in order to really be official as a youth pastor in northern Wisconsin. He describes the process like this: first you place the chicken's head between two nails, one person holds its body still and keeps the wings in place, another person then chops the head off with an axe, and finally, you hold it up by its legs while the wings flap and all the blood drains out through the neck. It is easy to understand how a person could end up smelling and looking like a chicken by the end of the day.

Well, two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to experience a nice, clean butchering of chickens. (We eat a lot of ground beef because trying to eat beef any other way requires too much chewing for the boys. We have fish about once a week, when it is available. Chicken is sort of a delicacy that is savored and enjoyed when we are willing to fork out the cash for it and endure the process of getting it.) Martha picked up two chickens on her way to our home a few weeks ago. They came to our house in a sack. She put them out in the "back kitchen" for the morning. We were waiting for our neighbor's cook to have a free moment to come and kill the chickens because Martha has a bit too much sympathy for them and, when possible, prefers to avoid the actual killing part. The first photo is of the chickens enjoying their last meal. The second photo is the butchering. It was an amazingly neat and clean process. Ancilla pinned the chicken down with both her feet and simply made a small slit for the blood to drain from his little body. It wasn't gruesome, and there was no mess. Why don't they do it this way in Wisconsin?

Josiah had really wanted to do the butchering himself. Maybe next time. The boys did get to watch and also learn how to clean it. Martha was very helpful in showing them how to remove the feathers and the outer skin. We also learned that the heart, gizzards, etc. are very important for the Cameroonians. I was glad to be able to share these. I am not sure if this was unique to the Wimbum people or is common throughout Cameroon, but chickens are oftened prepared by the groom's family and delivered to the bride's family to notify them that the marriage has taken place. Without the portions I so quickly gave away, the gift would be no good.

Football

Every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon the students on campus play a few football matches. This past week, one of Dale's Greek students from this past semester invited him to join his team for a game. Football happens to be the biggest sport here in Cameroon, and just about everyone seems to be able to handle the ball quite well. I think Dale kept up with the group just fine, but I am sure they are probably finding that he is much more valuable to them as a teacher than a teammate on the football field. I'd like to tell you that the photo is of Dale's incredible breakaway which led to the game winning goal...but...that's not quite what happened. It was fun to watch, and I think an enjoyable opportunity to see students outside of the classroom for some great fellowship. Isaiah joined the team photo because he was

confident that he should have been on the field with the guys.