December 31, 2011
So here’s how the end of 2011 lived itself out in our lives today.
Nancy, the kids, and I along with Fidele left our house in Bali about
9:30 am and drove to Bossa where we parked the truck and met Adam (the
Imam who trusted Christ a couple weeks ago) who was to escort us to
his house on the mountain. The reason for our visit was to explain
the Gospel of Jesus Christ to his family as we had Adam two weeks ago.
We were scheduled to do this on Sunday January 8 but Adam told us
this past Wednesday that his family could not wait that long and could
we come sooner. Without a second of hesitation, we said, “of course”.
Thus, the reason with packs filled with water bottles, snacks, two
Proclaimers, portions of Scripture in Fulfulde, toys and treats, for
our trek up a mountain trail deep in the Cameroonian bush.
The Fulbe live in small compounds scattered across the tops of the
mountains here so we were in for a good climb. Adam’s pace was fast
and furious but we all kept up fairly well including Esther and Peter.
I probably should mention that Peter did have the advantage of riding
on dad’s and Adam’s backs as we hiked. About 30 minutes into the hike
we went from walking in tall grass to navigating a very narrow trail
through trees, vines, bushes, and rocks. Adam was in the lead and
Fidele was bringing up the rear. Then without warning, Fidele yelled
“snake” as he began looking for a stick to kill the black cobra with
its head up ready to strike. The snake quickly disappeared into the
undergrowth before Fidele was able to kill it. As we all gathered
around him to hear what the cobra looked like Fidele told us that from
his position in the rear he saw all of us walk past the cobra before
he realized what it was. Once he realized what it was he could not
believe that with the cobra’s head swaying back and forth in the
attack and strike position it did not do so. He said that it was as
if God kept the cobra from striking while each of us walked by
completely unaware of its presence. This is probably a good time to
mention that the venom of this kind of cobra known as “naja” in the
bush is fatal.
Once the snake was gone and we had moved to higher ground away from
the green thick undergrowth that had hidden the deadly cobra we
stopped to consider the meaning of this as everything God does has a
meaning. Thankful to God for His protection we realized that God had
given us a wonderful insight into what was going on around us
spiritually as we were hiking up a mountain filled with Muslim
families whose Islamic tradition goes back to the 13th century. We
had entered territory held by Satan for centuries and he was not about
to simply let us walk in (in this case—climb) and preach the Gospel
without a fight. Yet God, Whose orders we were following in entering
that territory had “other sheep” to gather and would not allow Satan
to stop us. Thus, just as our Lord physically kept the cobra from
striking—He also kept Satan from stopping our advance up this mountain
to share the Gospel.
After an hour and some minutes of hard climbing and walking we finally
reached Adam’s compound. We were welcomed by his wife, children,
grandchildren, and a few neighbors. After the customary greetings we
rested a bit and then shared a meal of rice, sauce, and chicken
together. Then everyone gathered in one of the mud brick dirt floor
houses to hear the teaching about Isa Al Masihu (Jesus the Messiah or
the Christ).
With the house overcrowded but quiet, I began playing John 1-4 in
Fulfulde on one of the Proclaimers we brought. Then Fidele and I
preached the Gospel from these chapters in John to them. Once we
finished, they did not want us to stop even though we had been meeting
for almost two hours. So we asked them what their response to the
Gospel and Isa was and almost in unison the whole roomful of people
exclaimed that they were ready to turn from Islam and their sins to
follow Isa Al Masihu as their Lord and Savior.
Their response reminded me of people who could not wait to be released
from their chains so as to be free—such was their enthusiasm in saying
that they wanted no part of Mohamed or Islam any longer. As we probed
each person with questions as to whether they really understood the
Gospel and what it would mean for them and their lives it was obvious
they had already been prepared for this by God Himself. Truly,
salvation is a work of God! With over a dozen people professing
Christ as their Lord and Savior I asked Adam about the possibility of
us building a small mud brick house near theirs so that we could stay
on the mountain for longer periods of time in order to continue
teaching and discipling these new believers. This request was met
with great joy and celebration as he told his wife and family. They
could think of nothing better than having us there with them on a more
regular basis to teach them about their Savior and Lord.
Whereas this was a wonderfully exciting and joyous way to end 2011 the
work of seeing a church established among the Fulbe will be the work
of 2012. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf and especially for
the Fulbe people. Pray hard and unceasingly for these new believers
and for us as we journey into this territory firmly held by Satan for
centuries. May God be pleased to use us, the weakest of the weak and
really the most unlearned of the learned, to glorify Himself by
gathering more of His sheep and planting a church among the Fulbe of
Cameroon.Humbly Celebrating The Power of The Gospel,
Mark, Nancy & Kids
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Amazing Grace
(Later) December 20, 2011
Dear Praying Warriors,
Here is some more VERY exciting news from Cameroon that I wanted to pass on to all of you from my dad. Enjoy!
So let me ask you--who is harder to reach for Christ--a 56 year old
Muslim Imam who has heard very little about Christ or a 5 year old
little boy who has been raised in a Christian home hearing of Christ
everyday?
In all honesty, many of us would be tempted to say it takes more of
God's grace to reach the Muslim man than the little boy but that would
reveal a terrible misunderstanding of each person's depraved and lost
condition before God in their unredeemed state. You see, it is as
hard to reach the little five year old boy who has been raised in a
Christian home as it is the 56 year old Muslim teacher for the simple
reason that each of them is born a sinner with a heart disposition
that hates, is opposed to, and is antagonistic toward God. Certainly,
the Muslim man simply by virtue of his 56 years has lived out his
heart's depravity to a much greater degree than the little boy who has
only had five years to do so. But, make no mistake the awful,
deceitful, God-rejecting heart of depravity is seated as securely in
the little boy as it is in the Muslim man. One’s age, family
background, or religion does not diminish in anyway the distance
between man and God when it comes to sin. Apart from the wonderful
and purely amazing grace of God neither the boy nor the man could or
would be saved from his sins and his sinful condition. Christ’s
atoning sacrifice for the little boy was as costly, brutally painful,
and precious as that made for the Muslim man. It took no less of
Christ’s blood to save the boy as the man.
All this simply to announce to you another great joy that was ours
yesterday.
You see in the morning God saved the 56 year old Muslim
Imam from his sins. In the evening as Peter and I were driving home
from the orphanage he told me of his need to be forgiven by Christ for
his sins. As I explained the Gospel to him for probably the hundredth
time, the scales fell from his eyes and his heart was freed to see
Christ and the work of Christ on his behalf and he believed. Hearing
him pray confessing his need of Christ and then his profession of
faith in Christ alone as his Lord and Savior brought great joy to my
heart.
As Nancy and I reflected later in the night about the salvation of
Adam and Peter on the same day it was as though God was
communicating to us the simple truth that salvation is always of the
Lord regardless of whom, when, and how.
As always, thank you for praying for us!
With much love and thanksgiving,
mark, nancy & kidsHeld by Grace,
Sara
Dear Praying Warriors,
Here is some more VERY exciting news from Cameroon that I wanted to pass on to all of you from my dad. Enjoy!
So let me ask you--who is harder to reach for Christ--a 56 year old
Muslim Imam who has heard very little about Christ or a 5 year old
little boy who has been raised in a Christian home hearing of Christ
everyday?
In all honesty, many of us would be tempted to say it takes more of
God's grace to reach the Muslim man than the little boy but that would
reveal a terrible misunderstanding of each person's depraved and lost
condition before God in their unredeemed state. You see, it is as
hard to reach the little five year old boy who has been raised in a
Christian home as it is the 56 year old Muslim teacher for the simple
reason that each of them is born a sinner with a heart disposition
that hates, is opposed to, and is antagonistic toward God. Certainly,
the Muslim man simply by virtue of his 56 years has lived out his
heart's depravity to a much greater degree than the little boy who has
only had five years to do so. But, make no mistake the awful,
deceitful, God-rejecting heart of depravity is seated as securely in
the little boy as it is in the Muslim man. One’s age, family
background, or religion does not diminish in anyway the distance
between man and God when it comes to sin. Apart from the wonderful
and purely amazing grace of God neither the boy nor the man could or
would be saved from his sins and his sinful condition. Christ’s
atoning sacrifice for the little boy was as costly, brutally painful,
and precious as that made for the Muslim man. It took no less of
Christ’s blood to save the boy as the man.
All this simply to announce to you another great joy that was ours
yesterday.
You see in the morning God saved the 56 year old Muslim
Imam from his sins. In the evening as Peter and I were driving home
from the orphanage he told me of his need to be forgiven by Christ for
his sins. As I explained the Gospel to him for probably the hundredth
time, the scales fell from his eyes and his heart was freed to see
Christ and the work of Christ on his behalf and he believed. Hearing
him pray confessing his need of Christ and then his profession of
faith in Christ alone as his Lord and Savior brought great joy to my
heart.
As Nancy and I reflected later in the night about the salvation of
Adam and Peter on the same day it was as though God was
communicating to us the simple truth that salvation is always of the
Lord regardless of whom, when, and how.
As always, thank you for praying for us!
With much love and thanksgiving,
mark, nancy & kidsHeld by Grace,
Sara
A MUST READ UPDATE
December 20, 2011
Dear Praying Warriors,
You all just have to read this new update!!! And pass it on!! WOW!! It is amazing to see God's hand at work....He sends the rain (the hardships, struggles, sickness, etc) but He also sends the new growth. Read on and see how God is using your prayers to make much of His name in Cameroon!!!!
Just an update to let you all know how God has answered your prayers in regard to Adam our Fulfulde language teacher who is also the Iman in Bossa.
This morning as we began our lesson I simply felt very much compelled to share the Gospel with Adam so I began to do so. I could tell that he was listening intently and when I finished I asked him if he understood what I was telling him. He told me that he did but that Muslims do not believe that Isa Al Masih (Jesus the Mesiah) actually died on the cross. He also explained that Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God but rather a prophet like Mohammed.
Then I asked him what he believed. He looked at both Fidele and I for a moment and then told us that he wanted his heart to be clean and that he wanted to believe in Isa and follow Him. When I pressed him about Jesus being the Son of God thus being equal with and to God as well His death on the cross for our sins Adam told us that he too now believed this and wanted to follow Isa. I do not think I could believe what I was hearing so I kept pressing him upon what he thought and believed about Jesus and he kept telling me that he now saw that Jesus is the Son of God and thus God Himself and that He did die for his sins on the cross and rose again.
It was as though God just opened Adam's heart and eyes in front of
us as I shared the Gospel with him. Romans 10:17 came to mind where Paul writes: "And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ." Anyway, as we continued talking I told Adam that he could not follow Christ and Mohammed at the same time--he would have to make a choice--and he simply said his decision is to follow Christ. Then I brought up the Koran and made the point that the Koran and the Bible cannot both be true especially in regard to the teaching of who died
on the cross. Adam's reponse was that the Koran was a lie and that
he would follow the Holy Bible.
Well you can imagine our joy mingled with surprise as we heard these
words coming from the Iman of Bossa. But I had a couple more
questions for Adam. The first concerned what he would now do in
relation to the Mosque as he was supposed to be there Friday leading
the men in Muslim prayers and teaching the Koran. He told us he would
no longer go to the Mosque but would instead come to our home for more
teaching about Isa and that he would invite any of his people who
wanted to come. He also said that he would tell his people why he
could no longer go to the Mosque and that the reason is that he is now
a follower of Christ rather than a follower of Mohammed. Now please
understand that neither Fidele nor I told him he had to do this. We
were simply asking him what his plans were. He did add that he would
like us to come with him to preach the Gospel to his people so they
could hear of Isa.
We also broached the subject of baptism as we wanted to see how deep
his new commitment to Christ went. Keep in mind that to be publicly
baptized before Muslims as a follower of Christ is a dangerous thing.
A private profession of faith in Christ is one thing--to publicly
proclaim this new profession through baptism is quite another. And in
his case as an Iman, to profess Christ and then to be baptized will
bring ostracism and even persecution not to mention part of his
livelihood. Adam's response to the subject of baptism was that he
would pursue this as it would be liking taking off his old clothes of
Islam and putting on the new clothes of Christ........WOW!!!!
As we finished our almost three hours together today we played John 10
on our Fulfulde Proclaimer and Adam was overjoyed that he was one
of Christ's "other sheep". When we asked him about his eternal
destiny he said he fully expected his destiny to be Heaven as now his
heart was clean because of Isa. As Fidele walked him back out to the
road from our house Adam shared with him that John 10 is true--one
can only enter through the door and the door is Christ. As you can
imagine our joy is great but we also realize how much work
is still ahead as we now disciple Adam and prepare to visit his
village to share the Gospel with those he used to teach in the Mosque.
Please continue to pray hard for us and especially for Adam in his
new Faith. Pray for him as he shares Christ with his wife and
children. Pray that God will grant us much fruit in this family and
village and that Adam may be transformed from the Iman of the
Mosque to the Pastor of a new Fulbe church. Also pray that we can
obtain some Fulfulde Bibles to use in discipling him. They are hard
to come by and have to be ordered out of a place in Maroua. Until
then we will use the Proclaimer. Also pray that we have great great
wisdom in how we proceed with Adam and his village.
So thank you for your prayers on Adam's behalf and also for praying
for our trip to see the other Muslim man yesterday afternoon.
He was not home but we did visit with his wife and two other
compounds. We left them with solar light bulbs and rice. We will
return to their compounds on the mountain Thursday with Nancy and the
kids as they will better be able to minister to these Fulbe women and
children. We will also bring medicine to treat the children with ring
worm. Please keep praying that God will grant us fruit among these
Fulbe people as well.
What a Merry Christmas It Is!!!
Love,
mark, nancy & kids
Held By Grace,
Sara
Dear Praying Warriors,
You all just have to read this new update!!! And pass it on!! WOW!! It is amazing to see God's hand at work....He sends the rain (the hardships, struggles, sickness, etc) but He also sends the new growth. Read on and see how God is using your prayers to make much of His name in Cameroon!!!!
Just an update to let you all know how God has answered your prayers in regard to Adam our Fulfulde language teacher who is also the Iman in Bossa.
This morning as we began our lesson I simply felt very much compelled to share the Gospel with Adam so I began to do so. I could tell that he was listening intently and when I finished I asked him if he understood what I was telling him. He told me that he did but that Muslims do not believe that Isa Al Masih (Jesus the Mesiah) actually died on the cross. He also explained that Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God but rather a prophet like Mohammed.
Then I asked him what he believed. He looked at both Fidele and I for a moment and then told us that he wanted his heart to be clean and that he wanted to believe in Isa and follow Him. When I pressed him about Jesus being the Son of God thus being equal with and to God as well His death on the cross for our sins Adam told us that he too now believed this and wanted to follow Isa. I do not think I could believe what I was hearing so I kept pressing him upon what he thought and believed about Jesus and he kept telling me that he now saw that Jesus is the Son of God and thus God Himself and that He did die for his sins on the cross and rose again.
It was as though God just opened Adam's heart and eyes in front of
us as I shared the Gospel with him. Romans 10:17 came to mind where Paul writes: "And faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ." Anyway, as we continued talking I told Adam that he could not follow Christ and Mohammed at the same time--he would have to make a choice--and he simply said his decision is to follow Christ. Then I brought up the Koran and made the point that the Koran and the Bible cannot both be true especially in regard to the teaching of who died
on the cross. Adam's reponse was that the Koran was a lie and that
he would follow the Holy Bible.
Well you can imagine our joy mingled with surprise as we heard these
words coming from the Iman of Bossa. But I had a couple more
questions for Adam. The first concerned what he would now do in
relation to the Mosque as he was supposed to be there Friday leading
the men in Muslim prayers and teaching the Koran. He told us he would
no longer go to the Mosque but would instead come to our home for more
teaching about Isa and that he would invite any of his people who
wanted to come. He also said that he would tell his people why he
could no longer go to the Mosque and that the reason is that he is now
a follower of Christ rather than a follower of Mohammed. Now please
understand that neither Fidele nor I told him he had to do this. We
were simply asking him what his plans were. He did add that he would
like us to come with him to preach the Gospel to his people so they
could hear of Isa.
We also broached the subject of baptism as we wanted to see how deep
his new commitment to Christ went. Keep in mind that to be publicly
baptized before Muslims as a follower of Christ is a dangerous thing.
A private profession of faith in Christ is one thing--to publicly
proclaim this new profession through baptism is quite another. And in
his case as an Iman, to profess Christ and then to be baptized will
bring ostracism and even persecution not to mention part of his
livelihood. Adam's response to the subject of baptism was that he
would pursue this as it would be liking taking off his old clothes of
Islam and putting on the new clothes of Christ........WOW!!!!
As we finished our almost three hours together today we played John 10
on our Fulfulde Proclaimer and Adam was overjoyed that he was one
of Christ's "other sheep". When we asked him about his eternal
destiny he said he fully expected his destiny to be Heaven as now his
heart was clean because of Isa. As Fidele walked him back out to the
road from our house Adam shared with him that John 10 is true--one
can only enter through the door and the door is Christ. As you can
imagine our joy is great but we also realize how much work
is still ahead as we now disciple Adam and prepare to visit his
village to share the Gospel with those he used to teach in the Mosque.
Please continue to pray hard for us and especially for Adam in his
new Faith. Pray for him as he shares Christ with his wife and
children. Pray that God will grant us much fruit in this family and
village and that Adam may be transformed from the Iman of the
Mosque to the Pastor of a new Fulbe church. Also pray that we can
obtain some Fulfulde Bibles to use in discipling him. They are hard
to come by and have to be ordered out of a place in Maroua. Until
then we will use the Proclaimer. Also pray that we have great great
wisdom in how we proceed with Adam and his village.
So thank you for your prayers on Adam's behalf and also for praying
for our trip to see the other Muslim man yesterday afternoon.
He was not home but we did visit with his wife and two other
compounds. We left them with solar light bulbs and rice. We will
return to their compounds on the mountain Thursday with Nancy and the
kids as they will better be able to minister to these Fulbe women and
children. We will also bring medicine to treat the children with ring
worm. Please keep praying that God will grant us fruit among these
Fulbe people as well.
What a Merry Christmas It Is!!!
Love,
mark, nancy & kids
Held By Grace,
Sara
Cow Pies!
December 18, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope that you all are have had a wonderful Sunday. It is hard to believe that Christmas is only a week away! I wanted to send you all an update my dad emailed me this afternoon. Right now I am working on their Christmas newsletter, which is coming soon....but until then I hope you enjoy hearing this new news.
I went out on the bike this afternoon and found another
trail about a half mile from the house. Looked interesting so I took
it and it wasn't long before I saw cow pies which means Fulbe as they are the people with the cows. I prayed and asked God to let me find someFulbe and continued to follow the trail on my bike until it got so steep and rocky I had to get off the bike and push it up the trail.Anyway after walking and then riding when the trail leveled out some I came to what looked like some cultivated land but no house. I kept on the trail following the cow pies and really started climbing until I was almost on top of a mountain. Then all of a sudden the trailleveled out in a small saddle and I walked so I could see what was on the other side of the mountain. Lo and behold as soon as I was able to see the other side I found myself about a hundred feet from cows and lots of them and about another hundred feet further was a Fulbe compound.
I stood there for about five minutes not wanting to scare
their cows or just walk into the compound uninvited. Then a man came out and he looked at me. I waved at him and he waved at me and started walking toward me. He was very friendly and glad to see me.
He spoke English too! Anyway after making our introductions I asked him if he needed lights and he said yes so I told him I'd be back tomorrow afternoon with solar lights. He said he would be glad for me to come and meet his family.
So be praying for me as I climb back up this mountain again tomorrow and begin to build a relationship with this Fulbe man and his family so as to share the Gospel with them. Fidele and maybe Bethany will accompany me tomorrow. We are praying that this man and his family are some of Christ's "other" sheep that He must gather also.
Wow.....what a blast to be able to ride a mountain bike up a mountain hunting for Fulbe people to share Chris with......and to think I get paid to do it! Can't beat it!
And keep us in prayer this week as Nancy, Fidele, and I meet with the Fulbe Iman for our Fulfulde language study. Pray that God uses this time to draw this man, Adam, to Himself too.
O what a neat opportunity they will have tomorrow!!! I find it so amazing that as Christmas draws near that my family gets to celebrate this Christmas in a way that they have never been able to celebrate it before....in a foreign country as they spread the good news to this Fulbe family that the Savior has come!
Thank you for your prayers!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I hope that you all are have had a wonderful Sunday. It is hard to believe that Christmas is only a week away! I wanted to send you all an update my dad emailed me this afternoon. Right now I am working on their Christmas newsletter, which is coming soon....but until then I hope you enjoy hearing this new news.
I went out on the bike this afternoon and found another
trail about a half mile from the house. Looked interesting so I took
it and it wasn't long before I saw cow pies which means Fulbe as they are the people with the cows. I prayed and asked God to let me find someFulbe and continued to follow the trail on my bike until it got so steep and rocky I had to get off the bike and push it up the trail.Anyway after walking and then riding when the trail leveled out some I came to what looked like some cultivated land but no house. I kept on the trail following the cow pies and really started climbing until I was almost on top of a mountain. Then all of a sudden the trailleveled out in a small saddle and I walked so I could see what was on the other side of the mountain. Lo and behold as soon as I was able to see the other side I found myself about a hundred feet from cows and lots of them and about another hundred feet further was a Fulbe compound.
I stood there for about five minutes not wanting to scare
their cows or just walk into the compound uninvited. Then a man came out and he looked at me. I waved at him and he waved at me and started walking toward me. He was very friendly and glad to see me.
He spoke English too! Anyway after making our introductions I asked him if he needed lights and he said yes so I told him I'd be back tomorrow afternoon with solar lights. He said he would be glad for me to come and meet his family.
So be praying for me as I climb back up this mountain again tomorrow and begin to build a relationship with this Fulbe man and his family so as to share the Gospel with them. Fidele and maybe Bethany will accompany me tomorrow. We are praying that this man and his family are some of Christ's "other" sheep that He must gather also.
Wow.....what a blast to be able to ride a mountain bike up a mountain hunting for Fulbe people to share Chris with......and to think I get paid to do it! Can't beat it!
And keep us in prayer this week as Nancy, Fidele, and I meet with the Fulbe Iman for our Fulfulde language study. Pray that God uses this time to draw this man, Adam, to Himself too.
O what a neat opportunity they will have tomorrow!!! I find it so amazing that as Christmas draws near that my family gets to celebrate this Christmas in a way that they have never been able to celebrate it before....in a foreign country as they spread the good news to this Fulbe family that the Savior has come!
Thank you for your prayers!
Held by Grace,
Sara
A Hard Challenge
December 3, 2011
Hello Brothers and Sisters,I wanted to share with you an update from my dad. Please be in prayer for my family...this week has been a challenge with a lot of conflict between members of the staff there at the orphanage. Also earlier this week, Grandma Grace (the lady who founded the orphanage and has been running it for the past 6 years) passsed away and went to be with the Lord. We rejoice that she is now with the Lord and no longer in pain....we praise God for the life she lived for Jesus. Thank you for your faithful prayers.
So good to receive your emails, Sara, and encouragement as again
this weekend we need it much.
Mary, one of the single mothers here and somewhat mentally handicapped became angry with another of the single
mothers (Irene) and beat her with a chair over the head on Thursday night while Fidele and I were in Yaounde working on getting our visas.
Mom, with a couple staff members finally got the woman subdued but not before she had struck
Irene several times in the head. Irene was injured and was taken to
the hospital but as usual here in Cameroon she was given only minimal care and no tests. The hospital sent her home the next day but Irene was not right. We tried caring for her through the night but have sent her back to the hospital again today. She is having trouble with her vision, cannot walk, and is convulsing wildly. Please pray for Irene. Apparently, Mary became angry with Irene because Irene reported her for making incantations and praying to spirits in her room this past Wednesday. Mary, like most of the people in this area is an animist and while professing to believe in Christ really has just added Christ to her many spirit gods whom she worships and seeks help from. Irene also told Nancy and the staff that Mary was placing curses on certain people here--and also planned to poison herself. This all occured while I was in Yaounde as well.
Mary has twin 9 month old babies and according to the animism
practiced here they have supernatural power but must be protected from other animists who will place curses on them trying to turn them into snakes such as the cobra. Thus, Mary besides being angry with Irene for reporting her also believes Irene has placed curses on her babies.
The police here will do nothing in this situation unless Irene dies
and even then they will not do much. And in order to protect the
other children and staff we are having to treat Mary as a prisoner
trying to keep her locked in her room and watching her every move.
She has already threatened to poison others or kill herself.
So please pray for us as we navigate this situation. Having this
occur the same week as Grandma Grace dying makes it even more
difficult here. There are many who again while professing Christ want to practice their anmism and spirit worship in relation to Grace's homegoing. Pray for us and for great wisdom and boldness in combating this spirit of darkness that is revealing itself here with the Gospel.
The only solution is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Held by Grace,
Sara
Hello Brothers and Sisters,I wanted to share with you an update from my dad. Please be in prayer for my family...this week has been a challenge with a lot of conflict between members of the staff there at the orphanage. Also earlier this week, Grandma Grace (the lady who founded the orphanage and has been running it for the past 6 years) passsed away and went to be with the Lord. We rejoice that she is now with the Lord and no longer in pain....we praise God for the life she lived for Jesus. Thank you for your faithful prayers.
So good to receive your emails, Sara, and encouragement as again
this weekend we need it much.
Mary, one of the single mothers here and somewhat mentally handicapped became angry with another of the single
mothers (Irene) and beat her with a chair over the head on Thursday night while Fidele and I were in Yaounde working on getting our visas.
Mom, with a couple staff members finally got the woman subdued but not before she had struck
Irene several times in the head. Irene was injured and was taken to
the hospital but as usual here in Cameroon she was given only minimal care and no tests. The hospital sent her home the next day but Irene was not right. We tried caring for her through the night but have sent her back to the hospital again today. She is having trouble with her vision, cannot walk, and is convulsing wildly. Please pray for Irene. Apparently, Mary became angry with Irene because Irene reported her for making incantations and praying to spirits in her room this past Wednesday. Mary, like most of the people in this area is an animist and while professing to believe in Christ really has just added Christ to her many spirit gods whom she worships and seeks help from. Irene also told Nancy and the staff that Mary was placing curses on certain people here--and also planned to poison herself. This all occured while I was in Yaounde as well.
Mary has twin 9 month old babies and according to the animism
practiced here they have supernatural power but must be protected from other animists who will place curses on them trying to turn them into snakes such as the cobra. Thus, Mary besides being angry with Irene for reporting her also believes Irene has placed curses on her babies.
The police here will do nothing in this situation unless Irene dies
and even then they will not do much. And in order to protect the
other children and staff we are having to treat Mary as a prisoner
trying to keep her locked in her room and watching her every move.
She has already threatened to poison others or kill herself.
So please pray for us as we navigate this situation. Having this
occur the same week as Grandma Grace dying makes it even more
difficult here. There are many who again while professing Christ want to practice their anmism and spirit worship in relation to Grace's homegoing. Pray for us and for great wisdom and boldness in combating this spirit of darkness that is revealing itself here with the Gospel.
The only solution is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Held by Grace,
Sara
Monday, January 16, 2012
The Lord's Faithfulness
November 28, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I pray that you are all doing well as November quickly comes to a close. I wanted to pass on to you an update from my family. God's faithfullness i so overwhelming as we look back over this month. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers!
November 2011
Dear Prayer & Financial Supporters,
Thank you for your faithful and very generous support in our joint
endeavor to serve the Lord in Cameroon at the Grace Children’s Shelter
and in reaching the Fulbe people with the glorious gospel of Christ.
God has graciously enabled us to see many of the goals we had set for the Shelter accomplished within only a few weeks of being here. We can assure you that this is not in any way an indication of our effectiveness as much as it is a tribute to God’s mighty work and divine power.
Upon our arrival at the Shelter we saw that God had already set the
scene and prepared the staff as well as the children for the changes
that were needed here.
God also raised up indigenous leadership that
we are able to trust wholeheartedly
and hold accountable in caring for
the children and in the use of finances and resources. Some of the
other endeavors (but not all) we have seen the Lord place into motion in the last two months are:
1.) The beginning of a Bible Club for the children each week that
emphasizes Bible memory work, Bible teaching, games, and singing.
Morning and evening devotions emphasizing simple yet solid Bible
teaching.
2.) After school tutoring for those children needing help with their
reading and math.
3.) Hiring a full-time on-site Kitchen Manager and Project Manager who also happens to be a nurse!
4.) The beginning of a poultry operation which will provide the Shelter with chickens for meat, eggs, and money from the sale of eggs and meat. The chicken house was constructed with wood obtained from trees near the Shelter which, we cut down and then sawed into planks. It will be able to easily house 300 chickens.
5.) The renovation of a rabbitry operation to also provide meat for the Shelter. We have successfully bred some of the rabbits and are
fattening the bunnies up.
6.) Plans to dig a new and much deeper well to provide clean drinking water are in place with all the equipment, materials, and labor being donated by a church in Yaounde. The project begins in December--Lord willing!
7.) An agreement has been made between with a local farmer to provide the Shelter with food, produce, and fresh milk at affordable prices so as to save money and limit the trips to town to purchase these items at much higher prices.
8.) The repair, cleaning, and painting of the entire facility.
9.) The on-going training of the Shelter’s children in terms of
behavior, bedwetting, hygiene, manners, etc.
10.) The spiritual training of the children as well as the staff and
future leadership.
11.) The providing of an atmosphere of spiritual vibrancy, love, and
safety within the Shelter so as to provide the children with a
Christ-honoring place to grow up.
We praise God for all this and are thankful so much has been
accomplished in such a short time. We are also finding with each
passing day that our continual presence at the Shelter is no longer
necessary as it was when we first arrived. The new leadership has
assumed most of the responsibility for the management of the Shelter
while we simply provide occasional counsel and correction, regular
training and evaluation, and distribute the resources. In addition,
our sense at this time is that our continued on-site 24/7 presence at
the Shelter will prove to be detrimental to the establishing of the
new leadership and staff in their respective spheres of influence.
They need some room to find their niche and we need to find some
privacy and room for our family’s sake as well. With this in mind we
have secured a house to rent in Bali about 6 miles from the Shelter.
There are very few houses in Bali for rent especially within 10 miles
of the Shelter so we are very thankful for God’s provision. Whereas
the owner was only willing to enter into a six month lease this along
with the progress being made at the Shelter may very well accelerate
our plans to move to the Far North Region of Cameroon (The Regions
Beyond) so that we are able to relocate there this summer or fall.
This would allow us to be immersed in the Fulfulde language and
culture as well as begin making contacts with Fulbe people in the
Maroua area. This plan would also enable us to continue to act as a
conduit of funds from the U.S. for the Shelter as well as to encourage
and hold the new leaders and staff accountable while still in the
country. We would also arrange to make periodic visits throughout the
year to monitor progress more closely. We are planning a
survey-exploratory trip to Maroua this March/April.
As for our family—we are all involved in learning French from our
tutor Fidele with our best students being Nancy and the girls. Peter
and Mark are working hard at it but find Fulfulde much more to their
liking. Peter and Esther are fully recovered from their adventure
with Malaria. And Mark, while having lost over 25 lbs. from his bout
with some very serious infections our first month here is back to full
strength and working hard. Other than occasional stomach issues, we
all seem to be doing well right now health wise.
As for our spiritual health God continues to teach us new lessons
every day as well as reminds us through multiple challenges how much
we need Him. We find our lives here to be filled with much joy but
like everyone else; we too have our struggles and must fight for this
joy oftentimes. Some of these struggles include our day beginning at
4:30 am and ending about 11 pm pretty much every day, numerous
interruptions and “invasions of privacy” when we do have some personal
time, no running water thus lots of bucket baths, only a couple hours
of power each day, very limited internet and communication abilities,
cooking everything from scratch over a propane camp stove or fire,
haggling with the vendors in the market so as to try and improve the
“white man’s price” which can be quite exuberant given the fact they
all think we have a tree in the jungle that grows money, not quite
understanding the language which is pretty bad given the fact that the
language here in this part of Cameroon is English, as well as a legal
quagmire over who legally owns and has rightful authority over the
Shelter which, is requiring many meetings and conversations with
lawyers and government authorities. Wow…..sounds like a lot of
complaining, we know, but really it is the only way to let you know
what some of our struggles are as we fight each day for joy while
living in the Bush trying to make much of Christ.
Did I mention our second request for a visa extension was rejected
today? It seems that our packet was missing a form stating that Peter
as well as the rest of us have never been convicted of a crime in
Cameroon. Needless to say, the necessity of this form was not
mentioned two months ago when we applied for the extension the first
time. So, it is back to Yaounde (a 15 hour roundtrip bus ride) again
to have this form signed by apparently the only person in Cameroon who
signs these forms. We are hoping to get this done Monday and Tuesday
and then travel back to Bamenda on Wednesday to try again at the
immigration office on Thursday or Friday depending on whatever delays
we experience. Please pray about this as if we don’t get the
extension our plane leaves Monday December 5 and we’ll have to be on
it!
Well, Thanksgiving 2011 is fast becoming a memory as the sights,
sounds, and smells of Christmas begin to fill the air. May yours be
filled with the joy and happiness that comes from knowing and serving
Christ—the Reason for the season and truly the greatest treasure and
pleasure in life! And to add the proper postscript to this longer
then intended letter—we continue to be amazed by God’s grace.
Furthermore, that He has called us into service; and into a hard place
among the unreached. His kindness to us is overwhelming!
Please continue to pray for us as we pray for you as well.
For The Sake of The Gospel,
Mark, Nancy & Kids—Bethany, Rachael, Esther, and Peter
I hope youall enjoyed this update from Cameroon! God is truly working and moving things along at the orphanage. He is so good and kind and every thing He brings into our lives is a precious gift from His hand. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving...spent giving thanks to the Lord! And I just thank the Lord for all He is doing...all He has done to save us and make us His chidren! So as my family presses on in Cameroon, I also want to encourage each and every one of you to press on right where God placed you. And shine His glorious life-transforming light this holiday season!!!! God bless!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I pray that you are all doing well as November quickly comes to a close. I wanted to pass on to you an update from my family. God's faithfullness i so overwhelming as we look back over this month. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers!
November 2011
Dear Prayer & Financial Supporters,
Thank you for your faithful and very generous support in our joint
endeavor to serve the Lord in Cameroon at the Grace Children’s Shelter
and in reaching the Fulbe people with the glorious gospel of Christ.
God has graciously enabled us to see many of the goals we had set for the Shelter accomplished within only a few weeks of being here. We can assure you that this is not in any way an indication of our effectiveness as much as it is a tribute to God’s mighty work and divine power.
Upon our arrival at the Shelter we saw that God had already set the
scene and prepared the staff as well as the children for the changes
that were needed here.
God also raised up indigenous leadership that
we are able to trust wholeheartedly
and hold accountable in caring for
the children and in the use of finances and resources. Some of the
other endeavors (but not all) we have seen the Lord place into motion in the last two months are:
1.) The beginning of a Bible Club for the children each week that
emphasizes Bible memory work, Bible teaching, games, and singing.
Morning and evening devotions emphasizing simple yet solid Bible
teaching.
2.) After school tutoring for those children needing help with their
reading and math.
3.) Hiring a full-time on-site Kitchen Manager and Project Manager who also happens to be a nurse!
4.) The beginning of a poultry operation which will provide the Shelter with chickens for meat, eggs, and money from the sale of eggs and meat. The chicken house was constructed with wood obtained from trees near the Shelter which, we cut down and then sawed into planks. It will be able to easily house 300 chickens.
5.) The renovation of a rabbitry operation to also provide meat for the Shelter. We have successfully bred some of the rabbits and are
fattening the bunnies up.
6.) Plans to dig a new and much deeper well to provide clean drinking water are in place with all the equipment, materials, and labor being donated by a church in Yaounde. The project begins in December--Lord willing!
7.) An agreement has been made between with a local farmer to provide the Shelter with food, produce, and fresh milk at affordable prices so as to save money and limit the trips to town to purchase these items at much higher prices.
8.) The repair, cleaning, and painting of the entire facility.
9.) The on-going training of the Shelter’s children in terms of
behavior, bedwetting, hygiene, manners, etc.
10.) The spiritual training of the children as well as the staff and
future leadership.
11.) The providing of an atmosphere of spiritual vibrancy, love, and
safety within the Shelter so as to provide the children with a
Christ-honoring place to grow up.
We praise God for all this and are thankful so much has been
accomplished in such a short time. We are also finding with each
passing day that our continual presence at the Shelter is no longer
necessary as it was when we first arrived. The new leadership has
assumed most of the responsibility for the management of the Shelter
while we simply provide occasional counsel and correction, regular
training and evaluation, and distribute the resources. In addition,
our sense at this time is that our continued on-site 24/7 presence at
the Shelter will prove to be detrimental to the establishing of the
new leadership and staff in their respective spheres of influence.
They need some room to find their niche and we need to find some
privacy and room for our family’s sake as well. With this in mind we
have secured a house to rent in Bali about 6 miles from the Shelter.
There are very few houses in Bali for rent especially within 10 miles
of the Shelter so we are very thankful for God’s provision. Whereas
the owner was only willing to enter into a six month lease this along
with the progress being made at the Shelter may very well accelerate
our plans to move to the Far North Region of Cameroon (The Regions
Beyond) so that we are able to relocate there this summer or fall.
This would allow us to be immersed in the Fulfulde language and
culture as well as begin making contacts with Fulbe people in the
Maroua area. This plan would also enable us to continue to act as a
conduit of funds from the U.S. for the Shelter as well as to encourage
and hold the new leaders and staff accountable while still in the
country. We would also arrange to make periodic visits throughout the
year to monitor progress more closely. We are planning a
survey-exploratory trip to Maroua this March/April.
As for our family—we are all involved in learning French from our
tutor Fidele with our best students being Nancy and the girls. Peter
and Mark are working hard at it but find Fulfulde much more to their
liking. Peter and Esther are fully recovered from their adventure
with Malaria. And Mark, while having lost over 25 lbs. from his bout
with some very serious infections our first month here is back to full
strength and working hard. Other than occasional stomach issues, we
all seem to be doing well right now health wise.
As for our spiritual health God continues to teach us new lessons
every day as well as reminds us through multiple challenges how much
we need Him. We find our lives here to be filled with much joy but
like everyone else; we too have our struggles and must fight for this
joy oftentimes. Some of these struggles include our day beginning at
4:30 am and ending about 11 pm pretty much every day, numerous
interruptions and “invasions of privacy” when we do have some personal
time, no running water thus lots of bucket baths, only a couple hours
of power each day, very limited internet and communication abilities,
cooking everything from scratch over a propane camp stove or fire,
haggling with the vendors in the market so as to try and improve the
“white man’s price” which can be quite exuberant given the fact they
all think we have a tree in the jungle that grows money, not quite
understanding the language which is pretty bad given the fact that the
language here in this part of Cameroon is English, as well as a legal
quagmire over who legally owns and has rightful authority over the
Shelter which, is requiring many meetings and conversations with
lawyers and government authorities. Wow…..sounds like a lot of
complaining, we know, but really it is the only way to let you know
what some of our struggles are as we fight each day for joy while
living in the Bush trying to make much of Christ.
Did I mention our second request for a visa extension was rejected
today? It seems that our packet was missing a form stating that Peter
as well as the rest of us have never been convicted of a crime in
Cameroon. Needless to say, the necessity of this form was not
mentioned two months ago when we applied for the extension the first
time. So, it is back to Yaounde (a 15 hour roundtrip bus ride) again
to have this form signed by apparently the only person in Cameroon who
signs these forms. We are hoping to get this done Monday and Tuesday
and then travel back to Bamenda on Wednesday to try again at the
immigration office on Thursday or Friday depending on whatever delays
we experience. Please pray about this as if we don’t get the
extension our plane leaves Monday December 5 and we’ll have to be on
it!
Well, Thanksgiving 2011 is fast becoming a memory as the sights,
sounds, and smells of Christmas begin to fill the air. May yours be
filled with the joy and happiness that comes from knowing and serving
Christ—the Reason for the season and truly the greatest treasure and
pleasure in life! And to add the proper postscript to this longer
then intended letter—we continue to be amazed by God’s grace.
Furthermore, that He has called us into service; and into a hard place
among the unreached. His kindness to us is overwhelming!
Please continue to pray for us as we pray for you as well.
For The Sake of The Gospel,
Mark, Nancy & Kids—Bethany, Rachael, Esther, and Peter
I hope youall enjoyed this update from Cameroon! God is truly working and moving things along at the orphanage. He is so good and kind and every thing He brings into our lives is a precious gift from His hand. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving...spent giving thanks to the Lord! And I just thank the Lord for all He is doing...all He has done to save us and make us His chidren! So as my family presses on in Cameroon, I also want to encourage each and every one of you to press on right where God placed you. And shine His glorious life-transforming light this holiday season!!!! God bless!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Christ is our Greatest Treasure!
November 5, 2011
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I wanted to send out to you an update my dad sent me this afternoon.
I wanted to send you an update of our activities and prayer needs.
As most of you know we have experienced some struggles in the last week that while have been difficult to endure in some respects were also wonderful tools in God's hands to bring us a deeper sense of joy as we were privileged to experience God's faithfulness and comfort in ways we could not have otherwise. These experiences also gave great opportunity to demonstrate to all around us that it is God and not God's gifts that is our greatest treasure and pleasure.
As hard as it is to believe--We did blow the transmission in our truck only 2 hours after retrieving it from the Port of Douala. This occurred within ten minutes of the truck carrying all of our things from the Port to the orphanage also breaking down. Fidele and I were able to push and pray the Dodge to a bush hotel (not much to look at but the roaches, bedbugs, and mice find it very nice) where we could get off the road for the night as we were prime targets for the bandits that patrol these roads looking for white guys like me who they think have lots of money. The other large truck with all our things had clutch problems and was stuck on the side of the road for two days and two nights before we could get a mechanic and parts to repair the damage. During this time one of the guys who was traveling with Fidele and I stayed with the truck to ensure the hired driver did not leave or try and sell our things.
During the time it sat on the road--unknown to us the truck leaked and everything (yes everything)
got soaked. Praise God we have been able to dry most of the stuff out but much is ruined. By God's grace we were able to flag down a delivery type truck on the road to tow the Dodge back to Douala late Sunday afternoon. Let me tell you that sitting on a road in Cameroon under the tropical sun with no water and no transportation asking God to send a truck big enough to tow the Dodge was quite an experience in
prayer. God did answer and just in time and with just the right
truck. As we waited we passed out Gospel tracts and preached the
Gospel with all who would listen and many did listen.
We finally got the Dodge to Douala where Bread For Life has a mechanic. He confirmed my fears--the transmission was shot. Praise God that even before we
had the truck towed to Douala--I made a quick phone call to a dear
friend and mechanic from Southern Hills Baptist Church who was very familiar with our truck and within hours a new transmission was ordered and sent by SHBC to Mark Daniel, our son, in Jackson, TN. to put on a container leaving for Cameroon Nov. 14. Lord willing it will get here in late December.
Once the truck was delivered to the mechanic Fidele and I made
arrangements to hitch a ride back to Bamenda in the backseat of a
small taxi. The driver decided to drop us off in a small town in the
middle of the night about 60 miles from the orphanage. So there we
were in the town square (more like a circle of huts and buildings)
close to midnight with no ride and again asking God to get us home.
After a couple hours of talking to the town drunks and people of the
night we were able to get a ride back to the orphanage.
The next morning we woke up to a very sick Peter. He had a high
fever, was feeling very cold, complaining of a headache, vomiting, and
could not control his bowels. As the day went on and he became worse
and even unresponsive at times we realized he probably had Malaria.
We got him to the hospital in Bamenda almost an hour away and they did
a blood test and sure enough he had the very worse kind of Malaria you
can get here. In fact, they said that if infants and children do not
get treatment within three days of showing symptoms many die. While
Nancy was at the hospital with Peter little Esther came up to me and
said--"Daddy I am sick". I took her to lay down and within the hour
she too was manifesting the same symptoms as Peter. Malaria struck
twice that day. Both kids received good treatment and we praise the
Lord they are recovering nicely--although it will take about six weeks
for a full recovery. I must admit to you all that this was a very
difficult day for Nancy and I. It just seemed that trials were coming
in waves and before getting through one another was striking. But as
always God was faithful and protected our Faith and met our real need
which was to draw us ever closer to Himself and show us once again
that He alone is our Rock.
We are still working to settle in here and are very grateful to the
Lord that our solar generator is now up and running giving us
electricity enough to run a small fridge, computer, light, and
radio/CD player. My books are drying out and we have many we can use
in the adult Bible school we hope to get started in January. We are
also continuing to make contacts with Fulbe neighbors. Last week we
met a Fulbe woman named Myra out on a path in the mountains. We now
have two Fulbe contacts--Praise God. The work is slow but it is going
by the grace of God.
As to our needs--we are still lacking about $1000 in support for the
orphanage. Please pray for our health as well. There is much disease
here. Our area is still experiencing a Cholera epidemic and of course
Malaria and Typhoid are as common as a cold is in the U.S. Pray that
God will grant us more opportunities to meet Fulbe people around here
and that we will be able to use our Proclaimers in sharing God's Word
with them. Whereas we are learning French--I am in need of a Fulfulde
language teacher. Please ask God to grant one to me so I can learn
this language and be able to communicate the Gospel to them.
Well--this is quite long--longer than I intended--but much is
happening here. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf and may God
continue to demonstrate to all of us that He and He alone is our
greatest treasure and pleasure in life.
For the Sake of The Gospel,
mark, nancy & kidsThanks for your continual prayers!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I wanted to send out to you an update my dad sent me this afternoon.
I wanted to send you an update of our activities and prayer needs.
As most of you know we have experienced some struggles in the last week that while have been difficult to endure in some respects were also wonderful tools in God's hands to bring us a deeper sense of joy as we were privileged to experience God's faithfulness and comfort in ways we could not have otherwise. These experiences also gave great opportunity to demonstrate to all around us that it is God and not God's gifts that is our greatest treasure and pleasure.
As hard as it is to believe--We did blow the transmission in our truck only 2 hours after retrieving it from the Port of Douala. This occurred within ten minutes of the truck carrying all of our things from the Port to the orphanage also breaking down. Fidele and I were able to push and pray the Dodge to a bush hotel (not much to look at but the roaches, bedbugs, and mice find it very nice) where we could get off the road for the night as we were prime targets for the bandits that patrol these roads looking for white guys like me who they think have lots of money. The other large truck with all our things had clutch problems and was stuck on the side of the road for two days and two nights before we could get a mechanic and parts to repair the damage. During this time one of the guys who was traveling with Fidele and I stayed with the truck to ensure the hired driver did not leave or try and sell our things.
During the time it sat on the road--unknown to us the truck leaked and everything (yes everything)
got soaked. Praise God we have been able to dry most of the stuff out but much is ruined. By God's grace we were able to flag down a delivery type truck on the road to tow the Dodge back to Douala late Sunday afternoon. Let me tell you that sitting on a road in Cameroon under the tropical sun with no water and no transportation asking God to send a truck big enough to tow the Dodge was quite an experience in
prayer. God did answer and just in time and with just the right
truck. As we waited we passed out Gospel tracts and preached the
Gospel with all who would listen and many did listen.
We finally got the Dodge to Douala where Bread For Life has a mechanic. He confirmed my fears--the transmission was shot. Praise God that even before we
had the truck towed to Douala--I made a quick phone call to a dear
friend and mechanic from Southern Hills Baptist Church who was very familiar with our truck and within hours a new transmission was ordered and sent by SHBC to Mark Daniel, our son, in Jackson, TN. to put on a container leaving for Cameroon Nov. 14. Lord willing it will get here in late December.
Once the truck was delivered to the mechanic Fidele and I made
arrangements to hitch a ride back to Bamenda in the backseat of a
small taxi. The driver decided to drop us off in a small town in the
middle of the night about 60 miles from the orphanage. So there we
were in the town square (more like a circle of huts and buildings)
close to midnight with no ride and again asking God to get us home.
After a couple hours of talking to the town drunks and people of the
night we were able to get a ride back to the orphanage.
The next morning we woke up to a very sick Peter. He had a high
fever, was feeling very cold, complaining of a headache, vomiting, and
could not control his bowels. As the day went on and he became worse
and even unresponsive at times we realized he probably had Malaria.
We got him to the hospital in Bamenda almost an hour away and they did
a blood test and sure enough he had the very worse kind of Malaria you
can get here. In fact, they said that if infants and children do not
get treatment within three days of showing symptoms many die. While
Nancy was at the hospital with Peter little Esther came up to me and
said--"Daddy I am sick". I took her to lay down and within the hour
she too was manifesting the same symptoms as Peter. Malaria struck
twice that day. Both kids received good treatment and we praise the
Lord they are recovering nicely--although it will take about six weeks
for a full recovery. I must admit to you all that this was a very
difficult day for Nancy and I. It just seemed that trials were coming
in waves and before getting through one another was striking. But as
always God was faithful and protected our Faith and met our real need
which was to draw us ever closer to Himself and show us once again
that He alone is our Rock.
We are still working to settle in here and are very grateful to the
Lord that our solar generator is now up and running giving us
electricity enough to run a small fridge, computer, light, and
radio/CD player. My books are drying out and we have many we can use
in the adult Bible school we hope to get started in January. We are
also continuing to make contacts with Fulbe neighbors. Last week we
met a Fulbe woman named Myra out on a path in the mountains. We now
have two Fulbe contacts--Praise God. The work is slow but it is going
by the grace of God.
As to our needs--we are still lacking about $1000 in support for the
orphanage. Please pray for our health as well. There is much disease
here. Our area is still experiencing a Cholera epidemic and of course
Malaria and Typhoid are as common as a cold is in the U.S. Pray that
God will grant us more opportunities to meet Fulbe people around here
and that we will be able to use our Proclaimers in sharing God's Word
with them. Whereas we are learning French--I am in need of a Fulfulde
language teacher. Please ask God to grant one to me so I can learn
this language and be able to communicate the Gospel to them.
Well--this is quite long--longer than I intended--but much is
happening here. Thank you for your prayers on our behalf and may God
continue to demonstrate to all of us that He and He alone is our
greatest treasure and pleasure in life.
For the Sake of The Gospel,
mark, nancy & kidsThanks for your continual prayers!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Pray for the Waites
(Later) November 1, 2011
Thank you All for your continued prayers! I just found out that Peter was given medication and able to leave the hospital returning to the rest of the family at the orphanage. They have him on pain meds now.
Praise God he is able to be at home and recovering there. Im not sure on how long it will take him to recover fully.
Please pray for Esther (my 8 year old sister), now because in the same email telling me Peter was back home, my Dad told me Esther has the same symptoms of malaria. They cannot get her to a hospital until tomorrow morning (which is late tonight for those of us in the States).
Please pray that the Lord heals both Esther and Peter and keeps the rest of the family from coming down with malaria!
In His Hand,
Mark
Thank you All for your continued prayers! I just found out that Peter was given medication and able to leave the hospital returning to the rest of the family at the orphanage. They have him on pain meds now.
Praise God he is able to be at home and recovering there. Im not sure on how long it will take him to recover fully.
Please pray for Esther (my 8 year old sister), now because in the same email telling me Peter was back home, my Dad told me Esther has the same symptoms of malaria. They cannot get her to a hospital until tomorrow morning (which is late tonight for those of us in the States).
Please pray that the Lord heals both Esther and Peter and keeps the rest of the family from coming down with malaria!
In His Hand,
Mark
Pray for Peter
November 1, 2011
Dear Prayer Warriors,
My Dad called me this morning around 3:45 AM, and told me that my Mom was taking Peter (my five year old brother) to the Hospital in Bamenda, suspecting he had malaria. The doctors there confirmed that Peter does have malaria, and has a very bad form of it. The doctors have Peter on medication and IVs, and have said he may need to remain at the Hospital for three days.
Please pray that the Lord will heal Peter. And please pray that the Lord protects the rest of the Family from malaria.
In light of this news and in light of the other trials of their past 41 days in Cameroon, I am reminded of these words from Philip Bliss, in the Hymn "It Is Well",
"Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed His own blood for my soul."
2 Chronicles 20:12b records the prayer of King Jehoshaphat when he was overwhelmed with an enemy force threatening him. He prays to God, "For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."
Thank you so much for seeking the Lord with us and calling on the great Lord and God for our family in Cameroon!
In His Hand,
Mark
Dear Prayer Warriors,
My Dad called me this morning around 3:45 AM, and told me that my Mom was taking Peter (my five year old brother) to the Hospital in Bamenda, suspecting he had malaria. The doctors there confirmed that Peter does have malaria, and has a very bad form of it. The doctors have Peter on medication and IVs, and have said he may need to remain at the Hospital for three days.
Please pray that the Lord will heal Peter. And please pray that the Lord protects the rest of the Family from malaria.
In light of this news and in light of the other trials of their past 41 days in Cameroon, I am reminded of these words from Philip Bliss, in the Hymn "It Is Well",
"Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and has shed His own blood for my soul."
2 Chronicles 20:12b records the prayer of King Jehoshaphat when he was overwhelmed with an enemy force threatening him. He prays to God, "For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You."
Thank you so much for seeking the Lord with us and calling on the great Lord and God for our family in Cameroon!
In His Hand,
Mark
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Thank you for Praying!
October 30, 2011 (A Little Later)
Thank you all for your prayers today!!! Praise God my Dad and Fidele are safe in a hotel in Doula.
The transmission is shot, but Ernest's macanic is trying to find a
transmission there or in Nigeria. My dad and Fidele will find out tomorrow
and hopefully, Lord willing, they will be coming home Tuesday. My mom also got word
that the big truck is headed up to he orphanage with all their supplies.
The truck is expected to arrive at midnight, praise the Lord for this progress!
this is our latest news. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Thank you all for your prayers today!!! Praise God my Dad and Fidele are safe in a hotel in Doula.
The transmission is shot, but Ernest's macanic is trying to find a
transmission there or in Nigeria. My dad and Fidele will find out tomorrow
and hopefully, Lord willing, they will be coming home Tuesday. My mom also got word
that the big truck is headed up to he orphanage with all their supplies.
The truck is expected to arrive at midnight, praise the Lord for this progress!
this is our latest news. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and support!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Please Pray
October 30, 2011
Dear Prayer Warriors,
I wanted to ask all of you to be praying for my family this morning and today (And thank you so much that you are!). My mom emailed me this morning with some discouragements they are having this weekend...
The guys[My Dad and Fidele] left yesterday for Douala and arrived there in the afternoon [to retrieve their container with supplies].
The big truck that Dad and Fidele traveled downto Douala in, headed out first
because Dad and Fidele had to wait and buy insurance for the Dodge that we got off the container.
But last night around 8 pm or so they called
telling us that the big truck had broken down and was on the side of
the road waiting for a mechanic and that the Dodge was starting to act up too...smoking and having transmission trouble.
We prayed they would be able to find a safe place to stay and God did
answer by allowing them to make it to a hotel...and get off the road.
This morning it has been raining very hard in their area and Dad
called to say they got transmission fluid in it, and they were going to heading out...they got maybe 20
minutes down the road and the truck basically has had it!
The roads are so hilly and the Dodge just can't take it. So dad called saying that it has
died on the side of the road...some guys helped them get it off to the
side and said there is a bush mechanic somewhere...it is going from
bad to worse...On top of it all, last night Peter got sick and threw
up all over our bed and floor...so 3am Bethany is holding the solar
light so I can see to mop up the mess with buckets and rags! ...
we are very discouraged...We are hit with another impossible situation
with our vehicle...pray that we would keep our eyes on Chirst and rely
on His grace through this situation. Basically, our vehicle is no
good. Please pray.
Thanks you guys for standing the in the gap for us and praying...
So far there is no new news about the vehicle...My dad and Fidele are still waiting for the bush mechanic to come and work on it.
What is neat is that we serve a God who is not limited to the impossibilities that we see, or the discouragements that weigh us down...
And we know that even this, God will use for His honor and glory.
Please keep my family in your prayers that they will find their rest in the Lord and just enjoy Him today.
The wonderful news is that my dad was able to get the exaneration forms to get the $32,000 fee waived for getting their container!!! And all they had to pay was $3000-$4000 for the vehicle. So praise the Lord for that blessing!
I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday!!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Dear Prayer Warriors,
I wanted to ask all of you to be praying for my family this morning and today (And thank you so much that you are!). My mom emailed me this morning with some discouragements they are having this weekend...
The guys[My Dad and Fidele] left yesterday for Douala and arrived there in the afternoon [to retrieve their container with supplies].
The big truck that Dad and Fidele traveled downto Douala in, headed out first
because Dad and Fidele had to wait and buy insurance for the Dodge that we got off the container.
But last night around 8 pm or so they called
telling us that the big truck had broken down and was on the side of
the road waiting for a mechanic and that the Dodge was starting to act up too...smoking and having transmission trouble.
We prayed they would be able to find a safe place to stay and God did
answer by allowing them to make it to a hotel...and get off the road.
This morning it has been raining very hard in their area and Dad
called to say they got transmission fluid in it, and they were going to heading out...they got maybe 20
minutes down the road and the truck basically has had it!
The roads are so hilly and the Dodge just can't take it. So dad called saying that it has
died on the side of the road...some guys helped them get it off to the
side and said there is a bush mechanic somewhere...it is going from
bad to worse...On top of it all, last night Peter got sick and threw
up all over our bed and floor...so 3am Bethany is holding the solar
light so I can see to mop up the mess with buckets and rags! ...
we are very discouraged...We are hit with another impossible situation
with our vehicle...pray that we would keep our eyes on Chirst and rely
on His grace through this situation. Basically, our vehicle is no
good. Please pray.
Thanks you guys for standing the in the gap for us and praying...
So far there is no new news about the vehicle...My dad and Fidele are still waiting for the bush mechanic to come and work on it.
What is neat is that we serve a God who is not limited to the impossibilities that we see, or the discouragements that weigh us down...
And we know that even this, God will use for His honor and glory.
Please keep my family in your prayers that they will find their rest in the Lord and just enjoy Him today.
The wonderful news is that my dad was able to get the exaneration forms to get the $32,000 fee waived for getting their container!!! And all they had to pay was $3000-$4000 for the vehicle. So praise the Lord for that blessing!
I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday!!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Steps Forward
October 22, 2011
Dear Prayer Warriors,
I wanted to pass on to all of you an update my family passed on to me. They are coming up on their two week mark at the orphanage tomorrow. The Lord has truly been blessing them with wonderful opportunities to minister to the children both physically and spiritually. Thank you all so much for your prayers....it is so neat to see God's answers to your prayers as time goes on. Keep on praying!!! May God bless you!!!
Almost 2 weeks here and we are thrilled with the progress that is
being made by the grace of God. The facility is almost completely
painted in bright and warm colors. We have begun a huge trash pit
(12' sq. by 15' deep) and should have it done by Tuesday. Mark was
able to build us an outdoor shower using an old water tank he found.
He and the girls fill it up with buckets of water which is no easy
chore as they have to climb to the top of the water tank (about 15'
high) to dump the water into it. We have also started teaching the
children how to read and write. We discovered over the last few days
here that even the children in the upper elementary classes at school
are illiterate. So, each evening after supper we begin reading and
writing classes. What a joy it will be when the children are able to
read their Bibles--which brings up another matter--only two of the
children have a Bible. Please pray that our many boxes of Bibles made
it onto our container so that we will have some for the children.
This next week we are working on repairs in the facility, teaching the
children how to use the bathrooms that are inside the building, fixing
beds, etc. In the weeks to come we will be making several thousand
concrete blocks to use in the construction of a house for us which
will also serve as a guesthouse for individuals and teams wanting to
come and serve here.
As to prayer requests--our container has reached Douala and should be
released from Customs sometime next week. Please keep praying that we
will receive the exoneration promised us so the bill to get it out
will be considerably less expensive than the $32,000.00 (yes--you read
that right) they want to charge us. Also please pray about our visa
situation. We went to the immigration office to get them extended and
were refused. The person in charge told us to come back and try again
in November. Please be in much prayer about this as if they do not
extend our visas and grant us a resident card we have to leave
Cameroon on December 5. We believe this to be just one more challenge
in which God will show Himself strong and able on our behalf so as to
stay and keep ministering. Please pray as well for Mark and Fidele as
they hike top a Fulbe village this week to begin building a
relationship with the people there. Thank you so much for praying for
us!
Well there is much much more I could write but this will suffice for
now. We are all well as a family but I am keeping very busy treating
everything from infections, bronchitis, the Flu, motorcycle crash
injuries, knife cuts, sprained limbs, etc. In fact, before breakfast
today I had 12 who came to "sick call" for various needs. Please pray
for wisdom for me and my medic assistants (Bethany, Rachael, and an
African woman named Loveline) whom I am training to help me.
Much Love & As Always We Are Also Praying For You!
The Waites in Cameroon
Thanks again for all of your prayers!!!!
Have a wonderful Sunday tomorrow, worshipping the Lord!!!!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Dear Prayer Warriors,
I wanted to pass on to all of you an update my family passed on to me. They are coming up on their two week mark at the orphanage tomorrow. The Lord has truly been blessing them with wonderful opportunities to minister to the children both physically and spiritually. Thank you all so much for your prayers....it is so neat to see God's answers to your prayers as time goes on. Keep on praying!!! May God bless you!!!
Almost 2 weeks here and we are thrilled with the progress that is
being made by the grace of God. The facility is almost completely
painted in bright and warm colors. We have begun a huge trash pit
(12' sq. by 15' deep) and should have it done by Tuesday. Mark was
able to build us an outdoor shower using an old water tank he found.
He and the girls fill it up with buckets of water which is no easy
chore as they have to climb to the top of the water tank (about 15'
high) to dump the water into it. We have also started teaching the
children how to read and write. We discovered over the last few days
here that even the children in the upper elementary classes at school
are illiterate. So, each evening after supper we begin reading and
writing classes. What a joy it will be when the children are able to
read their Bibles--which brings up another matter--only two of the
children have a Bible. Please pray that our many boxes of Bibles made
it onto our container so that we will have some for the children.
This next week we are working on repairs in the facility, teaching the
children how to use the bathrooms that are inside the building, fixing
beds, etc. In the weeks to come we will be making several thousand
concrete blocks to use in the construction of a house for us which
will also serve as a guesthouse for individuals and teams wanting to
come and serve here.
As to prayer requests--our container has reached Douala and should be
released from Customs sometime next week. Please keep praying that we
will receive the exoneration promised us so the bill to get it out
will be considerably less expensive than the $32,000.00 (yes--you read
that right) they want to charge us. Also please pray about our visa
situation. We went to the immigration office to get them extended and
were refused. The person in charge told us to come back and try again
in November. Please be in much prayer about this as if they do not
extend our visas and grant us a resident card we have to leave
Cameroon on December 5. We believe this to be just one more challenge
in which God will show Himself strong and able on our behalf so as to
stay and keep ministering. Please pray as well for Mark and Fidele as
they hike top a Fulbe village this week to begin building a
relationship with the people there. Thank you so much for praying for
us!
Well there is much much more I could write but this will suffice for
now. We are all well as a family but I am keeping very busy treating
everything from infections, bronchitis, the Flu, motorcycle crash
injuries, knife cuts, sprained limbs, etc. In fact, before breakfast
today I had 12 who came to "sick call" for various needs. Please pray
for wisdom for me and my medic assistants (Bethany, Rachael, and an
African woman named Loveline) whom I am training to help me.
Much Love & As Always We Are Also Praying For You!
The Waites in Cameroon
Thanks again for all of your prayers!!!!
Have a wonderful Sunday tomorrow, worshipping the Lord!!!!
Held by Grace,
Sara
The Cleaning Has Begun!!
October 14, 2011
Dear Friends,
Thank you all so much for your continual prayers for my family. You are such a wonderful blessing to us!
I wanted to get you all up to date on how they are doing. I was so happy to talk to my Family today....my dad says that he is finally feeling better and is no longer on the pain medicine.
Praise the Lord for that! And thank you for your prayers for him.
My family finally made it to the orphanage this past Monday. They took the bus and made it all the way to Bossa this time by God's grace. Here is a little taste of how work is going at the orphanage from my dad:
"We are working hard and long. Seems like there is never a moment when someone is not either hungry,
sick, injured, upset, dirty, in need of holding, or in need of having their diapers or undies changed.
We are also in the process of painting the inside and outside of the building this week.
The challenging part is keeping 30 some kids out of the paint!
We have also been busy cleaning rooms and beginning the process of replacing mattresses
and fixing beds, lights,and cleaning toilets......YUK!!
We also found a storeroom with all kinds of clothing, toys, and shoes that were never given to the children.
We are in the process of sorting through these things and cleaning them to give out next week.
We are also digging a deep trash pit. Peter and I started it and then soon had all the boys in
the hole with us digging and shoveling out the dirt. We should finish it this weekend.
Last night after several hours of rain during the day, the kids were pretty restless and started trying out their
Nigerian karate moves on each other. We decided boxing would be safer and brought out the boxing gloves.
They had a blast and so did we. Then it was P.T. with lots of pushups, sit-ups, running in place and
windmills--all before dinner.
We had room inspections today after trying to teach the kids how to clean their rooms all week.
They all passed marvelously and so we rewarded them with a movie and popcorn.
We made the popcorn in big pans of oil--put salt on one batch and
sugar on the other and the kids loved it!"
So the work at the orphanage has begun....through the faithful prayers of God's people...and I know that this is how it must continue. For at times, I am sure that my family feels like they are taking one step forward and then three steps backward as they try to overcome the challenges that they face each new day. But with God they shall do valiantly! And we can be sure that God will give them the strength and help they need to accomplish His work, in His timing and in His way.
So please pray for my family and for Fidele as they transition into this new ministry, that God will give them strength and wisdom to carry out this task with joy, and that they will leave the results in God's hands. Pray that God's work will continue on for the glory of His great name. Pray that the children at the orphanage will be transformed and impacted as my family ministers to them, and that they will all come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Thank you once again for your prayers! May God be glorified as we sprint for glory.
Press on in the Lord!!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Dear Friends,
Thank you all so much for your continual prayers for my family. You are such a wonderful blessing to us!
I wanted to get you all up to date on how they are doing. I was so happy to talk to my Family today....my dad says that he is finally feeling better and is no longer on the pain medicine.
Praise the Lord for that! And thank you for your prayers for him.
My family finally made it to the orphanage this past Monday. They took the bus and made it all the way to Bossa this time by God's grace. Here is a little taste of how work is going at the orphanage from my dad:
"We are working hard and long. Seems like there is never a moment when someone is not either hungry,
sick, injured, upset, dirty, in need of holding, or in need of having their diapers or undies changed.
We are also in the process of painting the inside and outside of the building this week.
The challenging part is keeping 30 some kids out of the paint!
We have also been busy cleaning rooms and beginning the process of replacing mattresses
and fixing beds, lights,and cleaning toilets......YUK!!
We also found a storeroom with all kinds of clothing, toys, and shoes that were never given to the children.
We are in the process of sorting through these things and cleaning them to give out next week.
We are also digging a deep trash pit. Peter and I started it and then soon had all the boys in
the hole with us digging and shoveling out the dirt. We should finish it this weekend.
Last night after several hours of rain during the day, the kids were pretty restless and started trying out their
Nigerian karate moves on each other. We decided boxing would be safer and brought out the boxing gloves.
They had a blast and so did we. Then it was P.T. with lots of pushups, sit-ups, running in place and
windmills--all before dinner.
We had room inspections today after trying to teach the kids how to clean their rooms all week.
They all passed marvelously and so we rewarded them with a movie and popcorn.
We made the popcorn in big pans of oil--put salt on one batch and
sugar on the other and the kids loved it!"
So the work at the orphanage has begun....through the faithful prayers of God's people...and I know that this is how it must continue. For at times, I am sure that my family feels like they are taking one step forward and then three steps backward as they try to overcome the challenges that they face each new day. But with God they shall do valiantly! And we can be sure that God will give them the strength and help they need to accomplish His work, in His timing and in His way.
So please pray for my family and for Fidele as they transition into this new ministry, that God will give them strength and wisdom to carry out this task with joy, and that they will leave the results in God's hands. Pray that God's work will continue on for the glory of His great name. Pray that the children at the orphanage will be transformed and impacted as my family ministers to them, and that they will all come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Thank you once again for your prayers! May God be glorified as we sprint for glory.
Press on in the Lord!!
Held by Grace,
Sara
Update on the Waites
October 5, 2011
Hello All,
Thankyou again so much for your prayers and emails!
Praise the Lord with us!!!!! Today the doctors released my Dad from the hospital. The results of the tests and ultrasound showed that he has an infection in his left kidney, an inflamed liver and has passed a large kidney stone. The docs have him on medications for his kidney infection and liver and he is doing much better. He is recovering and with my family now in Yaunde. I do not know yet when they will be able to get to the Grace Tait Shelter, as the doctors have him scheduled for a follow on appointment. My Mom will be sending out an update in the near future.
Thankyou so much for your prayers and please thank the Lord with us for His working in this situation! Please continue to pray that my Dad recovers from this infection and that the family can get to the Shelter soon.
In His Hand,
Mark
October 4, 2011
Dear Friends,
Thankyou so much for your continued prayer for my Dad and family in Cameroon.
I just spoke with my Mom and she would like to express how thankful and encouraged they are for all of you and your prayers and concerns. She sends you all their love.
My Mom said they are still waiting for the final report from the doctors but here is the latest that they have shared with her. They got back the blood test and Ultra Sound results today, and what they discovered is that my Dad has been struggling with a swollen and infected left Kidney and at least one large Kidney stone. Praise God that they have discovered this and know how to help my dad with this!
The doctors are determinning what kind of antibiotic to give my Dad for the infection. The doctors said his white blood cell count is up to 16 (normal being 10) because of the infection.
My Dad is on pain medication now and is calm. But he has not been able to drink in several hours because of the tests they have been running on him, and he is feeling dehydrated right now. Now that he can drink, he is struggling to do so. My Mom is trying to seek out the doctors about an IV for my Dad.
The ultrasound also revealed 2 Gall Stones, which are not causing any problems right now, but please keep this fact in prayer.
I thank God and praise Him that the doctors at this hosptial in Yaunde were able to run these tests and know how to help my Dad! My siblings were able to come and see him this morning. But continue to keep them all in prayer, on their way to the hospital a vehicle drove right into the side door of the van the kids were driving in! Everyone is ok, and no one was hurt.
It has been a challenge for my family to deal with this pain, especially being at the mercy of Doctors who don't speak English. But God has been so merciful to my family. One of the doctors at the hospital expressed that he was a Christian, and whenever my mom had to leave the room, this Christian doctor stood guard over my dad at the foot of his bed. And the Cameroonian Christians with my family have been such a blessing to them!
I and my family deeply appreciate the outpouring of your prayers! To borrow an analogy from my Army days, the troops on the far outposts and the troops on the bigger combat bases are dependant on eachother in the battle. My family needs our prayers for their ministry. And in God's plan, we need my family right where they are. God is great and sovereign over all things. These words of Jesus have been an encouragement to me "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you..." (John 14:27). This is an incredible gift, and very easy for all of us to fail to appreciate. My prayer is that we will all appreciate this gift from our God and Savior, that we can rest in His control and sovereignty.
Please pray for rest for my family, and continued wisdom for the doctors.
I and my family love you all.
and by the way, Peter is doing much better from his sickness. He had bronchitis, but has recovered now. Thankyou for praying for him.
In His Hand,
Mark
Hello All,
Thankyou again so much for your prayers and emails!
Praise the Lord with us!!!!! Today the doctors released my Dad from the hospital. The results of the tests and ultrasound showed that he has an infection in his left kidney, an inflamed liver and has passed a large kidney stone. The docs have him on medications for his kidney infection and liver and he is doing much better. He is recovering and with my family now in Yaunde. I do not know yet when they will be able to get to the Grace Tait Shelter, as the doctors have him scheduled for a follow on appointment. My Mom will be sending out an update in the near future.
Thankyou so much for your prayers and please thank the Lord with us for His working in this situation! Please continue to pray that my Dad recovers from this infection and that the family can get to the Shelter soon.
In His Hand,
Mark
October 4, 2011
Dear Friends,
Thankyou so much for your continued prayer for my Dad and family in Cameroon.
I just spoke with my Mom and she would like to express how thankful and encouraged they are for all of you and your prayers and concerns. She sends you all their love.
My Mom said they are still waiting for the final report from the doctors but here is the latest that they have shared with her. They got back the blood test and Ultra Sound results today, and what they discovered is that my Dad has been struggling with a swollen and infected left Kidney and at least one large Kidney stone. Praise God that they have discovered this and know how to help my dad with this!
The doctors are determinning what kind of antibiotic to give my Dad for the infection. The doctors said his white blood cell count is up to 16 (normal being 10) because of the infection.
My Dad is on pain medication now and is calm. But he has not been able to drink in several hours because of the tests they have been running on him, and he is feeling dehydrated right now. Now that he can drink, he is struggling to do so. My Mom is trying to seek out the doctors about an IV for my Dad.
The ultrasound also revealed 2 Gall Stones, which are not causing any problems right now, but please keep this fact in prayer.
I thank God and praise Him that the doctors at this hosptial in Yaunde were able to run these tests and know how to help my Dad! My siblings were able to come and see him this morning. But continue to keep them all in prayer, on their way to the hospital a vehicle drove right into the side door of the van the kids were driving in! Everyone is ok, and no one was hurt.
It has been a challenge for my family to deal with this pain, especially being at the mercy of Doctors who don't speak English. But God has been so merciful to my family. One of the doctors at the hospital expressed that he was a Christian, and whenever my mom had to leave the room, this Christian doctor stood guard over my dad at the foot of his bed. And the Cameroonian Christians with my family have been such a blessing to them!
I and my family deeply appreciate the outpouring of your prayers! To borrow an analogy from my Army days, the troops on the far outposts and the troops on the bigger combat bases are dependant on eachother in the battle. My family needs our prayers for their ministry. And in God's plan, we need my family right where they are. God is great and sovereign over all things. These words of Jesus have been an encouragement to me "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you..." (John 14:27). This is an incredible gift, and very easy for all of us to fail to appreciate. My prayer is that we will all appreciate this gift from our God and Savior, that we can rest in His control and sovereignty.
Please pray for rest for my family, and continued wisdom for the doctors.
I and my family love you all.
and by the way, Peter is doing much better from his sickness. He had bronchitis, but has recovered now. Thankyou for praying for him.
In His Hand,
Mark
Urgent Prayer Request for the Waites
October 3, 2011
Hello All,
This is Mark Daniel....sending out an urgent prayer request for my family in Cameroon. They were on their way to the orphanage today from Yaunde (about an 8 hour bus ride). Half way through the trip, my dad began having terrible pain in his stomach area. They had to stop the bus and take him to a hospital. The doctors have put him on an IV and he is sleeping now. They are telling my mom it is a "amoeba". My mom said he was really struggling with pain and with shock.
Please pray for my dad that he would recover from this serious pain. and for my family to have wisdom. pray the doctors have wisdom. Ernest the director of Bread for Life is driving to meet my family at this hospital.
Please pray that our Lord have His will done and that He will baffle the plans of the Enemy.
Thankyou
In His Hand,
Mark______________
Hello All,
This is Mark Daniel....sending out an urgent prayer request for my family in Cameroon. They were on their way to the orphanage today from Yaunde (about an 8 hour bus ride). Half way through the trip, my dad began having terrible pain in his stomach area. They had to stop the bus and take him to a hospital. The doctors have put him on an IV and he is sleeping now. They are telling my mom it is a "amoeba". My mom said he was really struggling with pain and with shock.
Please pray for my dad that he would recover from this serious pain. and for my family to have wisdom. pray the doctors have wisdom. Ernest the director of Bread for Life is driving to meet my family at this hospital.
Please pray that our Lord have His will done and that He will baffle the plans of the Enemy.
Thankyou
In His Hand,
Mark______________
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