It seems like everything is falling apart in our little village of Mayos. A few weeks ago, measles swept into the village, killing 4 children. Another disease claimed the life of yet one more child. Other children have suffered severe illness, injury and neglect. Mendo, after loosing her baby to measles, became very ill herself. She was expected to die and began seeing visions of spirits. She is improving, but still needs lots of prayer. Tuberculosis continues to take a toll on our friends and neighbors, claiming the life of Kweno, Annabella's maternal uncle, last week. Just a couple days later his uncle Sabone suddenly died of a mystery illness. Sabone's young daughter, Jenny, who was near death several months ago, has once again fallen ill. And yesterday Tendi, our neighbor and friend, gave birth to a stillborn child. There are many others who who are suffering in a myriad of ways.
Please keep our Baka neighbors and friends in your prayers. With so many crises, things seem to take a downward spiral. Family members are often blamed for deaths and sorcery is suspected in many cases. Apathy and discouragement seem to prevail during these times, and spiritual oppression is a constant problem.
Pray that Baka believers would be able to minister to and support those who are sick and suffering. Pray that those who have been resistant to the Gospel would turn to Christ. Pray that the ministry would continue and that the Church would grow. Pray that they would do battle with the enemy and come away as victors. Those who have turned to Christ begin to value family more, they live life well, they provide well for their children and help their neighbors. One shining star has been young Pe, who after recently giving birth to her second child, does her best to help her neighbors, cooking food for others, gathering firewood for friends, and generally being a help in the name of Christ. Pray that there would be more like Pe among the Baka.
Pray also for my missionary teammates in Cameroon. They have left North America to minister among the poorest of the poor with the goal of planting a vibrant, reproducing church among the Baka. The job is often thankless and discouraging. They face spiritual opposition and oppression. Please pray for them during this time of increased suffering as they are bombarded by desperate friends who are sick and dying. Pray for encouragement, the comfort that only Christ can bring, and strength to continue this work when it seems like everything is falling apart.

Tendi with her daughter Nu, taken about 5 years ago

Sometimes crises come at you all at once. This is the case in our little village of Mayos. There have been so many sick and dying over the last couple months. Please be in prayer for those who have lost loved ones. Pray that they would find the comfort that only Christ can bring.
This morning my friend, Tendi, delivered a stillborn child. She is also experiencing some postpartum bleeding. Oh, how her heart must hurt today. Please pray for Tendi, her husband Pajero, and their surviving children. I heard from teammates that Pajero, who has been openly resistant to the Gospel, prayed publicly for his wife today. I ache to see this family trust Christ and live their lives fully surrendered to Him. I long to see their children benefit from the love and care of godly parents. Though the pain that they are suffering right now is unimaginable, I hope that they turn to Jesus in the midst of their crisis.

picture copied from mymerrychristmas.com

“And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8 

This little known verse from Micah has become one of my favorite Christmas verses. It fills me with wonder and gratitude. Why? Because I think this little prophecy sheds light on where Jesus was born, who rejoiced at his birth, and why Mary and the shepherds were so amazed.
The tower of the flock, sometimes called "Migdal Edar" was located near, or possibly in Bethlehem. It was a watch-tower where shepherds were able to keep track of sheep. It was possibly even a birthing place for the sheep which would later be offered as sacrifices in nearby Jerusalem. It was important that these sacrificial lambs were born in a ceremonially clean place and that they were protected from injury. Could this be the place of Jesus' birth?
But what about the stable? Wasn't Jesus born in a stable because there was no room in the inn? Didn't the kindly innkeeper make room for Mary and Joseph in the stable behind his Motel 6? The word for inn used in the Christmas narrative is the same word used for guest room. It is more likely that there was no room in the family guest quarters, due to the fact that all of the extended family had descended upon Bethlehem for the Roman census. So Joseph and Mary had to find the next best place, or perhaps the best place of all. Was it a family member who helped Mary find a place to give birth to Jesus?
Where does the stable fit into the narrative? You will not find the word stable in the biblical account of Jesus' birth, so why do we celebrate his birth in a lowly cattle stall? Well, perhaps some well-meaning readers assumed that a stable was involved since a manger was mentioned. If a feeding trough was present, surely a stable was involved, right? Perhaps not, or perhaps so. The manger mentioned in the Christmas story could have been a feeding trough, carefully padded with straw or cloth, where newborn lambs were placed, or it could have been a birthing stall, where ewes birthed their precious lambs. This is likely the setting where Mary birthed our Savior, our sacrificial lamb, the Messiah.
Have you ever found it strange that Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes? What are swaddling clothes? Why wasn't Jesus clothed in baby clothes or the ancient Jewish equivalent? Why wouldn't Joseph or Mary have given up their own cloak or other warm garment? Some scholars believe that swaddling clothes were the strips of cloth that shepherds used to immobilize and protect clumsy little newborn sheep so that they couldn't injure themselves, so that they would remain without blemish, spotless and perfect for temple sacrifice. These lambs were, no doubt, treated with the utmost care by shepherds who knew the little furry creatures would unwittingly give their lives to atone for human sin. Could it be that our Savior was wrapped in swaddling clothes because He was to be our sacrificial lamb?
Let's go back to that verse. “And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, kingship for the daughter of Jerusalem.” It is certain that the shepherds near Jerusalem and Bethlehem knew of the tower of the flock. After all, they were shepherds, and this was an important place for them. I imagine they also knew this verse well. They may not have understood the full prophetic meaning of this prophecy, but as shepherds, they would have taken note when this prophecy was read in the synagogue. I'm sure they would have wondered about the significance of the tower they knew so well. Fast forward to the night Jesus was born.

“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.'” 

What a glorious announcement! What a majestic way to hear about Jesus' birth! But were the shepherds really the unlikely recipients of this news that we have always believed they were, or were they the most likely to hear this amazing news? I think they were the most likely to first hear of Jesus' birth. Notice the last part of the angel's pronouncement, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” The symbolism would be unavoidable for the shepherds as they would have heard the words 'swaddling clothes' and 'manger,' and they would immediately know that Christ was born in the birthing place of the sacrificial lambs. There would be no searching every cattle stall in Bethlehem until they found Jesus; the address was immediately known to them.
And oh how those shepherds rejoiced! They couldn't help but tell Joseph and Mary just how amazing the angel's proclamation was, and they would not have forgotten to mention the symbolism that was so closely tied to their own profession. I'm sure they also quickly realized just who the Messiah was to be. They were no doubt faced with their own sin and their own need of a final perfect sacrifice. What a mess of emotions they must have been as they realized all of these things. What a marvel it was to Mary as she “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” What a wonder it was to all who crossed paths with the shepherds that night! What an amazing and wondrous night that was!
I am no Bible scholar. I haven't been able to verify everything I've said here, but I find that this version of the nativity is both more likely and more amazing than the typical stable scene. Read the account of Jesus' birth in Luke 2 for yourself today (this has always been one of my all-time-favorite Bible passages) and allow yourself to replace the stable with the tower of the flock in your mind. Perhaps you will be filled with wonder and gratitude as I have.
For more about Migdal Edar visit patheos.com or bibletruth.org or simply do and internet search using the words 'tower of the flock' or 'Migdal Edar.'

Dali and Debora after recovering from measles

Debora was named after the Israelite judge who lead a battle against Sisera at mount Tabor. Her father Nestor named her Debora because he wants her to be a godly leader of her people. Her mother, Dali, struggled for several years to get pregnant after contracting tuberculosis. The disease had weakened her body and caused scar tissue that made it difficult for her to conceive. She was devastated to have two miscarriages, but through it all, she trusted God saying, “God will help me.” We were all overjoyed when we learned she was pregnant. She continued to trust God through the pregnancy, refusing traditional medicine. Debora was born in May, in the middle of the night, during a raging storm to some very grateful parents. Recently both Dali and Debora contracted measles. Both mom and baby were very ill. Debora developed pneumonia and nearly died, but God was gracious and allowed her to live. We are praising God for Debora's birth and her recovery from measles and pneumonia. I'm waiting to see what God will do with Debora. Pray that God would use her mightily, as he did her biblical namesake.

Ateba (right bottom) enjoying a "tea party" with Annabella, Nu and Yuma

Ateba is 6 years old. He is a sweet introvert who desperately desires to be loved. He has tuberculosis, and he lost his mother to TB last year. His father abandoned him in our camp for several months. He was sick and lonely, but he benefited from the love we and others were able to share with him. I started him on treatment for TB, and he began to improve. Still, he wandered our camp desperate for love and belonging. Finally, his father came to get him, causing him to stop TB treatment prematurely. I pray three things for Ateba: that his father would take his parental responsibility to love and care for Ateba seriously, that he would finish his TB treatment and that he would understand that Jesus loves him and will never abandon him.

I recently sent out a new prayer letter, click here to read it.
We are in need of more monthly support. If you would like to give to our ministry so that we can return to Cameroon and continue working with the Baka, click here.

Here are a couple more adorable kids in Cameroon.

Jenny with her mom, Ndae, 
just after she got out of the hospital

Jenny was named after me. She lives about a kilometer away from us in a little encampment called Ko-o. Her family used to host weekly meetings sing praise to God and discuss Bible stories, but sadly, The family now spends most of their free time drinking and partying. Several months ago, Jenny fell ill with a respiratory infection. Her extended family was very concerned for her, but her parents didn't seek medical help. Jenny's body was weakened by this illness, but eventually her father came to me for help. I treated the infection, but the prolonged illness coupled with malnutrition and neglect left her vulnerable. The night after Jenny's baby sister was born, Jenny got malaria and started to have seizures. She continued to convulse in spite of medication and lots of prayer. As we prayed over her, I could hear, in the hearts of her father and uncles, a desire to repent of drunkenness and neglect. We took Jenny to a clinic in town where she could receive intravenous medication, and to the surprise of all, she survived. It is my hope that her extended family continues to see their need for repentance and that they serve the Lord faithfully.

Simon with Buttercup the dog

Simon is two years old. His dad, Samedi, and his mom, Pe, are young people who love to serve the Lord. They are leaders in the church, and they often go on ministry trips to share Bible stories with other villages. Simon is blessed to have godly parents.

Simon is smart, charming and adorable. He loves to make people laugh and he gives the best snuggles. He also loves to hang out with his buddy, Buttercup. Pray that God uses Simon mightily to lead many to Christ.

“And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means loose his reward.” Matthew 10:42
 I read this verse this morning and it caused me to recall the children of our little community in Cameroon, the children who I love and strive to serve in the name of Christ. These are children who play with Annabella, who we interact with regularly, who we love and miss.

Yuma

 

Nu

 Nu and Yuma
This sister and brother duo are probably Annabella's best friends. I delivered Yuma almost 4 years ago. He is the 6th of 7 surviving children, and his parents are expecting another child any day. Yuma has a quiet demeanor when adults are around, but when he is surrounded by kids, he can be fun and loud and has the cutest little smile. Nu, at almost 5 years old, is the leader of the pack. She is bold and bossy, but oh so lovable. She cares about others, but she has learned to survive by looking out for “number one.” Nu has been very ill at times with asthma exacerbations or bouts with diarrhea. God has been gracious to heal her little body. Both Nu and her brother suffer from malnutrition. Nu and Yuma are often left to their own devices as their parents go down the street to drink have a good time. Annabella loves to invite them over for lunch, and she has told me many times since arriving in California that she misses them. We pray that these two precious children would trust Jesus for all their needs.