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Sometimes being a missionary means exciting things are happening all around you. Lives are being changed as a result of the ongoing work; timely medical interventions save lives and we marvel at how God is so clearly active in our midst. However, this is not always the situation. Sometimes things are happening slowly and almost imperceptibly. We know that God is always at work, but sometimes it seems that like things have become stagnant. We are currently facing a huge change at Rain Forest International School (RFIS).
RFIS outdoor chapel.
We can’t recall a time when more staff were all scheduled to leave on home assignment, retirement, or just completing their service all at the same time. We really need a group of new staff to come out for the 2024–25 school year. The days until that school year is here are getting less, and we are not hearing about many new staff that are preparing to come. Perhaps in this time of stillness, God is calling you to use the skills he has given you to help in Cameroon. Currently, Craig has no one to hand over his Director of Admin and Finance hat to, and we need a school director, a guidance counsellor, and teachers for middle school and high school. Whether you are just graduating from university or you are an experienced teacher who is not quite ready to retire, we would love to have you join the team at RFIS!
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about safety and security. We’ve had some terribly heavy rainstorms, complete with ear-splitting thunder and really close lightning strikes. Trees have fallen, and the crack of branches breaking off from the rainforest giants around us has resonated loudly in our area. After the storms passed and we could go out to survey the damage, we saw many fallen trees, new trenches sliced through roads where the torrential rain devoured the soil. Scorched tree trunks, holes in the ground over top of buried power lines, fire-ravaged light fixtures, and destroyed light bulbs were all around. We thank God that on our compound and the immediate area no trees destroyed homes and no one was injured. However, approximately 15km away from us a landslide occurred and 30 people were killed as homes were swept away and an entire hillside collapsed.
A stand of bamboo before the storm.
And after the storm.
The safety and security thoughts go beyond nature’s storms and include other dangers. As acting NAB Field Director, I also work on evacuation plans and monitor security issues for our missionaries. We are in challenging times.
Giving White Cross layettes to new moms.
Caring for sick or injured patients.
The conflict in the NW and SW Regions continues to take lives. We continue to pray for peace and ask you to join us in prayer as we seek to assist those who have been affected by the conflict. The CBC continues to minister to many conflict victims through medical care, assistance for internally displaced persons (IDPs), prison ministry, and both the Peace and Transformation workshops and Trauma Healing workshops. We cannot stop the conflict. We cannot guarantee safety and security, but we can offer hope and be instruments of peace. Donations can be made by clicking on nabconference.org/give/cameroon-crisis-relief and scrolling down.
Recently, the NAB was able to financially assist a group of rural CBC pastors to gather together for a three-day spiritual formation retreat. The theme of the retreat, Inner Transformation and Renewal for Kingdom Ministry Impact, was drawn from Romans 12:1–2 and 2 Corinthians 4:16–18.
The group shared ministry experiences, explored spiritual disciplines, and spent time in prayer. While many pastors wanted to participate in the event, only 12 were able to attend. Travel is difficult and sometimes impossible in the area, and transportation costs have risen greatly. Thankfully, this group of dedicated pastors were able to travel to the conference and return to their churches safely. The pastor leading the conference reported they all left having experienced spiritual refreshing and were encouraged in their work in the church.
Thank you for partnering with us here in Cameroon! Lives are being changed here! Pastors are receiving training, students are learning, patients are being healed, and Jesus is being shared to many. We are privileged to support the work of so many dedicated missionaries and Cameroonian brothers and sisters as we carry out our behind-the-scenes activities.