Tuesday,
February 05, 2013
Hi All,
Tomorrow (Wednesday Feb. 6) begins our final week in Cameroon. Much of this time will be spent traveling from Maroua to Yaounde where we’ll catch our plane to the States. It should be a much easier move than when we came to Cameroon as the only things we are bringing home are what we can cram in six suitcases. Everything else stays behind to be used by our two schools, new house church in Maroua, the orphanage, and several needy families. What an adventure it all has been and what an adventure it is stacking up to be as we really are starting over in the U.S. with what is in these six suitcases. And just in case you’re wondering—we don’t have a stash of stuff or even a house waiting for us—it was all sold or given away before we left for Africa. Ah, the blessings and challenges of traveling and living “light”.
We have been busy this last week finishing up our first missionary training school class here in Maroua, and enjoyed a wonderful graduation ceremony on Saturday in which we graduated 10 students. Two are pastoring house churches and plan to use their training within their own churches. Others are evangelizing in area villages while four are working in our newly birthed house church here in our neighborhood. The next class is slated to begin in the latter part of March. On Wednesday the 6th we have the joy of seeing two young men, who surrendered their lives to Christ a few weeks ago, baptized by the pastors of our house church. Both of these men are being discipled, growing strong in the Lord, and preaching the Gospel they once despised.
Mark had the privilege this past Sunday of preaching and teaching in a church just outside of Maroua. This church which is made up of several house fellowships came together for worship, fellowship, and to hear Mark teach on the topic of The Gospel & How It Should Affect Our Forgiveness of Each Other. All together the church spent over five hours together, the bulk of that time spent, listening to Mark and then asking him questions. The temperatures soared over 100 F inside the room which was crammed with joyful and spiritually hungry people sitting on narrow rough wooden planks and no AC!
Whereas, we are so very excited to be back in the States next week and see our children, friends, and other family members, we still, nevertheless leave Cameroon with a heavy heart. We will miss the young men who have lived in our home since the day we arrived, the national believers we have been privileged to disciple and train, the children and staff at the orphanage, the Fulbe people we shared the Gospel with as we sat in their huts and drank hot milk, and living among the easy-going, happy, friendly, and gentle Cameroonians and the many pets God gave us to enjoy. God was so good to have sent us here and so faithful to keep us through the many challenges, struggles, and trials we experienced here as well. So again, while happy to dive into His next adventure for us, we will miss this one.
As for our itinerary once we get into the States—we’ll be landing in Memphis where Mark and Luke will meet us. Then its off to get some pizza, our first hot shower since leaving the States, and get some new duds to accommodate the winter temperatures and replace worn out clothes! We also need to get some medical attention for various ailments, injuries, and yes, even get dewormed. We are looking forward to a family vacation shortly thereafter as well.
While back we will still be overseeing and supplying finances and resources for several projects in Cameroon. Some of these include the production of several theological and Biblical studies materials into French, continuing to route finances to the orphanage through June, providing financial support for our two missionary training schools in Cameroon, conducting an advanced level of our CM3T Missionary training school for our graduates via the internet, developing new Bible curriculum for our schools that can be accessed on the internet, advising and providing initial financial support to micro-businesses to support our national evangelists and church planters so they can support themselves while ministering, and providing direction to some new missionary endeavors being carried out by our national evangelists and church planters to several different unreached people groups throughout Cameroon. Your continued financial support through June will be used to finance all these projects and several more we didn’t list.
As always thank you for your prayer on our behalf. Please pray that we make the adjustment back to life in the States and prove faithful servants of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ as we come back. We rarely refer to it as home any more for now more than ever before we see Heaven as our home and this earth as merely the place we have been deployed to make known the identity of the One True King and His Kingdom.
For the Sake of The Gospel,
Mark, Nancy & kids
Hi All,
Tomorrow (Wednesday Feb. 6) begins our final week in Cameroon. Much of this time will be spent traveling from Maroua to Yaounde where we’ll catch our plane to the States. It should be a much easier move than when we came to Cameroon as the only things we are bringing home are what we can cram in six suitcases. Everything else stays behind to be used by our two schools, new house church in Maroua, the orphanage, and several needy families. What an adventure it all has been and what an adventure it is stacking up to be as we really are starting over in the U.S. with what is in these six suitcases. And just in case you’re wondering—we don’t have a stash of stuff or even a house waiting for us—it was all sold or given away before we left for Africa. Ah, the blessings and challenges of traveling and living “light”.
We have been busy this last week finishing up our first missionary training school class here in Maroua, and enjoyed a wonderful graduation ceremony on Saturday in which we graduated 10 students. Two are pastoring house churches and plan to use their training within their own churches. Others are evangelizing in area villages while four are working in our newly birthed house church here in our neighborhood. The next class is slated to begin in the latter part of March. On Wednesday the 6th we have the joy of seeing two young men, who surrendered their lives to Christ a few weeks ago, baptized by the pastors of our house church. Both of these men are being discipled, growing strong in the Lord, and preaching the Gospel they once despised.
Mark had the privilege this past Sunday of preaching and teaching in a church just outside of Maroua. This church which is made up of several house fellowships came together for worship, fellowship, and to hear Mark teach on the topic of The Gospel & How It Should Affect Our Forgiveness of Each Other. All together the church spent over five hours together, the bulk of that time spent, listening to Mark and then asking him questions. The temperatures soared over 100 F inside the room which was crammed with joyful and spiritually hungry people sitting on narrow rough wooden planks and no AC!
Whereas, we are so very excited to be back in the States next week and see our children, friends, and other family members, we still, nevertheless leave Cameroon with a heavy heart. We will miss the young men who have lived in our home since the day we arrived, the national believers we have been privileged to disciple and train, the children and staff at the orphanage, the Fulbe people we shared the Gospel with as we sat in their huts and drank hot milk, and living among the easy-going, happy, friendly, and gentle Cameroonians and the many pets God gave us to enjoy. God was so good to have sent us here and so faithful to keep us through the many challenges, struggles, and trials we experienced here as well. So again, while happy to dive into His next adventure for us, we will miss this one.
As for our itinerary once we get into the States—we’ll be landing in Memphis where Mark and Luke will meet us. Then its off to get some pizza, our first hot shower since leaving the States, and get some new duds to accommodate the winter temperatures and replace worn out clothes! We also need to get some medical attention for various ailments, injuries, and yes, even get dewormed. We are looking forward to a family vacation shortly thereafter as well.
While back we will still be overseeing and supplying finances and resources for several projects in Cameroon. Some of these include the production of several theological and Biblical studies materials into French, continuing to route finances to the orphanage through June, providing financial support for our two missionary training schools in Cameroon, conducting an advanced level of our CM3T Missionary training school for our graduates via the internet, developing new Bible curriculum for our schools that can be accessed on the internet, advising and providing initial financial support to micro-businesses to support our national evangelists and church planters so they can support themselves while ministering, and providing direction to some new missionary endeavors being carried out by our national evangelists and church planters to several different unreached people groups throughout Cameroon. Your continued financial support through June will be used to finance all these projects and several more we didn’t list.
As always thank you for your prayer on our behalf. Please pray that we make the adjustment back to life in the States and prove faithful servants of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ as we come back. We rarely refer to it as home any more for now more than ever before we see Heaven as our home and this earth as merely the place we have been deployed to make known the identity of the One True King and His Kingdom.
For the Sake of The Gospel,
Mark, Nancy & kids
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