Thanksgiving Update:
We’ve now had eight shots each and only minor headaches during a week of Typhoid meds, a normal reaction. There are now 17 books on our “special” shelf on Africa as a whole and West Central countries specifically. We read and try to absorb information on history, cultures, customs, gestures, use of money and missions.
Penny practices language review almost daily with three French phrase books and dictionaries. Then she tries to teach little bits to Gary, who quickly slaughters the language and mixes it with his high school Spanish.
(It could get ugly.) He might ask for a pound of rice and get dried bugs! Gary may stick with nods, gestures, and English on the mission compound. He'll have to stay with "moi" as a French chaperone, in town and villages.
On the topic of bugs, we learned that we will buy a "bag" of rice, corn meal or flour from an open air market. It is scooped out of a bigger sack, 30-100 pounds they seem, in photos. When we get our "bag" home, we are to put it in a freezer for at least a day, to kill anything that moves...we'll keep you posted on that.
Early in the month we spent time with Pastor Tim Heath of Bonney Lake, who spent time in Cameroon with his missionary brother.
In the middle of November we met Rueben and Judy Stueckle. For two years they directed Wycliffe's Yaounde school for missionary and ambassadors' children. We asked lots of questions and took many notes. We'll get together again to view their photos.
A week later we spent a afternoon with Pastor Bob and Judy Allen, with ITEM and NICE. He travels into numerous African countries and teaches workshops to pastors there. This is a great need, since there are thousands of new believers and men who feel God's call to lead, but little training is available.
Because of a lack of Bible knowledge, many African believers still mix bits of their traditions and life-long superstitions into their new Christian faith. This is another reason God can teach them faster, when they have a Bible they can read, in their "Heart Language," as they say.
At the end of the month we spent time with Mary Anne Lattin, who returns to her mission post with World Venture in Senegal, north of Cameroon, one week before we leave. She shared videos and photos of her town and people. Then she showed a couple of ways to tie the African woman's' head wrap. In Cameroon it's called a Monpour (spelling questionable).
Penny is eagerly reading and asking questions about what foods are available and how are they cooked. Gary asks about the computer and internet capabilities and needs.
We both want to learn as much as we can, to feel comfortable and effective in the culture, dress and temperature, which is warm and warmer: 85-95 degrees daytime and a crisp and chilly 75 degrees at night. BRRRRR!
Email us with comments or questions at: gplent@gmail.com
