Update on Rioting and Abele

I have some good news to report. Unfortunately, the rioting in Cameroon continues, but my teammate, Nathan, has been able to safely drive back home to the bush where his family has been waiting for him. He was quite resourceful, and was able to get word that the route he would take out of Yaoundé was relatively safe. He then hired a motorcycle taxi to drive in front of him and alert him of any trouble. Continue to pray, as many of our missionaries are in the larger cities that are affected by the riots and could become targets if the rioters become desperate. Some of these missionaries are also away from home at a biannual educational conference for the kids and will need to travel home soon also.

On his way home, Nathan stopped to see Abele in prison. Here is an excerpt from his email regarding Abele’s condition.

“I found the prison without too much trouble. It’s held in an old structure that the German’s had built many years ago before Cameroon’s independence. …they called Abele and I greeted him, noticing that he seemed a bit slimmer than the last time I saw him. We talked for a bit and I found out that he gets one meal each day, though there’s a place for prisoners to buy food if their families bring them some money. I left him a little, along with some food, soap and a toothbrush. I told him that his family is praying for him and he said that he is also praying for all of us. We prayed together and then, after encouraging him with the fact that one day this will all be over and he can return home, I left.”

Please continue to lift Abele up in prayer. Prison life is very hard. Abele is also very much a minority in prison, as he is a pygmy and looked down upon by most Cameroonians. It is not uncommon for pygmies to be taken advantage of. Pray for his safety, that he does not become a victim of violence, for his health and ability to get enough to eat, but most of all that God would minister to him in a very special way during this time. We do not yet know how long Abele will be in prison.

Beginner

I'm pleased to announce that I passed my oral exam. The findings of this exam are that I can start the conversation course in April with the beginning French students who are in their first semester now. However, given the difficulty of doing such a test over the phone, we will repeat the test when I get to Quebec. The instructor who gave the exam said that I might be able to get into the intermediate class. Pray that the remainder of the financial support would come in within the next week, so that I can solidify my plans.

Almond Blossoms

Cameroon Background

The rioting in Cameroon has prompted me to highlight a little bit of Cameroon's background. Cameroon has been known as a peaceful African state. This is credited mostly to its diversity. There are over 500 ethnic groups in Cameroon, so the country has managed to avoid any tribal wars that might have resulted from having two or three majority tribes. Cameroon's ethnic diversity is complemented by its geographical diversity. The country is known as "little Africa," because every major geographical region in Africa is represented in Cameroon. It contains rain forest, mountains, coastal regions, desert, and grasslands.
However, Cameroon does have a large disparity between the upper class and the poor. Poverty is very widespread in Cameroon. If the poor were to unite, much violence could result.
Most of the population depends on public transport. The recent riots over gas prices are fueled by the fact that those in the transport industry must foot the bill for rising gas prices.
In addition, there is growing opposition to the president of Cameroon, Paul Biya. I will not make any political commentary here, except to say that Biya, Cameroon's second president since its independence in 1960, has been in office for 25 years and is pressing to change the constitution to extend his presidency. The fuel crisis has given those in opposition to Biya an excuse to voice their displeasure, and the rioting may continue even if the gas prices are adjusted sufficiently to appease those in the transport industry.
The last military coup of note in Cameroon was a rebellion that took place about 50 years ago, at the time that many African countries were gaining their independence from European countries. Cameroon is a former colony of both France and Britain.
From news reports, I have learned that the rioting has affected many more Cameroonian cities beyond Douala and Yaounde. I've heard that Kumba, Buea, and Bamenda are also affected. My suspicion is that many more cities are feeling the violence. Please pray for a peaceful resolution to this new unrest.

Rioting in Cameroon

I want to start off by saying that my teammates and other members of World Team are currently safe, most of them in their homes. However, Nathan Conrod is in the Capital city of Yaounde, working on the logistics of getting his truck fixed and is unable to safely travel back to the bush due to road blocks set up by rioters. Nathan's family, their tutor Karla, and the Abbotts are all safe at home in the bush, where there is currently no rioting. Read on for more details from Nathan.

Greetings from Cameroon! I’m here in the capital city of Yaoundé and since I happen to have some extra time on my hands today (since I’ve been advised not to venture out) I thought I’d send out a news brief to let you all know what’s happening in our neck of the world. There have been some riot outbreaks here in Cameroon over the past few days. At first it seemed that it was only a strike held by the taxi drivers because of the recent jump in fuel prices. However, it is now clear that there has been tension growing under the surface against the current president, Paul Biya, and his government and the taxi strike seems to have been a small break in a much larger dam. Well, the dam is breaking and nobody knows what’s next. I’ve included a partial e-mail that the US Embassy sent out to US citizens living in Cameroon.

The following is a message from the American Citizen Services unit at the U.S. Embassy in Yaoundé.
Due to continued violence in Douala and increasing outbreaks of violence in the Littoral, South West, West and North West provinces of Cameroon, American citizens in those provinces are advised to remain in their residences for the next twenty-four hours. Americans in other parts of Cameroon are encouraged to limit their travel and be alert to potential hazards. Travel between urban areas should be avoided, as roadblocks have been erected without notice by both demonstrators and petty criminals on many of the major thoroughfares of Cameroon. Food, fuel and water are increasingly scarce, not only in Douala but in other cities where expectation of shortage has sparked a run on gasoline.

Please pray for Nathan's safety, the safety of some other missionaries that live near the areas of rioting, and a peaceful end to this unrest.

Intermediate

I just finished my French placement exam last night, after studying for a solid week. I am pleased to report that I am at an intermediate level. If the oral exam on Thursday reveals the same results, I will be approved to begin study at Parole de Vie in April. Now the only thing that is holding me back is the finances. Pray with me that God would bring in the remaining monthly support by the end of next week.

Daffodils

Mom's daffodils in the front yard

Disappointment

What do you do with disappointment? Does it cast a gray hue over everything or is it an anomaly that can be learned from, overlooked, or even treasured? Does it drive you to seek God? Does it bring about uncomfortable emotions that you would like to avoid, but you know you must deal with? Does it sometimes come in waves, one annoying event after another, until you think you might break under the pressure?

We all deal with disappointment and frustration from time to time. Last night, I found out that my support level dropped from 90% to 76%, thanks to the weakening of the US dollar. I knew this was coming. My field director warned me that my support level would have to be adjusted, but it was still a shock to see the actual numbers. This came just after I decided to postpone language school until May, when the next class starts. Everything that I have been doing as of late has been for the purpose of getting to Cameroon as soon as possible. Naturally, anything that postpones my departure will be a disappointment.

But in the midst of all this disappointment, I know that God is in control. If He wanted me to be at language school in two weeks, He would make sure it happened. He’s really good at pulling stringsJ Instead, I have a new opportunity. I am now freed up to go to a training for medical missionaries. This is something that I have wanted to do, but had scheduling conflicts with other commitments. So, here I am, disappointed, frustrated, but thankful that God has my best interest at heart.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Silver Creek Falls

We took a drive to Silver Creek Falls today. The weather was perfect, and the falls were beautiful.

Uncle Don and I with his two dogs

There is a little snow on the ground.

Uncle Don and Aunt Belinda

So much green moss!!
Back side of water. It's wet back here!!!
Front side of water:)

Hiding Mountains

I'm in Oregon visiting family and friends. What a great break this has turned out to be. Just in case you think I am being lazy, I did work last night. I shared about Cameroon with my Uncle and Aunt's small group. But don't feel sorry for me. I always enjoy these sharing times, and come away greatly encouraged.
Below is a picture of Mount Shasta, that I took on the way up. The light cloud cover reminded me of another volcanic mountain. Mount Cameroon is the highest peak in West and Central Africa.

Photo courtesy of Google Earth

Like Mount Shasta, it is volcanic. However, there is one big difference. Mount Cameroon is an active volcano. In the most recent eruption the flow of lava covered one of the main roads. We drove right up to where the lava flowed and were detoured around it. The funny part was that the entire mountain was covered in clouds. Even though the lava was visible, it was hard to believe such a giant was hiding in the clouds.

Memories

I am taking an other break from packing to show you one of the pictures I found while thinning out my belongings. This was taken at the end of a trip on the bush taxi from Yaounde to Bertoua in 2000. There were 5 of us traveling together, and you could scarcely tell us apart because of all the orange dust that had been deposited on our skin and clothes. Do you know which one I am?