Transitions

We are going on furlough or home assignment in less than three weeks.  That means leaving our Cameroonian home for a year.  I means decisions on what to pack up for a year, what to take to the US, what to give away or sell.  It also means goodbyes to people staying, or going and returning, or going and not coming back. It means another year without seeing the people who will return from furlough while we are away or who leave for a year just before we get back to Cameroon; goodbyes to friends who were displaced from CAR but who will be going back to serve there soon.  So many goodbyes! Enjoying fantastic pineapple and mango and avocado for the last time in a while; taking the last taxi ride; going on long walks with friends in the neighborhood: Goodbyes for all of it.

Then on the other side of the big pond, it means saying hello to friends who have changed and grown; meeting new people; church that has more new faces than old; a different house to live in – sharing with my mom; new schools to understand and navigate; a new-to-us car.  It also means holes where loved ones have died and left a void that we didn’t have to completely face before; friends who have moved away; lives that are full without us.  We can’t wait to eat certain foods again, drink real milk, see the mountains, drink from the tap, flush all the time, have regular garbage pick up; not worry about water being out, or internet being out or power being off;  go to wal-mart at any time of the day or night; shop for clothes and have a selection in multitudes of sizes; eat berries. 

There is excitement of the new and fresh and things missed accompanied with the mourning for the lost and different and changed; laughter and tears; distinct purpose and foggy brain. 

Our friends Laura and Emily have been doing a series of videos on living in Cameroon called ‘Bama meets Britain." on Facebook.   This week was on transitions.  It was good to watch last night as the emotions of leaving swirl – to know again that what we feel and think are normal parts of transitions. 

But it’s also the end of the school year so here are some highlights of the last little bit of our world before we transition again. 

Saying goodbye to Sara-Maria who came for 4 months from the Netherlands to serve here.

Praying with and for many friends

Buying hair for the new do.

Taking photos in the neighborhood-
I wanted to get the guy on the pole-
But there is so much more....

Murder mystery night/Happy Birthday Stacy.
The Cawley family decided to have Dan take the part with the Spanish accent!
I just send part descriptions to each family.... 

Cameroonian dinner-

Our house help Hortense.  She's awesome!

On the balcony of CABTAL for the airshow for National Day with friends
(This is Bama and Britain in person!)

My daughter: start of the show The Three Bully Goats Griff

Her brothers trying to re-enact (unsuccessfully) the show

Noah at Banquet with his friend Cassie

Kristin having her hair braided 

It only took 6 hours.
Love power outages....

Singing and playing in church with dear friends we won't see again for a LONG time!

The Hair

Rabbits

All the kids did a dance as part of their dance section in PE.
This is Ben's group.

Taking pictures off my fridge

Packing craft supplies

Noah was in a play/skit today at school

Thanks for praying for our transitions!
Pray that each kid has a friend who 'gets' them and asks good questions and listens.
Pray for my mom as we move in with her for the year. (and for us...)
Pray for the work in Cameroon that is not done and that the people would be transformed by God's word in their mother tongue.
Pray for divine appointments to share with about our work. We will need more prayer and financial partners.

Thank you for reading and praying, and thanks be to God, the author and finisher of our faith.

Mother's Day

It's May and in the US Spring is in its final dayss and Summer is starting to make its presence felt. But here in Cameroon we are enjoying the cooling rains (still), fresh mangos and avocados, and annual National holidays - three in May.

Mango and Avocado 

Lots o mangos!

Mother's Day dish duty

YUM!  Thanks!

Sunset for Mother's day

Walking in the grass...

The sounds are different now. There are different birds, weddings late into the night or morning, wind sending mangos plummeting onto the metal roofs, and rain you smell and hear pounding on roofs as it rushes across the neighborhood.

We have had a time of rest.  The branch retreat and conference were really good and they breathed some life back into us.  

I helped coordinate the child care worker team that came from the US to work with our kids.  They did a wonderful job and we are hopeful that Refuge 139 will come again next year.

We enjoyed Easter, Talent show, and a celebration of 40 years of SIL aviation in Cameroon.  I even got to ride in a helicopter!

Easter sunrise service

Conference

Easter

Refuge 139 - our kids in children's program during conference

Our friends the Mayo family

Aviation celebration

Waiting for a ride

Noah with his friends Aaron and Sam at the SIL hanger

Helicopter rides

Then Chris and I were blessed with a retreat in England.  We came home relaxed, refreshed, filled up, rejuvenated, and really truly blessed.  What a delight to spend time with the pastors and other missionaries sent by the church I grew up in.  Some I had known since I was a little girl and others I met for the first time. We can't thank the church enough for caring for us in that way!

Birmingham 

The chase in Cannock, England

Our group all supported by Rivermont at the retreat.

Playing Bunko! 

Good chocolate

Tea with the ladies-

On the subway

At the art museum

We saw a show with new friends

In London

At All Nations Christian College north of London
Sitting where the prime meridian is!

East side of London

My friend Donna
They filmed an episode of Call the Midwife on her street!

Spring!

Fast train to Paris to catch our flight back

Best pizza!  

That's lake Roseland in France!
I can almost make out Albertville from the here.

Finally saw Mt. Cameroon!

It is my hope that I can in some ways care for others like we have been cared for. That is life-giving to me! So thankful for that trip!

We've been though one difficult time since then.  We know that all the missionaries are in stressful situations and sometimes make mistakes.  They fail us. They are judged more harshly and are accountable for more because of their faith and roles.  But what was meant by Satan for evil, God will use for Good.  He is the great redeemer.  He allows us to forgive and to ask for forgiveness.  

We took the boys to see Captain America last night.  I was glad to use the opportunity to talk about how 'good people' who are following their conscience sometimes choose the wrong things or just different things.  Sometimes the good guys fight each other.  Sometimes it is unavoidable.  BUT we can remain friends. We can forgive.  We can choose to understand where the other guy is coming from even if we don't agree.  Good life lessons.  

Noah and friends

Ben and me
Waiting for the movie.

God is good all the time.  Even when life is full of thorns and briers and lament and mourning and woe, God is with us, strengthening and encouraging us. We have be told 'Be strong and courageous for God is with you and He will never fail.'  Trust not in man, but in God.  Sometimes he uses men as his instruments but they, like me, are poor and fragile, filled with cracks and fallible.  When we are weak, then He is strong.

The co-ed volleyball team

The oops!  I didn't think I would hit that bird with my arrow, but now I should eat it...
Tastes like fried chicken...

Carnival at RFIS - Kristin taught the middle schoolers how to make balloon animals.
It was so hot that day she had to put the balloons in the freezer to keep them from popping, and
the glue melted in the balloon pump!

Noah teaching Mrs. Santos to use a bow in the 'Dangerous Weapons' area for the RFIS carnival

Noah and our neighborhood friend Yvan at the carnival

We have just under 5 weeks until we leave for furlough.  We stop in France along the way to visit friends. Then we head to VA.

Frito Pie on a 'cool' day in April.
The end of our yummies from the shipment.

Please pray for the last workshops Chris will do in Kribi and Campo before we go.

Pray for his paper on his research with the talking drum for the government of Cameroon.

Pray for traveling mercies.

Pray for transitions.

Pray people will give the family lots of grace as they try to adjust back to living in the US and all the things that we won't 'get'.  Especially the kids - from shopping, to money, driving, cultural things we've missed in the last 3 years....

Pray for the kids to all make good friends who 'get' them.

Pray for there to be people in our lives who really do want to know what life is like here in Cameroon and who ask good questions.  Pray for acceptance and grace to deal with the large majority who will not really want to know much or just can't get it.  It's okay.

Pray for the new schools (Bedford Co. Va) as we start the registration process.

Pray for divine appointments to share about what God is doing in Cameroon and our ministry here. Pray for new partners to come along side us as we serve.

Pray that, no matter what, we glorify God.