Cameroon/Kamerun/Cameroun

In April I had my first chance to visit the African country Cameroon. I spent just under two weeks in the capitol city of Yaoundé attending the first Cameroon Grace Brethren Church national conference and teaching pastors and church members. I also had a very stimulating afternoon with a group of youth from one of the Yaoundé churches.

One of the first things that struck me is how modern and advanced Cameroon is in comparison to Chad and the CAR - traffic lights, many more cars, nicer cars, areas of the city with beautiful houses, larger number of paved streets, street lights (put in for the visit from the Pope), many tall buildings, imported APPLES being sold on about every corner!

Barack Obama was a popular guy!
(click on picture to enlarge)

Scribbled on a wall: The "King of the Blacks"!

I wasn't expecting to see this!

Look-alike friends at one of the churches.

The youth choir making their grand entrance and getting everyone in the mood for the conference.

Elaborately choreographed steps, singing as the went along.

I'd like to see Shelly try this one on somebody.

Part of a Christian youth movement, something akin to the girl scouts . . .

. . . and boy scouts.

This Christian movement is losing influence among young people who generally have become very westernized, especially in the large cities.
There is a dire need for good work among the young people in the central African countries!

As always, the ladies provide some of the most interesting cultural displays while doing the lion's share of the physical work for the conference (cooking and clean-up) - they are the backbone of the families and churches.

They love to sing and dance.

I felt like Forrest Gump!

The ladies in all their finery.

Frank Puhl, German missionary, delivered one of the keynote addresses at the conference.

This young man and his wife were presented for ordination, I believe the first ordained pastor in the fledgling Grace Brethren fellowship in Cameroon. I had the joy of preaching his ordination sermon.

The young man in the middle, Paul, was my translator (English to French) for this trip. He and I connected quickly and I consider him to be one of the best African translators I've ever had.
(I don't often miss an opportunity to wear one of my "African" ties made by our friend from Pennsylvanie, Nellie Diehl.)

This is in front of one of the neighborhood churches where I held classes.

I could take pictures of the children all day!

One of the 13 Yaoundé Grace Brethren Churches is located in this building. Until now, most of the Grace Brethren Churches are made up of immigrants from Chad and the CAR and are counted among the poorer elements of the Cameroonian society.

Another one of the neighborhood GBCs in Yaoundé.

Receiving a parting thank-you gift from the president of the Cameroon Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches.

I was definitely not there in the dry season. We had to contend often with torrential rains which virtually stopped our meetings, the pounding rain on tin roofs making verbal communication impossible.

A sophisticated drainage system in the yard of one of the churches - a small river accumulated very quickly.

I had the delight to get to know Dan, Karis, Kayla and Krista Seely while I was in Yaoundé. Karis (of whom I did not get a picture - sorry!) is Steven Varner's first cousin. Dan and Karis are church-planting missionaries in their first term and have a delightful home and family. They just happen to be direct neighbors to Karen Foster, one of our Grace Brethren missionaries in Cameroon, so I got to see them frequently and had some meals in their home.

I also had fun practicing my grandpa skills with two cute, wiggly little red heads.

Here is Karen Foster with translator Paul. Karen is a seasoned Africa missionary having served many years in the CAR and now managing administrative duties in Cameroon as well as carrying on active ministry to the African ladies and helping develop and coordinate a blossoming Sunday School program. Karen is a member of our home church, Grace Brethren of Columbus, Ohio. She also served me a lot of great meals while I was there!