Home!

Hello, My friends,

Thank you for your prayers and support as I've arrived back in Canada and transitioned back into residence and academic life.

God blessed me with fairly uneventful flights and trips through customs; jet lag is over, culture stress hasn't really hit me too much either. I ended up conversing with the man beside me on the plane for most of the flight over the Atlantic ocean - I'm pretty certain God arranged that.

Last night I had my debriefing with Jessica, the Wycliffe Recruiter who helped arrange my internship. What a blessing! It was great talking through experiences that happened in Cameroon, as well as reflect on how that could influence my current academic path and ultimately how I live.

Today I had the opportunity to share briefly in Chapel about the unity of the churches within COCELMPU and how incredible it really is to see them focusing on their similarities instead of their differences to translate the Bible as well as work together in Yokadouma. It continues to be a story that leaves me with hope for the unity that the Church in Canada can one day experience.

Keep David and Audrey in your prayers as they travel back to Yokadouma tomorrow, as well as Henny and her work while she is presenting a workshop at the unbound conference in Calgary.

Also, keep me in your prayers as I'm busy with school and program changes and donning and getting back into the swing of things and continuing to process my experiences in Cameroon!

(Also pray for the team that Jessica is preparing to lead in a missions trip to Cameroon. There are about a dozen students going and 2 are still waiting for passports!)

He is faithful!

-Andrea

Packed and ready to go...

My Friends

My bags are packed and ready; my plane leaves in six hours and I arrive home (if all goes as planned) within the next 27 hours.( I also get to share a flight with a Cameroonian family from our church who are moving to Montreal to join their father. Keep them in your prayers as well as they make this big move.)

What an exciting, but strange feeling – I am so looking forward to arriving back home, but I can’t help being sad to leave this place. Cameroon and its people – “Ahhh, you are welcome here” was said so many times, accompanied by a huge smile. I’ll miss my Cameroonian friends and the things they’ve taught me. But I know that as I leave I will continue to learn things from this experience and these relationships as I start processing these events. I want to keep you up to date on what I learn while I’m home too – To keep updating this every now and again as I discover how I will let this experience shape who I am and how I live.

Thank you for coming with me on this journey (even though its not over yet!). For walking with me, and praying with me for the Cameroonian people here, and for your prayers for me. I’ve had such a positive experience, though it wasn’t always easy. I learned many things and grew a lot. God brought me into contact with people doing almost every different service I’ve questioned as a possible future for myself. He kept me healthy for the whole 3 ½ months (well, other than the first week and a half where I reacted to the malaria medication) and worked through my French learning experience. My school requirements have been fulfilled, any personal goals I had set were met (except watching ‘how to train your dragon’ for a second time) and God has refreshed me and prepared me for what life holds once I get home.
Thank you.

But prayers are always needed

Keep the Executive Committee of SIL Cameroun in your prayers as they meet on Wednesday and Thursday.
Keep Henny in your prayers as she thinks she is getting sick and is flying to Canada Thursday night for meetings and to lead a workshop for the Unbound conference.

For David and Audrey as they drive back to Yokadouma, for Audrey to settle in to living with the Catholic sisters, for her work on her Ethnography report, and for David’s linguistic work he needs to get done.

Also, Keep me in your prayers as I adjust back to life in Canada, as I continue processing all that has happened and all that I have learned. Classes start on the 2^nd of May, and donning (residence assistant) at school starts up right away. I’m excited for my semester, but will need God’s strength and encouragement as things will be busy.

Because God is good, and He is faithful
Andrea

Because Photos are Fun

Here my friends, this is a bit of Yokadouma!
This is the gate to David and Henny's house and the current COCELMPU office. A great place to watch storms blow in.
The COCELMPU office on a busy day!
A visit with one of the pastor's wives, her youngest daughter, and a girl from their church. So welcoming!
One of the biggest concerns on the drive to Yokadouma. They drive fast, and keep to the middle of the road. On the way out in February a log clipped the back of our roof rack, but God kept us safe! Its not uncommon to see men napping on mats under their trucks on the side of the road.

The road (major highway) out to the airstrip and Central Africa Republic. This road turns very slick when its wet. Villages are frequent on the sides of these main roads.

Sidonie, Audrey, and I on International Women's day wearing our special Cameroonian Women's day dresses.

Yaounde!

My friends,

Thursday night, we arrived back in Yaounde after a 13 hour drive. Praise the Lord for the clear and fairly nice roads – no overturned logging trucks and the perfect amount of rain to keep the dust down while not creating too much mud.

The last week in Yokadouma was a busy one. A literacy worker from SIL and a project coordinator from CABTAL came down to work with COCELMPU for the week. Good fellowship, conversation, and learning filled the week. The last 3 days in Yokadouma were spent with electricity for a few hours during the day, and no water. A new experience for both Audrey and I – take a moment and thank God for your running water and electricity! (there is also a story about waiting at the airstrip for 4 hours before driving the pilot and 2 passengers home on roads “slick as snot on a doorknob” for an impromptu lay-over. Ask me sometime!)

These next two weeks Audrey and I will be busy working on a video outlining the exciting things happening within COCELMPU (hopefully for you to see eventually!) and working on our individual reports (My report for school should be finished (as in final copy) sometime this week or early next week). Pray for us as we try and communicate clearly and effectively!

Also, keep Henny, David, and all of SIL Cameroon branch in your prayers this week as the Executive Committe (which Henny chairs) is meeting this week to plan branch conference (week after next) and also for all the SIL members working in Cameroon as we attend Spiritual retreat.

I have another 15 days left in Cameroon – it's amazing how the time has gone! Pray for me as I start trying to process information before I get home, for rest, and for patience as sometimes I lose focus on the here and now. When I arrive back in Canada I have the privilege of spending 3 days with my Family and Ben and time to have a quick visit with a good friend of mine before she leaves for 4 months and I start school again. The coming transitions will be tough, but really exciting! I'm so excited to share some of the things that I have learned here. It's amazing the things God has taught and the many ways I've been able to grow. Thanks be to our patient God and your prayers!

Thank you for praying my friends – continue your prayers for COCELMPU – this is only the beginning!

As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.

Psalm 18:30-36 (NIV)

What a comforting, guiding, perfect God we serve.
And we can know Him intimately, in our own language.

Andrea

Sometimes God's Plan is Different...

My friends,

Out God is a good God who works in ways we don't really predict or always understand. I never predicted God's answer to my plea to learn French would come like this. Praise the Lord with me, lift His name, and thank him for His good plan. Even though it tends to look a bit different than ours.  

Yesterday, I was asking the treasurer questions about the program he is using, the learning process and what he likes or dislikes, for information for my report. It was a program that I learned when I arrived in Yokadouma and taught to him over the course of a few weeks, with a couple things left to learn. Even though he had no previous computer experience he learned quickly, with much enthusiasm and ability. Answering about the learning process, he said that it was such a blessing that I came from far away to help them learn, because I had such a gift for teaching, using simple words and going slowly enough for him to understand well. How our God works in funny ways! I can't take credit for any of those compliments - I teach with all the French I know, poor grammar and simple words included. I teach slowly because I can't handle too much French in a day, and I was learning the program as well. While I thought that my French was a terrible detriment, it turns out God has used it for His purpose, and His glory. Only by prayer, and His power does that happen. Praise the Lord :)  

Be encouraged with me. And don't stop praying!  

*Henny is teaching a financial management course in one of the churches this Saturday (March 26) Pray that those who attend will learn and understand, that they will put these practices into their lives, and that it will spread through the churches. Pray that God's will be done, and His plans realized in the lives of the Mpumpong people.  

Our God is good. 

-Andrea 

The Adventure Continues

My friends,  

Thank you for being on this journey with me. Thank you for caring about life here and how God is working among the Mpumpong in Yokadouma. Thank you for being among the people who sent me and are supporting me day by day.  

The translators returned this last week from their time in the villages, they came back with stories and much feedback – on the flow of the language and on their translation. People who were interested in only the language development came and listened to the scriptures, when they would not normally step foot in a church! God's word is being shared and heard. Praise the Lord!  

As part of developing the interchurch committee Henny and David attend a different church every week. On Saturday we went to the 7th Day Adventist church, where one of the translators is the pastor. I wasn't really sure what to expect as I don't agree with everything they believe. We were welcomed with open arms, by people who loved Jesus and the same God that I do, we worshiped God with them, and learned with them. I was encouraged, and strengthened in that. I realized the HUGE importance in building inter-denomonational relationships even back home. We all serve the same God and can accomplish so much more if we focus on God and how we can serve and grow together instead of putting each other down.

When David and Henny first arrived here 5 years ago, most pastors didn't know each other and were often convinced that the beliefs of the other denominations were very wrong. As the inter-church committee developed, pastors came together with the common goal of translating the Bible, believed by all the churches to be the Word of God. They are now focusing on the similarities of their beliefs  and their desire to bring people to know God. They are studying the Bible and praying for their country together and developing relationships.  

Not all churches have caught the vision, nor have they all embraced their similarities. There are still some on the outskirts, spoken badly about by others. Pray for unity among the pastors, pray for courage for them to begin loving the other churches and encouraging the people of their church to  reach out in love as well.  Pray for wisdom, and for encouragement and peace. Pray for God's will. God has plans for Yokadouma even more beautiful than we think.

Pray For... 

*churches and unity 

*God to provide a location for Audrey to live when Henny (1 month) and I return to Canada 

*Pray for efficiency, but an attitude of sitting and learning from God this week as I have lots to do and accomplish, but I desire so much to spend more time growing and learning from God. I have to write a paper, plan and work on a promotional video with Audrey, and get in as much computer-learning time as possible!) 

*Henny as she finishes writing a short course on financial management principles, and presents it at one of the churches on Saturday. Pray for clarity and understanding, for her French, and for the people coming. 

*David as he needs to turn his focus towards more linguistic analysis, and things seem to always pop up! 

*My French, as it is improving (I understood most of the message on Saturday in French) but will need improvement until even after I come home! 

*Wisdom for me in preparing for next term, and not taking on too many activities or commitments as I tend to want to jump at every opportunity.  

Ps. We went to the village on Friday, and went out to the fields with a friend. An amazing trip for so many reasons! Trees with above ground root systems that were 2-3 meters in diameter, and women carrying heavy loads on their back by a strap across their forehead for a 20 minute hike in the forest. Incredible women!  

The forest made me think of this song. And the hugeness of what it is saying.  

Who is the King of the Jungle? Who is the King of the Sea? Who is the King of the Universe? And who is the King of me? His name is J-E-S-U-S! Yes! He is the King of Me! He is the King of the universe, the Jungle and the Sea!  

Because our God is big. And good. 

-Andrea 

March 9th Update

Friends!

I would love to write you a huge long post describing life in Yokadouma to you in detail, but I think you should just come to Cameroon instead. *There are many opportunities for short-term missions assignments! (from months up till 2-4 years!) (check out the wycliffe Canada website!)

Quick updates on life

*Adjusting to life in Yokadouma has gone pretty well, I'm feeling quite at home 

*I've been able to start developing good relationships with some of the people in the office, despite the fact that I still have lots of French to learn 

*Audrey and I have made friends with the daughters of one of the pastors. It's really fun and interesting and informative to just hang out with them and talk. What a blessing! (Audrey went  with them to an all night prayer meeting last week which she really loved!) 

*There was a COCELMPU general assembly meeting last week that went really well (it was the highest attendance yet with about 25 people) afterwards, I was speaking with one of the mobilizers (in charge of publicity and communication with villages) and he was saying that the growing interest and participation in the committee was so very encouraging. It was cool for him to see how God had worked to connect more people with the ministry and to give them this passion and desire! Also during the meeting, a couple people spoke with such passion that even I was encouraged (and I didn't even understand what they were saying!) 

*We (D, H, A , and I) have been reading through the book “When Helping Hurts” and I've been finding it incredibly interesting – it talks about development from a Christian prospective (Something I don't get in school) and really stresses how central relationships, especially our relationship with God, are in development. It talks about how we all are living in some sort of poverty and that Jesus is really the only way to fix that – be it material poverty or poverty in our relationships.  Join me this week in praying for... 

*Charlotte – the literacy coordinator of COCELMPU is traveling to villages for the next 2 ½ weeks working with the 'monitors' (people who live in the villages who are responsible to continue teaching literacy while she is away) to help them improve their teaching. Pray that she will be able to communicate well, and that her passion for literacy will be shared among the monitors. Pray for her travel and her health, and the reception of the literacy classes! 

*Joseph, one of the translators who is spending time in the villages over the next week and a half to improve his Mpumpong and test out some of the scriptures that have already been translated! Pray for his health, energy, further improvement of Mpumpong, and for good communication and feedback from the scritpures. 

*Audrey and me as we continue to adjust to life in Yokadouma, and develop relationships here 

*And last but not least, my French!  

Because Jesus Saves! 

-Andrea 

Greetings from Yokadouma!

Friends! We're in Yokadouma safe and sound! God provided us a safe journey  and opportunity to meet some really great people. Thank you so much for your prayers! We stopped along the way (three times) to visit past colleges from Yokadouma and learn about their lives. We were able to see a church at its finishing stages of construction (this mans desire for God to reach the Abongmbong town was so evident!) and to see a cocoa/plantain/all other kinds of plants plantation. We met with a pastor who oversaw about 18 churches in the Bertoua region and hear what God was doing there.   What an encouraging trip! (and we got to drive through hours of Gods beautiful creation in South Eastern Cameroon! How diverse and interesting!)  When we got here, we were greeted by stories from the COCELMPU members of the work that had happened while David and Henny were away. People who were literate in French needed little to no instruction to begin to read in Mpumpong! What a testimony to God's goodness and the simple and useful design of the alphabet!  Its been so interesting and encouraging meeting the memebers of COCELMPU  and hearing their stories – the translators are eager to begin the translation now that they have finished the translation courses and David is back to help them get started!  How exciting it is to see their excitement and eagerness to do this work! Keep the project in your prayers as they soon begin!  I want to thank you specifically for your prayers for my French! You have no idea how encouraging it is to know that people are praying for that specific area of my life. I've found it really discouraging – I want so much to communicate well with these people and develop relationships with them, but the language continues to be this barrier. Everyone is so encouraging and forgiving of my French mistakes, saying I'll learn soon, but it continues to be a struggle of mine. I've learned so much already, but sometimes it is hard to see that and is so much easier to focus on what I can't communicate. Pray for both my learning, and my mindset!  This week I'm learning more about the computer programs I will be helping them with, and next week I will hopefully begin both teaching them, and learning from them! Pray for understanding, and God to be glorified. The second one being key, the first one being kind of nice!  Because our God is good (And can speak French and Mpumpong too!) 

We're learning about being flexible - the car should be ready tomorrow

My Friends,
Cameroon is currently warm with a slight breeze. The birds are singing, and Audrey is sitting on the couch listening to Mpumpong recordings and speaking French to herself. David is finishing up his Mpumpong orthography statement (a paper that talks about the language, grammer, and written form of the language), and Henny is doing some quick things over at CABTAL(Cameroon association of Bible translation and literacy). We were planning on being on the road long before now, but the car had some problems with the radiator and a car with overheating problems in the middle of Cameroon on a hot day is not the best for a 12 hour driving adventure.

The last couple of days have been full of information – it seems everyday there are so many new things to learn and remember about the culture, I'm afraid I'll forget them all! (Pray that my memory is really good and I am faithful in writing all the observations down.)

This Saturday I played soccer with a group from a friends church; it was an evengelistic tournament, so they passed out tracts to the team of 'motos' (motorcyclers) that we were playing. We had a great time playing together! (picture below!)

I'm getting quite excited about Yokadouma, though I know it'll be tough. I'm really excited (ok, a little nervous too) to get to know some of the Mpumpong people, to learn about their lives a little bit (as much as language will allow), learn their cooking and just who they are. I'm looking forward to meeting the four people in COCELMPU who I will be helping with their computer skills (There are more than 4 members).

Here are names to keep in your prayers!

Sidonne – the secretary, learning general computer usage
Charelotte – literacy coordinator, learning scribus for publishing
Joseph – a translator (one of three), learning about the translation software
Salvador – the bookkeepper, learning about GnuCash an accounting program.

Keep them in your prayers! Also that I'll be able to communicate with them well, and develop relationships with them that aren't just focused on work, but on learning about God and serving Him with them. That I'll stay open and receptive to learning many things from them. For transition for me and Audrey and we change locations and have to adapt to the village.

Thank you for your prayers – I don't think I've said this enough lately. It's exciting to see God's children in Cameroon!

(Yesterday while running around CTC, I had a couple really good conversations with Cameroonian employees here on the center. Zach, one of the gardners and I talked about the importance of being truly 'born again' and living for Chrst. My friends, I'm falling in love with this country, I wish you could come and see the people going about their days, smell the freshness of the rain, hear the birds singing and taxi horns honking. I wish I could properly convey to you the difficulty of not having God's word in your mother tongue – the difficulty of going to church in French, and the need for this work to happen.)

Until next time, From Yokadouma,

-Andrea

The long awaited photo's...

So guys, I know Audrey has been amazing and doing this all along... and I haven't done all so well, but here are a few photo's from over the last month!
This is something you don't see everyday in Canada! There were also many people crammed into this bush taxi!

David is very good at trying to keep the house as 'ant-free' as possible. Audrey and I are learning the tricks of the trade. Step #1 - buy a really large bottle of insect spray. Step#2 Wipe the counters really well, rinse the dishes before stacking them, and leave no crumbs of food on the table, floors, or sinks.

We went to the typesetting office at CABTAL (Cameroon association of Bible Translation and Literacy) and learned all about the detailed process that goes into typesetting! What a great job these guys do!

About half of the kids in the middle school retreat on the way back from the pool and last session with Christy! The girls in my small group are - the one on the very left who you can only see half a face for, the girl with sunglasses and the blond girl beside her, and the girl with the arm sling (She broke her collor bone, but learned much from God through that!). I had a great small group - and we learned a lot and got to know each other! Thank you for your prayers!
(These vans are great! This one has seats for 15 I think - very handy for carpooling and transporting around Yaounde!)

A part of the city of Bamenda


Me in my Cameroonian dress! Photo complete with Palm tree! It is kind of crazy how I've gotten completely used to seeing plantain., palm, coconut, and papaya trees everywhere!

I had a really crazy day today - I got to learn a lot more about Cameroon! I am becoming more and more attached to this country and the people here! They continue to be very welcoming.

Thank you for your prayers through day to day life. What an encouragement they are!
Because our God is greater than we know...
-Andrea