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