After a few weeks of radio silence, we are back
We have had a few intensive weeks, especially Sinco at school. Besides that he makes long days at school, he runs against different things than he was used to at Malangoschool. This is partly because he is Assistant Director. But he starts getting more accustomed to all kind of things and gets a better view of the situation and students. The relationship with the director and other colleagues is excellent, so that's a blessing and praise worthy.
As for me, I have my ups and downs. Even though I'm happy with the apartment we now finally have chosen, we have not yet the ability and resources to really make our house a home. I count myself to the type of person that is naturally very patient, but at this point I have to learn patience. That belongs again to the life lessons that our Heavenly Father is teaching to me.
I miss the life and really everything of PNG and our stay there very much! Not that there was heaven on earth, but I felt very much at home from the beginning. The difference is so big and you always remember only the good things. PNG was called "Paradise", which I found a bit exaggerated, but maybe it was still close? Nevertheless, I have to let this behind me like a good experience and to focus on what lies before me. So I'm still in the process of switching and adapt to the country, the city, the mentality of the people etc. And do not forget the French language.
The Lord has spoiled us in our previous period. The last few days I have learned some spiritual lessons.
One of these lessons is that Paul's words came to my mind, in which he wrote:
“11 I am not saying this because I am in need: for I have learned to be content, in whatever situation I am in.
12 I know how to live with little, and I know how to live with much: in any and every situation I have learned the secret of being content whether full or hungry, whether I have plenty or too little.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13.
Thinking about this I must admit I can not say all this. My (our) circumstances have never been in such poverty that we have suffered, we have had abundance, never hunger or oppression, persecution, etc. So I have to learn to settle in gratitude in the circumstances where God has placed us in. And do not look glum if I have not yet my own style curtains, and not yet paintings on the walls, etc.
I personally have again to learn to focus on the target, at the call of God. We have not chosen to live in another country far away from our family. It was the Lord, before whom we stand, who decided. And in Him we can always trust, what he does is always good. We can not breathe without His will and presence.
Sometimes we know so well, but sometimes we have to adjust ourselves back here and fortunately, our God, our loving Father, will never blame us, He is patient and very gentle. He always leads us on the way we have to go.
Oh, how good is He! And how stubborn we are!
The city
Last week I went into town with another Dutch woman. She lives and works with her husband and children already for a long time in Cameroon. So now she knows well the road and all kinds of shops which we as Dutch people are interested in. It was an interesting trip. We let us move by taxis. As we said before, this is the very best way of being transported in this country , cheap and straight to your purpose. The thousands of yellow-painted cars that sometimes look badly battered, both outside and inside, crosses madly through the streets, overtake and stop unexpectedly and you're surprised that it usually goes well. Remarkably, everywhere, everywhere goods are offered for sale. It seems that half the people here want to offer something for sale. And you can not imagine with what things they all walk along the streets, or what they have displayed on the sidewalks. Or they have a small cart packed or a covered stand with marchandises . They also hang all kind of clothes over fences and walls, for example men's trousers, jeans, etc. Too many to mention. Whole sofas and beds are on the side of the road for sale, etc.
You would expect that there are no longer stores or markets required. But these are also present. Small shops and large, sometimes quite beautiful stores. And some very luxurious supermarkets for the rich. In many places, small shops, often no more than a wooden box, where a tailor or seamstress his or her work does. Really, it dazzles you just if you want to watch everything.
What strikes us and actually opposes, is the chaos, dirt, dust and enormous noise everywhere. The cars and other traffic are honking at a stretch in order to let you know that they are coming or want to pass by. By all the exhaust gasses it stinks enormous. Moreover, all those people on the streets or in the markets are very aggressive and pushy. As a white person you are only seen as a purse. The greed radiates from all eyes. They push everything really under your nose and call all kind of things to get your attention. My girlfriend was occasionally even grabbed by the arm. She neglected all of this and ran unperturbed, right to her goal.
What an experience. I have bought a few pieces of fabric to make African clothing. If you wear African dresses that brings you closer to the people, and the dresses are beautiful. There are so many people who are very good in sewing for a small amount in our eyes. So now I am looking for a suitable seamstress or tailor! Why should I myself fiddling, because the taylors here are handy with the special models.
A move
We have written that a container was brought from the Netherlands with a car for a fellow missionary somewhere in a village working on reading and writing instruction in a language group. However she will leave after a couple of weeks for furlough in the Netherlands, so she has to relocate her belongings temporarily to a storage in Yaoundé. Because her car was too small to carry everything at once there was a car offered by another colleague and Sinco had offered to help move. He had received his Cameroonian drivers license just the week before, so he would drive in the borrowed car to the village in the north and they would drive the two loaded cars back to Yaounde.
Because Sinco has never driven a car in Cameroon before (only a test ride to school), he needed someone to go with him to show the way out of town. All roads seem the same. The rest of the trip was more or less explained: follow the car tracks and you will find her house after a waterpump close to two large mango trees in a particular "village". Fortunately Sinco's Cameroonian College Jacob went with him, because he knew the way well in Yaoundé and also because he speaks the local language a bit. At the appointed time they left from Yaoundé. It would be a journey of nearly three hours, the last hour through the Bush in his 4-wheel drive. It was raining hard and the "roads" were puddles. Sinco noticed that the steering responded not as perfect as needed and he was well aware of the fact that the brakes are not quite in order, but never mind. They arrived in the village, but what a surprise, they came from a very different side than was explained on paper. But they were there. When all the stuff was loaded, they drove with the two cars towards Yaoundé. At some point the colleague in her brand new jeep Susuki (only 12 years old but looks like new) put on the brake, and Sinco behind her also put on the brake. But to his horror, the brake did not respond at all. Perforce, he was to drive the entire trip without brakes. With art and acrobatics and the protective hand of God, they arrived at home safely. His first tour in a city whose traffic - let's say gently - do not let interfere with all kinds of rules .... and without brakes!
Later we heard, when the car had been in the garage that the steering was completely defective. How the protective hand of God was in charge! It is clear that God still has a task on earth both for Sinco as for Jacob! And also for the two female missionaries who do their work alone: we heard that many spells and curses have been tried against them. But they simply trust in God and did not notice! Thankfully, God is so faithful that He also gives things which we have not prayed for, just because we do not even know.
Danger is lurking always everywhere! See the rest of the journey on this Saturday below.
Holidays!
From last Friday until next Monday, the high school closed for a short "autumn" break. The name certainly does not fit here, but the weather in this period occasionally let us think about autumn. Rain, wind, sometimes it is chilly.The team of teachers and some others had planned to go to Kribi the weekend. Kribi is a place on the coast with several tourist accommodations. The departure was Saturday and because Sinco first would help the missionary in the "Bush"with the move, so he wouldr come later by public transport.
I (Roelie) would be picked up by a colleague - Liz - and at the assembly, I was placed in the Liz’ car along with 2 other women. The rest of the group, we went with 16 people total, went into the school bus. We had a successful trip and after about four hours we arrived in Kribi. The main road was quite passable, but the last stretch of road that led to our place to stay, was unpaved and almost impassable. Thanks to our good chauffeuse we arrived safely..
We stayed in an apartment complex, assuming a monastery. Which I have not seen. The monks had left the management to a man with his family living in the area of the apartment. It was all very shabby and poorly maintained. On arrival there was no electricity, so the fridge in the austere square , which the name of kitchen barely deserved, did not work. We had brought food and drinks for more than 3 days, the time we would stay. Including cooked meat, spagettisaus, cheese, etc. The rooms were all with one double bed and one bunk bed. The girls slept together and the men too. It included two young married couples, which were separated. Luckily for me and Sinco they had reserved a private room, also for the director and her new husband. The mattresses were thin, and it stank. But it was nice that every room had a private bathroom with a shower. At first I found it all but nothing. But the group, which for the most part I had not met before, was very sympathetic and cozy.
In the evening at 9 o'clock suddenly there was electricity. There was a cheer, everyone was happy. We actually had prepared and consumed a meal in the light of several flaschlights. Meanwhile we held telephone contact with Sinco.
He tells himself:
At half past three we got - I (Sinco) and a SIL lady (language expert)- on a bus to Kribi. These buses depart only when they are full. Where normally 4 people could sit in a row, there were now 6 or 7 in a row. Just bash and somebody fits between. Imagine my surprise when some ladies came out with very wide hips and thudded down between persons in an already overloaded row!! Others had to sit on the tip of the seat (5 hours). About five o’clock we drove away. The driver drove like crazy ... there is no other word for it .... I think with speeds of regularly 140 km / hour on roads where 100 km / h is already hard. At one point almost everyone on the bus screamed that he had to calm down to normal riding. Such a reaction is exceptional for Cameronians. . He was quite addressed by one of the men who was so angry that I thought he would go on a fight with the driver. The driver behaved extremely childish and continued by 50-70 km / h. For me an answer to prayer. I constantly prayed "let us safely arrive"! And God granted it in this way. The result was that we had arrived a few hours later in Kribi... late in the evening. The last part of the way he again drove very hard, about 140. When the next day I saw how the road was like and how utterly irresponsible the driver had driven, I understood well how wonderfully God has saved us this Saturday.
a city with more than 3 million inhabitants.
The 25 year old Toyota jeep on this trip
without brakes and practically without control.
Left the "new" Susuki.
Behind our Dutch colleague.
Jacob left and a local woman at the right.
In the "garage" on the road to Ombessa to look at the failing brakes. To no avail ... they did not work at all!
In the bus to Kribi, waiting until he could sit full.
On each row there seems to be still "room" for some people!
Kribi
We had a lovely time, could swim in the ocean, have made a trip to a waterfall, we ate once in a restaurant. We read books, played games, chatted, had deeper acquaintance, etc.
On Sunday we have taken a time of praise and prayer and testimony together to honor and thank the Lord
Tuesday afternoon we went back to Yaounde and arrived safely.
The photos speak for themselves.
Next time more about our experiences, my little garden etc.
rock formations of Gneiss with embedded crystals
of mainly quartzite.
Beautiful lizards scurrying here at all sides around us ...
curious …almost brutal!
This seems to be unique.
Here have been prepared delicious fresh shrimps
Aren’t they beautiful ... these lobsters?
Sinco had ordered a delicious serving of shrimps ... that belongs to Cameroon (Camero is Portuguese for "Shrimp") after all... assuming that we would share it in the group. But the others did not want to!
No problem for Sinco.
Colleagues enjoy the beautiful sunsets at Kribi.
We ended our trip to Kribi with dinner ( for Dutch standards very cheap). Sinco had ordered crocodile.
Better that he ate the crocodile than the crocodile eats him!
But he had only bones and nearly no meat (as usual in PNG)
Right Roelie gathered some clippings in Kribi.
She starts gardening here again!
Our visit to Jacob (colleage and friend) and his family
The youngest daughter of 1 year and 4 months
finally the youngest daughter loved it to be hugged by Roelie.
to be hugged by Roelie..
Don't miss our next diary!
Our address in Cameroon is:
SIL - BP 1299
Yaounde
Cameroon - Africa
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