Friday, September 23, 2016

What's Up Doc??

It's been a while and for that I apologize

I know that I have people who check this blog out occasionally and this blog hasn't even crossed my mind until today.  So, I thought I would briefly update you on the past several months...or...on most of this year actually. Wow, has it really been since December that I last posted?!

2016 entered in dry and dusty as our least favorite season of the year, dry season, was in full force. In February we had the privilege of hosting Mike Herbster along with his two boys, Micah and Malachi. They spent several days out in the bush of Akwaya with Pastor Felix and a few days with us. It is always a treat to have visitors from the US! (*hint *hint!)


In April we had our annual Family Camp that veteran missionary, Tom Needham, always hosts at his home in Sabga, Cameroon. Thankfully we are only a 20 minute drive from the Needham's house, so we get to sleep in our own beds for the week. The kids always look forward to this event. Emma's favorite activity is held on horseback riding day.


The week of Family Camp is always a refreshing week of preaching and fellowship with other American missionaries. I am normally in charge of the food organization for the event and this year my husband helped out with this task by spending an entire day in town running back and forth working with welders and metal workers to have this awesome gas grill made for me!


This grill really is a work of steampunk art. I was a little afraid it was going to blow up on me at first, but this beauty works like a charm and I now use it weekly to cook our Friday night pizza on it.

At the end of June I had a minor surgical procedure here in Cameroon. I say minor...but it was pretty major for me. It involved getting put "under" which was something I'd never experienced before. I arrived early for my surgery and was able to wait in a private room. From the private ward I walked outside and down a long walkway to the doors of the surgical theater (all in my hospital gown). They made me take my shoes off at the door, and I was escorted in barefoot where they gave me another pair of slippers to put on. I was immediately taken to the operating room.  A very nice American lady put her arm around me and prayed with me before I climbed up onto the operating table. I was in tears...an absolute nervous wreck. My surgeon was also an American doctor, Dr. Brown, and was so kind to pray with me again before the procedure as well. The next thing I remember was being lifted onto a gurney, and being wheeled to a recovery room where I groggily kept asking for my husband. He wasn't allowed inside recovery, but he did inform me later that the power went out during my procedure which always makes things very interesting for the doctors at this particular hospital as there are no back-up generators. Everything went very smoothly other than when I learned that I must be allergic to the anesthesia drugs because I spent the next several hours feeling like I had the flu. My medical chart was a hilarious read after the fact. The nurse wrote that I vomited [so many] cc's of green stuff. Very professional explanation.

Summer brought a busy church schedule with our Vacation Bible School events (called Holiday Bible School here in Cameroon). We held a week at Faith Baptist Church and a week at Bible Baptist Church. We had amazing turnouts each day with many salvation decisions. It was an exhausting but very rewarding couple of weeks! Each of our older three kids were able to participate by telling a Bible Story to the children as well!


The kids have enjoyed spending time with their friends, Eddie and Lydia Loescher. Missionary Dr. Carol Loescher spends some time each month at Mbingo Baptist Hospital (where my surgery was held) doing medical work. We try to have their kids over for some fellowship whenever they are in the area.


The Lord is at work in our churches and clearly Satan doesn't like what is happening. In our village church of Bambili, Bible Baptist Church has been facing some difficulties with a dishonest man trying to claim ownership of the land the church is on. This property was purchased legally in 2002, before we were even on the field, and is in the name of the church. The same lawyer that oversaw the sale of the property in 2002, will now help us prove legally that the land rightfully belongs to Bible Baptist Church. We know that God can take care of His church much better than we can.

We just ask for prayer warriors. We wrestle not against flesh and blood here and it is so evident. When God is at work, Satan comes behind and tries to undo and discourage the work that is going on. I'm thankful that greater is He that is in me...than he that is in the world!



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