Dear Family and Friends,
What a privilege to serve in this beautiful country. We have gotten to know so many wonderful people and there are so many more to meet even here at Bamenda Station. Over 250 people work here in the rest house, health centre, schools and various offices. Craig continues to get to know the staff in the office and enjoys the lively discussions at coffee break. He is also able to share his heart as he leads staff devotions.
Maureen enjoys teaching continuing education sessions for the health centre staff. She was also part of the Infection Prevention Team that travelled to primary, secondary and high schools in the area. What fun to demonstrate good health practices to these large groups of eager students. Maureen also visited some of the NAB special projects while completing year end reports. Visits to projects like the Integrated School for the Blind (ISFB) while heart breaking, were also encouraging as the work being done is absolutely making an inpact! We want to share one story from ISFB:
Alone in her dark world, Clarisse was a forgotten child. Her family viewed her as defective and determined she would never be of any value to anyone. When Clarisse was orphaned at the age of 8 she was sent to her uncle’s home. Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) community workers seek out handicapped individuals and carry out information sessions to educate Cameroonians on the value of all people. It was these CBC workers that discovered Clarisse, afraid, dirty and her clothes in tatters. The CBC workers spoke with Clarisse’s uncle and informed him of the opportunities available for blind children. After some months of counseling Clarisse’s uncle began to see a young girl of potential where previously he saw only a useless child; unworthy of the investment of time or money. Clarisse recently graduated from primary school thanks to the compassion and education she received at ISFB. The dedicated staff took in a frightened child, taught her how to manage the activities of daily living, gave her an education and gave her hope for a future. This confident young girl continues to benefit from ISFB as they assist her in secondary school.
In April we will go back to Canada. It will not be easy to leave this place. We will miss the warm smiles of friends, the “aha” look as students gain new understanding, the discussions of how to best manage the financial resources that God has blessed the Cameroon Baptist Convention with, and the everyday freedom of discussion with patients about God’s love and strength for whatever situations arise. Thank you for sending us here!