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