Dear Family and Friends,
In the rain forest town of Kumba, the Cameroon Baptist Seminary operates to prepare a little over 100 students for ministry in God’s Church. (There is also a larger, older seminary in Ndu, in the grasslands.) In late September a board of governor’s meeting was scheduled at the Kumba seminary, where I needed to present a report on the rather pitiful financial position of this school.
Now there are 3 ways to get from Bamenda to Kumba:
- Through Mutengene – all paved roads, though some significant “rough sections” – takes about 7 ½ hours – the tried and proven way.
- Via the Loum Road – 4 hours on paved road and then (if it’s not bad) 1 hour on the Loum road, notoriously muddy and rocky.
- Via the Mamfe Road – shortest route as the crow flies, but most of it is dirt road which can be precarious in September as the rainy season comes to an end.
For this trip we had access to a 4×4 Toyota Hilux pick-up truck and my mission driver, Fred, is a former “bush taxi” driver, familiar with bad roads. With a penchant for adventure we chose to drive to Kumba, taking one of the roads less travelled, (3.) via the Mamfe Road…in hindsight not the wisest choice. Much of the trip was driving from mud hole to mud hole, and in 2 instances there was “serious” 4 wheel driving. The journey delayed at one mud hole where a truck was stuck and no one could pass by. We arrived safely in Kumba in the night – travel time 10 hours.
The next day at the meeting, the seminary president highlighted the staffing, financial and infrastructural struggles of the seminary. Daunting obstacles, yet we know our God is able to build His Church through all this.
Tomato paste & tobacco
When the meeting finished at 2:30 in the afternoon Rev. Shadrack Vegah, a Bamenda pastor and chairman of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Evangelism & Missions department, joined us for the return journey. Figuring that the Loum Road could not be any worse than the Mamfe Road, we ventured on it. That was a big mistake! It was worse! With deep mud ruts our vehicle axle got hung up in the mud holes 3 times. The people who live in the villages along this difficult dirt/mud/rock road proved to be very kind. Each time we got stuck, they willingly and cheerfully got dirty and helped push us out. Then a new problem emerged. On a rocky upgrade the engine just stopped. Now what?! Opening the hood, the problem was soon apparent. The rough driving caused some pieces of the cooling fan to break off and they in turn put a number of holes in our radiator, causing the engine to overheat. We put some more water in the rad but did not get very far as it quickly leaked out. Some guys in another Hilux, returning from working in a cocoa farm stopped to ask what our problem was. We asked if they could tow us to Loum town, where we would try and get our radiator repaired. Neither they nor we had a rope for that. But our new “good Samaritans” stated that if we put some tomato paste in the radiator it would get us to Loum town. Without any other options, the rad was filled with water again and we reached a village but there was no tomato paste available there. After another rad fill, we pushed on to the next village, and they had tomato paste! The tin’s contents were carefully put in the radiator. Our “good Samaritan” then bought some cigarette sticks, broke them open and put the tobacco in the rad. Rev. Vegah and I looked on in stunned disbelief! After all, what can you say to a “good Samaritan” when he has chosen to help you?!
Well I do not understand how, but the concoction worked and we covered the rest of the rocky stretch of road reaching Loum town at about 7:00 pm. (A trip, that on a good day takes about 1 hour, had taken us 4 ½ hours.) At Loum we found some boys at a gas station who were able – using 3 tubes of sealant – to plug up all the holes in our radiator. Finally we were on our way again. Our vehicle limped in to Bamenda at 4:30 a.m. the next morning. The total trip time was 14 hours! We thank God for safety through the adventure. Lesson learned – next time revert to the tried and proven route!
If you are looking for a worthy ministry to support, may we suggest the attached list of ideas – special projects – that are contributing to God’s Kingdom work.
Thanking you for your kind prayers and support.
In Christ
Walter & Florence