Swimming in the Flood

Greetings to all, I wish that everyone out in the internet world is having a wonderful Wednesday! It has been a humid, warm, and now currently stormy day over here in Cameroon. As “Rainy Season” is coming to an end, the sky seems to have opened the heavens and let the remaining water pour from the sky. I personally enjoy waking up to rain and stormy skies; it really is a very calm and pleasing way to wake up.

Lake Awing Sign

the Jackson Family/ Newburn Family

Over here in the Jackson Village, we have officially welcomed Maimu and Faadi into the family. Maimu, who speaks very little English, has been going through big transition. She went from living in a village with zero electricity, to now living in a house filled with nothing but women, with electricity, and white people. Everything that has been her world of normality has now been turned upside down. Her and Faadi, her older sister, started school yesterday, they get up bright and early and leave for school well before any of the rest of us in the house are up. They come home around three or four, depending on how long the classes are that day for them (more like if the teachers decide to show up to school that day.) Although Maimu speaks very little, she is one of the sweetest little girls I have ever met in my life. She likes to come over and cuddle next to you, she giggles about everything that is strange to her, and she likes to investigate what everyone is doing around the house. Living in her village, she is only allowed to wear wrappers and long skirts, over here in the Jackson village she can basically wear whatever she likes. On Saturday we went to the market and bought her her very first pair of jeans. The whole entire time she was wearing them around the house; she was laughing and shouting for joy. It was really amazing to watch her face light up every time she discovered something new.

On Sunday, we all woke up early and went on a hike. We drove for about an hour or so out to the mountains. We first stopped off at a lake, Lake Awing. Supposedly this lake has a magical kingdom underwater, and when it turns to night, the kingdom rises and all the evil spirits are let out of the kingdom. The water is said to be healing, so as we were looking at the lake, many people were stopping and filling water bottles of this water to sell and to drink for themselves and for family members. We observed for a while and then we carried on further up the mountain. When we pulled up our truck we got out and began to hike up the mountain. To me, because I am currently reading Lord of the Rings, this mountain seemed like it was out of the Shire. We all began to scale up the mountain. It was a big hike that really took the breath away from me. At the top it was nothing but rolling hills and fog. I was winded from the hike up, but then I was breathless from the scenery, I was surrounded by God’s beauty. I basically turned silent as everyone reached to the top of the mountain; I was taking in the beauty and praising God in my mind. I was really overwhelmed to be around such beauty. I felt so honored that God had led me to this place of wonder; I was just praising God in my mind the entire time. We stayed up on top of the mountain for quite some time, but we were quickly shooed away by giant clouds and pouring rain. We all cautiously scaled back down the mountain, to the car. By the time everyone got back down the hill, it had stopped raining. Chris decided for all of us to walk around to a different side of the mountain. We got there and we all sang praise songs and worshiped God together. The night ended with a movie and relaxation.

The adutls and youngins coming down mountain

Monday has come and gone like a flash, we continued to dive right back into work, and tighten up all the kninks and messes with the lessons. It has been a little frustrating because there is so much to do, and there is not enough time in a day to accomplish it, but we continue to chip away at the lessons. Even though I feel like I have done so little (Because I just keep thinking about how there are about 40 something left for us to still work on) so still, when I look at the end of a week of work, we do accomplish quite a lot. It is amazing to see that even though we are a small team, we are still going full force and working away. I am so excited to see the finished product of everything, like I mentioned before, we are on a guide to get them all finished in about 6-7 months. We are working out all the issues that we have with the layout of the lessons, BUT today Kathleen and I made MAJOR progress, and we are finally getting all the lessons on the same headings and paragraph styles! It was an exciting day for Us. 

View from on top of mountain

This week we have a man from Switzerland staying with us! He is about 24 and he lived in Cameroon back when he was 21. He is on Holiday from University, so he has ventured back out here to see old friends. He is really a very nice guy, and I enjoy hearing all about Switzerland and his overall experience he had when he lived her years ago.

Overall, it is a world of creating Bible Lessons, making new friends, and Lord of the Rings over here.

 I hope you are all having a splendid of a day over in whatever land you are living on, I continue to thank ALL of my supporters. The ones who are supporting me through prayer, I can feel them and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing to pray for me. It has been very challenging, but overall the Lord has really just been holding onto me tight. I have all my strength in the Lord, and I know that he is the one leading me down this path in Cameroon.

Following the leader

For all of those who continue to send support through financial means, thank you, thank you, thank you. We are all a connected web of working for the Lord. Those of you who continue to support me, you are allowing me to stay out here in Cameroon and out here we are producing Lessons from Luke, a series of Sunday School Lessons that will be used to reach out to children who have never really been able to understand the Bible in their native tongue. YOUR support is being used to help reach out to lost souls in the world. When all of the lessons are complete, children from ALL OVER are going to be able to go to church and finally be able to learn about Jesus and the love that he has for them. They will be able to understand and know how to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank you so much again. We are all working together to create material that will be used to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank you all for taking the time to read my blog. It really is encouraging to know that I my posts are being read, and are not just floating out aimlessly in the world of the internet. I thank you all, and I wish nothing but warm blessings for all.

I wish you a wonderful Wed. 

Psalm 119

O Lord you are righteous,

And your decisions are fair.

Your decrees are perfect;

They are entirely worthy of our trust. 

Philippians 4; 4-9

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again- rejoice!

Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.

Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything.

Tell God what you need, and hank him for all that he has done.

If you do this, you will experience God’s peace,

Which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter.

Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are excellent

And worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.