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June was a busy month as we began packing, saying goodbye to friends and colleagues, and attending year-end events at Rain Forest International School (RFIS).
Craig wrapped up finance and admin duties at RFIS, and Maureen did a final stock check of First Aid supplies at the school. Maureen also took one last trip up to Bamenda. There she attended the CBC Health Services Board meeting, as well as met with other CBC leaders as the NAB continues to evaluate ministries and seek for opportunities to come alongside the CBC. Maureen also enjoyed the fellowship around the meetings and the opportunity to spend time with friends. Traveling to this beautiful area of the country now marred by the conflict was keenly anticipated. It used to be our home, and we have many good memories of time spent there. It felt good to be there, but it also evoked a deep sadness as the reminders of the many tragedies were once again painfully evident.
All change – even if it’s viewed as good – causes a degree of stress. Our last few months have definitely been jammed full of change and have been overwhelming at times. We left so much in Cameroon – our home, friends, jobs, routines, and comfort zone. We are happy to be close to family again, but our arrival in Calgary brought many changes, too. We needed to find cell phone plans, look for a reliable used car, figure out where to buy groceries, and get accustomed to what is a good price for things. We’ve been packing and unpacking and trying to find new rhythms. We’re trying to renew friendships and make new friends; we’re looking at the local church and trying to figure out where we can be involved, as we are actually staying here now.
I have come to know that when things get chaotic, I need to go to nature. A walk in the woods where I can pour out my heart to God and be surrounded by His creation breathes life and refreshment into me; it gives me joy and a sense of both God’s presence and a reminder of His faithfulness.
In Cameroon, when I was struggling with something, I could take a walk in the rainforest. God provided a symphony of tropical birds to serenade me. He gave me experiences that took my breath away – like when thousands and thousands of butterflies flew overhead as I gazed in wonder at the chance to observe this incredible migration.
In Canada, God knew I would be missing Cameroon, and so he provided opportunities to experience His creation in other ways. I’ve had walks by ponds where I could listen to the beautiful song of red-winged black birds and watch ducks and their babies play. He brought deer and a momma moose and her baby to stroll and hang out in my backyard. As I drink in this beauty, I am reminded that the God who was with us in Cameroon is with us here in Calgary. He knows the sorrow we feel from leaving, the joy for returning, and all the rollercoaster of emotions we experience during this time of transition.
Craig and I completed our term on July 31; however, my position as Cameroon field director continues. This is because no one was found to replace me. Much of my field director role was carried out through Zoom calls, emails, and WhatsApp messages. This will continue unchanged. Face-to-face meetings will be scheduled as needed during trips to Cameroon a couple times a year. I will continue to coordinate the White Cross work, special projects, and the Cameroon Relief Fund; support our missionaries in Cameroon; and work with members of the Cameroon Baptist Convention to support the good work they are doing there.
If you attended the women’s luncheon at Triennial, you will have heard about Saker Baptist College. Our NAB missionaries started the school in 1962, and this girls’ high school has been providing an environment that encourages young women to learn, to grow, and to lead. It now has an enrolment of 1,131 students, and graduates have a significant kingdom influence in Cameroon and abroad.The school is now facing a challenge to provide water to the students. Due to an old and now inadequate system, the girls stand in line for hours waiting to fill their buckets and get washed up before school. Due to the low tuition and boarding fees the school charges, Saker is unable to fund big capital projects independently. With an input of $14,000, the water situation can be remedied. This will then provide adequate water for the students and staff at the school, as well as provide a source of clean water for the approximately 200 people in the surrounding community.
Assisting in the water project to support Saker Baptist College is an opportunity to support Christian-based education and empowerment of young women in Cameroon. If you are able, please go to nabconference.org/give/special-projects and scroll down to make a contribution to the Saker Baptist College Water Project. We still need over $9,000 to complete the project.
Thank you for your continued support of the work in Cameroon and for partnering with us in prayer and finances!
Grace and Peace,