Voices from the Field Calvin & Susanne Hohn Get to know Calvin & Susanne

From Goodbyes to Hellos

Published on September 08, 2016
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Hellos and Goodbyes

We left Cameroon on July 11th, saying goodbye to friends, family and familiarity there, and arrived in Canada the next day saying hello to friends, family and familiarity here. A recent blog post at A Life Overseas gives us perspective on the art of saying goodbye and what it means for those of us who call a number of global locations home. Take a read if you are interested: http://eepurl.com/b-0cuv Did you know that the term good-bye comes from the 16th Century phrase God be with you?

hohn1During the next eleven months here in North America we will be saying hello multiple times as we meet up with friends, family and supporters. And for just as many hellos there will be an equal number of goodbyes – usually after too brief a time of re-connecting. Pray with us that the joy of the hellos will be stronger than the pain of the goodbyes.

We are still in transition, living out of suitcases, until September 1st, when the condo we will be renting becomes available. The girls will start school September 6th and Calvin will begin travels to supporting churches by mid-September. We are currently contacting churches and planning our calendar. Once we have it finalized we will send out another commuique, informing you when we will be in your area.

Theological Education

Though we are physically in North America this year, we still have many opprtunities to encourage the work back in Cameroon. One ministry that needs continual encouragement is theological education. Recent statistics show that the fastest church growth globally is happening in Africa – http://bibleandmission.blogspot.com/2016/07/mission-as-theological-education-in.html. We can certainly attest to this in Cameroon. We also see, as the linked article mentions, that “Where there is fast church growth, there is always the challenge of syncretism and shallow theology.”

hohn2There is a continuing need to encourage sound Bible teaching and character transformation amongst those who are church leaders in Cameroon. While Taylor and Sioux Falls seminaries continue to grow their partnership with theological education in Cameroon, the Cameroon Baptist Convention has recently launched a new Department of Theological & Christian Education. A very capable young man, Dr. Samuel Ndeley, has been appointed as the director of this new department. His leadership will help to ensure the quality and relevance of teaching that is given through the two Cameroon Baptist Convention seminaries, and the various church leadership training programs.

There are always opportunities for North American seminary faculty and qualified pastors to volunteer in Cameroon for one, two, or more weeks of teaching. Please contact us if you, or someone you know, is interested in joining the international faculty of the Cameroon Baptist Convention. Facilitating such volunteer experiences is one of the many things we do.

Missions Project Opportunity

Are you, your small group or church looking for a fall missions project to support? Two that we highly recommend at this time are:

 

Seminary Student Work Scholarship Fund: Most seminary students in Cameroon rely on friends and family to help them pay for their education. By working part-time at the seminary through the work-study program, needy students can earn the shortfall in their tuition needs and continue in school. The program also benefits the seminary by providing the funds necessary to hire students for campus work. You can give on-line to this project at:

http://www.nabconference.org/give/online/cameroon-ndu-seminary-workstudy-program

or send a check to: NAB, 1219 Pleasant Grove Blvd. Roseville, CA 95678

hohn3Integrated School for Blind Children: Promoting sustainable livelihood, this school operates a 4-year program for beginners that prepares students to function in a seeing world. In these four years, the students learn daily living skills through mobility and orientation training. They also learn to read and write Braille. All students, regardless of age, begin in this program. Once they are both confident and competent in their skills they move onto mainstream schools. Teachers also provide support in translating materials into Braille for students who are attending mainstream schools. You can give on-line to this project at:

http://www.nabconference.org/give/online/cameroon-integrated-school-blind

or send a check to: NAB, 1219 Pleasant Grove Blvd. Roseville, CA 95678

 

We look forward to meeting up with many of you during the eleven months ahead,

Calvin, Susanne, Ysabelle & Elianna

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