Good Goodbyes

Last week I had the chance to take one more trip to SoCal to visit friends, family, and supporters. I had a great time with loved ones. Some highlights...
Freezing on the beach (the only chilly day that I was there).
Sunday dinner with the Kappen clan.
Thai food with friends.
A walk through a nature reserve.
Meeting one of the newest editions to the World Team family.
Visits with friends and with my Grandparents.
Sale of my Cabrio.

In the midst of all of these fun things, I was constantly reminded just how long 4 years is. Chances are that all of the people I saw will have undergone major life changes before I see them again. Some will marry, others will begin having children, and some may move away. Little Shelby, who I met for the first time will likely be telling me her alphabet (in English and Spanish) and will have developed a distinct personality.
While I complete all of the tasks necessary for moving to another continent, I will continue to say goodbyes. Pray that I would be able to balance the necessary goodbyes with the necessary tasks.

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?

Abele Update

Many of you have been praying faithfully for Abele, his family, and the Baka missionary team. Thank you for your faithful prayers, your expressions of concern, and your caring questions about how everyone is doing now. I received an update from my teammates today, so I thought I'd pass it on. Please keep praying.

Abele and his father Sanda

From an email update from Barry and Desma:

We got to the clinic in the morning and watched as the kids visited with their father. Margaret, our friend and househelp, also requested to come with us. She addressed Abele with a sort of recounting of Ecclesiastes chapter three and we were able to witness compassion, exhortation, and encouragement in true African style communication. We took note, because what she said truly seemed to minister to Abele. She said that this was his time to suffer, but this time will not last forever and his children are still there waiting for him even if he goes to prison (which is inevitable). She explained to him that despair will kill him and exhorted him to seek the Lord and lay these things before him. We were amazed at Margaret's ability to communicate so much spiritual insight to him in his hour of need.

After Margaret left, Ebote began to talk to Abele which seemed to bring out more regret and remorse on Abele's part. He began to cry out about all that has happened. He named his children in his cries and even admitted that this has caused trouble between the families involved. It was at this point that we began to talk to him about accepting the full blame for his sins. There were many issues surrounding and leading up to the actual murder and he seemed to be pointing out the blame of others. We encouraged him to let others deal with the sins they have committed and to focus on what he has done. I shared Romans 6:23 with him and noted that death has come as a result of his sin and that it is far-reaching, pointing out that he cannot truly ask for forgiveness until he accepts the fact that he is to blame. We went on to share with him his need for confession to God first in order to receive His forgiveness and then to the others involved when he has the opportunity. He heard God's word with tears in his eyes and we are encouraged that he is taking the beginning steps.

Abele will probably be transferred to the district prison this next week and we know that this is going to be a long process, but we are also praying that God will be glorified in the end. Abele prayed over his children before we left.

Prayer for Abele

Early this month, I sent out an email requesting prayer after a tragedy in Cameroon. Since some of you may not have gotten this email, I'll copy it here before posting an update.

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing with a heavy heart to ask for your prayers. On December 31^st, I received word that there had been a tragedy in Cameroon. One of our close Baka neighbors and friend Abele became drunk during the New Year celebrations and stabbed and killed his wife, Iya. Abele was beaten by some villagers and then was taken to the government clinic by the gen d’arms (police). Abele and his family are the Baka team’s closest neighbors, and naturally, we care deeply for them. The loss of Iya will be deeply felt by the team.

Also, the couple has 4 children, ranging from about 13 to about 3 years of age. Their names are Kinge, Epele, Joe, and Kunde. They will be cared for by family members. Please pray that they would experience the love of God in the midst of their grief.

Pray also for Abele. This act of violence was very out of character for him, and was due in part to drunkenness. When asked why he did it, he said that he remembers stabbing Iya, but doesn’t know why. He also said that he would kill himself if he was given the opportunity. He is deeply distraught after this tragedy and is also suffering physically after a brutal beating. Pray that God would heal his body, but more importantly, pray that he would remember what he has been taught about God and cry out to Him in the midst of his pain.

Pray for the families of Abele and Iya. Abele’s family is fearful of retribution. Pray for protection for them.

Two other people were injured during the stabbing, so pray for a smooth recovery for both of them.

Also, pray for the community. It is customary for lengthy death ceremonies to take place, sometimes for several nights. These “celebrations” are accompanied by drinking and dancing. Pray that the community would see that drunkenness can have horrible consequences.

Lastly, pray for the Baka missionary team. The Abbotts were in Yaoundé, the capital city, when this happened, so the Conrods were left to deal with this alone. Pray that they would be able to process their thoughts and grief well, and that God would give them an extra measure of wisdom and grace when dealing with the individuals involved in this tragedy. Praise God that both couples are out of the bush right now at an annual conference for Cameroon missionaries. They are surrounded by friends who understand the challenges that the team is facing.

Your prayers are much appreciated. Thank you for all the encouragement and support that you have poured out on me. I truly thank God for you.

In Christ,

Jennifer

Orange Land

I'm in the middle of the last few weeks of preparation. I've got so much to do. One of the projects that I have been putting off is going through some of my old notes from college. Much of it was burned in the fireplace, but some will be tape bound and stored for future reference. It is all full of memories. One of the assignments that I came across caught my eye. I thought some of you might be interested. Here is the introduction.

As soon as we left the paved road, everything began to melt together into a hot orange dust. I had only arrived in Africa a couple of days earlier. It could have been the motion sickness or the jet lag, but the blur was definitely the color orange. As heavy-laden logging trucks whizzed by at twice the speed any sane driver would, they seemed to pick up buckets full of the fine orange dust and deposit it on the giant leaves of the great, green forest. The houses were even made of it. They were constructed of long straight sticks, and the orange clay was used to fill in all of the spaces and smooth out the rough spots. Some of the houses were finished with a thin layer of cement on the walls, to make it more pleasing to the eye, and to tell all who saw it that the owner was wealthy enough to buy cement for his house. However, the dust covered the cement too, so that even the prettier houses seemed to be one with the earth around them. Teenage boys walked the dirt road with the coolest clothes that they could scrounge up. They wanted to be in the spotlight, to be the best dressed in their little village. However, even the coolest of clothes attract dust. Women worked in their little houses and outside in the open with their babies strapped to their backs with a length of cloth. Even the infants had an orange glow about them. Older children played soccer in cleared areas of forest. Their shoeless feet kicked up even more of the orange powder, and each child went home to his mother where he was dusted off with the same cloth that had secured his younger sibling to the back of his mother only a few minutes before. It too, was orange.

Sing to the Lord

For years I have believed that King David must have been bipolar. When I read his writings in Psalms and studied his life in I&II Samuel, I noticed that he had very high highs and very low lows. He was either praising God exuberantly or he was in the depths of despair. He was probably just a charismatic personality, and things weren't worth writing down unless they were something that he felt deeply about. Whether coming from a high or a low, David usually came back to a correct perspective of God. Psalm 13 was a good reminder of God's unfailing love today.

Psalm 13

For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

3 Turn and answer me, O LORD my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don't let my enemies gloat, saying, "We have defeated him!"
Don't let them rejoice at my downfall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the LORD
because he is good to me.

The Mantle

Today I watched The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring. You know, I think every one of us can identify with Frodo Baggins at some point. Often he pauses, and the look on his face says it all. “Why was this burden given to me. I cannot carry it alone. I am weak and I fight against such darkness.” His struggle with his responsibility drives him to the brink of giving up, but his resolve is strong, and he continues, supported by the few who call themselves the fellowship.

We have also been given a burden to bear. Ours is not an instrument of great evil, but it carries power greater than Frodo could ever imagine. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t bring destruction, unnatural long-life, or division. No, it brings hope, abundant life, and unity. It is the very love of God poured out for us.

Often I wonder why I was chosen to carry this load. I consider giving up, but though my resolve is weak, my Sustainer is the source of all strength. There is nothing else to do in this life but carry the mantle of the Gospel. Those of us who do so bear the title of Beloved. He does not promise a life without struggle. His promise is to see us safely home. Home to the place that He has prepared for us.

The God Who Sees Me

Hagar, in a time of deep desperation, after conceiving a child by Abraham and being mistreated and driven away by her mistress Sarah, encountered God Himself. He told her to name her child Ishmael (God hears), because God had heard her affliction. She then proceeded to name the nearby well Beer-lahai-roi (the well of the living one who sees me). God was attentive even to an Egyptian slave. I venture to suggest that God not only saw and heard Hagar; He knew her pain. He understood her plight even better than she understood it herself. That is the kind of intimacy experienced by the Beloved.

Autumn was gorgeous in North Carolina. It was all I could do to stay in class during the day. In Strengthening Your Interpersonal Skills class, we learned all about relationship issues, from drawing people out and listening well to mediating conflicts between others. It was great input and will certainly be useful on the mission field where relationships with partners and nationals are so important.

One of the topics we covered was grief. Of course the content will be useful to help others through the grief process when necessary, but we were told to pay close attention to dealing well with our own grief associated with leaving our home country and traveling to a new place. Though it is a good move for all of us and filled with many joys, it also involves letting some dreams go and giving up some things that we have become accustomed to in our home country. Part of adjusting well to the new country is grieving those losses well. A friend of mine who was in the first class with us just wrote in her blog about the Ugandan orphanage that she is volunteering in until the regular school starts and she can begin teaching the older children. Her heart is absolutely broken with the horrible conditions that the babies are in. Grieving well in situations like this is so important in order to avoid excessive stress and burnout.

I’ve neglected the blog for nearly a month now, and needless to say, a lot has happened since the last time I posted. So, I’ll start where I left off.

A few months ago, I heard that my friend Dana from Taiwan, was not only in the USA, but that she was staying in North Carolina! Needless to say, the opportunity to see each other could not be passed up. Early in November, I made the 3 hour drive from Union Mills to Raleigh and enjoyed the fall colors the whole way. We had some great catching up time and took a long walk together. It was great to see her!

The next day was our last day at Gold Hills Missionary Baptist Church. A few of my fellow students and I really enjoyed our time at Gold Hills. We were welcomed every Sunday as if we were family. The last Sunday Pastor Oglesby took us out for lunch. We ate like kings and queens and had a great time with the pastor and his family.

Valuable

Today a friend asked me to come over and help her understand how she can better help a friend of hers that is struggling with being single. Wow!

We talked a little a few days ago, and she showed so much concern, empathy, love, and genuine interest in what I had to say about my experiences as a single woman. She recognized that my marital status doesn’t define who I am, but it does affect every area of my life. And she accepted me as a valuable friend and a healthy and complete individual.

She took the time today to invite me into her life and to glean important truth, so that she can be a better friend. Her love for me and for her friend that is struggling is priceless.

What did I learn from her? I am valued. I am not valued even though I am single. I am valued because I am me. I am even valued because of my singleness. Most of all, I am valued because God made me valuable.

Another Look at the Trinity

We talked about the Trinity on our first day of teams class. Since then, we have done so much more. But the importance of looking at the Trinity for the model of the perfect team seems really important to me. So, since we started with it, I thought I'd like to end with it too...

20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:20-23

The first team was the Trinity. God is a perfect union of 3 distinct persons. They each have different attributes, but they are all equally God. Together, they form a perfect communion. That communion is the very essence of unity, peace, interdependence, perfection, and love.

Several years ago, I struggled with the philosophical question of the purpose of man. Why did God design us and create us. Surely it is not just to watch our silly antics all of the time. If that was the case, He would have destroyed all of us long ago because of our sin. No, I think He created us out of love. I think that the perfect love that flowed out of the union of the Trinity was something that God couldn’t help but share. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26).’” That was God’s first act of love toward man. But the love continues to flow from God to man, even now.

When I was little, I wondered what it meant to be created in God’s image. Certainly it doesn’t mean that we physically look like God. No, it had to be something else. Many adults tried to explain abstract ideas about what it meant to be created in the image of God, but none of them were satisfactory (I guess I was analytical as a child too). It wasn’t until I discovered this idea of unity and love that I felt I was beginning to understand God’s image. God is not just the Father or the Son. He is not just the Holy Spirit. He is all three, in one, perfectly unified and springing forth love. That is what His image is. So, to be created in the image of God is to be designed for community. To bear God’s image, we must bear also His love. To experience life as we were designed to experience it, we also must be unified with one another.

The purpose of man: to bear God’s image

The image of God: perfect unity and love

Two very difficult answers to two very difficult questions. Bearing God’s image is not easy, but it has great reward.

WinShape

Today we got out of the classroom and did some activity!! A group from WinShape came up and did the training for the day. It was raining, so we spent most of the day in the little community gymnasium across the street, but it was physical activity, and it was good!!
Of course, it was all about teamwork. We broke up into teams and began doing activities that required cooperation, communication, leadership, and a bunch of other critical stuff that we are learning about. To give you an idea of what the day looked like, I'll describe two of the activities that we did.
One activity was to get into the middle of a small contraption described as a jail. We were to "escape" from this jail, but we had to devise a strategy based on some rules that were given to us by our facilitator. We lifted some people over the top bar, helped others through the middle, and cheered others on as they squeezed under the lowest bar. There was lots of cheering, and by the end, some of us were a little smelly:)
Another one of our exercises was to do a trust walk with a partner. First, I was blindfolded and my partner led me around the campus, up and down hills, under bars, through trees, all without any words, only physical guidance. We had to accomplish certain tasks, which was difficult without any verbal guidance, but not impossible. Next, my partner, Jim, put his blindfold on, and I got to lead him around, only this time, I was not allowed to touch him at all and had to guide him with verbal guidance only. Without the physical contact, the tasks were a lot less comfortable, but a little easier to accomplish. Surprisingly, I think it took more trust to follow verbal commands than to follow physical direction.
It was great fun, and we learned a lot about ourselves during the debriefing time at the end of each exercise. Three things I want to take with me from these experience are to listen with the purpose of really hearing those I am communicating with, to trust and be trustworthy, and to use the gift of encouragement better.
A bit of trivia: WinShape is an organization formed by the owner of Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain specializing in chicken. The owner is a Christian, and part of the profit from the business goes to support WinShape.
A group of us made the 35 minute drive to the nearest Chick-fil-A for dinner tonight as a show of support for the organization, and as an excuse to go have fun together:) YUMMMM...

Trinitarian Unity

For the next two weeks I am in the Effective Teams and Team Leaders module of CIT. This morning we were challenged to imagine the Trinity before the creation of the world. We were told to envision how the three persons of God interacted with each other and to think of adjectives and nouns that would describe this interaction. Words like perfect harmony, interdependence, peace, love and unity came to mind.

Then in groups, we were asked to look at different Bible passages and find the principles and values about teamwork that were illustrated through the Trinity. My group was given Genesis 1:26 “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.” God’s very identity in the trinity is diversity unified. The three persons of the Godhead had perfect unity and love even before the creation of mankind, but God desired to draw us into that unity. He wanted to create man in order to generate even more unity, not that God could be more unified.

No wonder the two greatest commandments are love God and love people.

Transitions

I was going over some material from our first module today, and I found something that I want to share.

When I first went to Cameroon, I experienced a strange phenomenon. As time drew close for me to leave, some people grieved openly and said heartfelt, genuine goodbyes, and others just closed off, unwilling to invest any more in our relationship. It was an exciting time, full of new adventures, but it was also difficult, due to strained relationships. I noticed the same thing happening when I left for Southern California for school, at the end of each school year, and each time I changed employment and/or moved. In short, leaving others behind has become a painfully familiar theme in my life. It comes with the territory, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

I know that my family and friends also grieve each time we must separate, and they don’t get to be the one going to a new and exciting place.

Taking leave of loved ones is only one aspect of the changes that become all too familiar to a missionary. Many things are lost, many things change, and many things simply end. I have to come to grips with the fact that even the loss of insignificant things like my kitchen in Manteca, may be painful. Then I have to deal with changes in climate, culture, language, cleanliness, and privacy. All these changes precipitate an internal transition from what I know now to reality in my new place. This takes time, but knowing what is happening makes a difference in understanding how to make a good, though not painless, transition.

Through this portion of class, I realized that I have been undergoing almost constant transition for the last 8 years. No wonder I feel homeless sometimes!

Transition involves many endings, a long unsettled neutral zone, and many new beginnings. Transition is not over until the new beginnings begin to normalize and I become settled once more. I am looking forward to ending this time of transitions soon, and settling down to my home in Cameroon. Home, that sounds good!

Lord, until I reach my final home, my real home with you, help me to live well in the many transitions that you have given to me.

Credit goes to G. Schultz at Center for Intercultural Training for many of the ideas expressed in this entry.

Childlikeness, Phonetics, University and Village Life

On Friday, we finished up the Second Language Acquisition module. No, I am not yet fluent in either French or Baka, though I hope to be near fluency in both within the next few years. To be completely honest, we didn’t even work much on our individual languages (people here are going all over the globe, so we are not all working on the same languages), but we certainly learned a ton. Through the course of this 2 week module, we learned how to approach a new language humbly, how to find a language helper, how to supplement language school, how to use different tools to learn the language in a more effective way, and how to better articulate the sounds of the language we are going to learn.

I found out that I am a structured, analytical learner, and that I will probably do very well in French language school. However, I will probably be challenged when it comes time to learn Baka, since there will be no structure provided for me. We discussed different language learning options ranging from very unstructured tribal type situations where one must learn from an illiterate native speaker, most likely without a “bridge (common) language,” to a highly structured university type setting. I get to try to learn language from both ends of that spectrum. Many in our class will have to do something in between.

With the help of one of our instructors and many people in Wycliffe, I was able to procure a copy of a Baka phonology. This is a document, written about 25 years ago, that describes, in linguistic terms, what sounds are in the Baka language. It was very difficult to locate, but it is a very neat tool to have.

At the end of last week, when I was beginning to get a little discouraged about learning two languages, God used two events to encourage me. First, I heard from a teammate, who has just reached level 2 in Baka. That means that he will get to begin doing formal ministry now and dedicate less time to language learning. If he can do it, then it must be possible! Second, when I met with our phonetics specialist to go over some of the sounds of Baka, I was told that I was making all of the sounds just perfect! I knew that I had been listening to Baka the whole time I was in Cameroon before, but I didn’t know that I had heard and remembered the sounds so well. What a great encouragement at the end of two weeks of learning. Now, I can’t wait to get started!

Sunday Morning

I went for a short walk this morning before church, and look at all the little treasures I found!

Linville Falls

A week ago, a few of us took a trip to Linville Falls. It was only about an hour drive, and we got to enjoy the emerging fall colors the whole way. We took a short hike, and saw the falls from several different viewpoints

Then we piled back into the cars and drove about 4 miles on a dirt road to a canyon overlook. It was quite a spectacular view.
After our hike, we were all quite hungry, so we invaded a little home town style restaurant, and enjoyed some southern cooking. It was just what we needed!

Language Aquisition

It's time for a new course here at CIT. We've finished the Equipping course, where we learned some of the basics for leaving our own culture and entering a new culture. What I have learned is priceless, and I am still trying to process some of it, but it is time to move on. We begin the Language Acquisition course tomorrow morning. We get to learn how we each individually best learn language and acquire some skills to take into the language learning process. Unfortunately, we don't come away from this two-week course with another language learned:)

Our Heart

John Chisum, George Searcy

Our heart our desire

Is to see the nations worship
Our cry our prayer
Is to sing Your praise to the ends of the earth
That with one mighty voice
Evey tribe and tongue rejoices
Our heart our desire
Is to see the nations worship You

Heavenly Father
Your mercy showers down upon all people
Every race upon this earth
May Your Spirit pierce the darkness
Break the chains of death upon us
Let us rise in honest worship
To declare Your matchless worth

There is no power that for one hour
Can withstand the greatness
Of Your Word on tongues of faith
So we're bold in intercession
Praying now that every heart will bow
Before You Lord in praise in praise

Our heart our desire
Is to see the nations worship You

© 1993 Integrity's Hosanna!/Integrity's Praise! Music