Flood of Love

Though the last few days have been filled with last-minute shopping and packing for the trip, God gave me time to rest and pray with my church members at our monthly praise&prayer night tonight. It was so good to just sit down and release all that has been in my heart--the worries, the joy, the gratitude.

On that last note...I had a lot to thank God for. I've been overwhelmed by my Father today. I got another glimpse of my tiny little faith and a huge helping of God's faithfulness this afternoon--it seems that they always come hand in hand. :) A postwoman hand-delivered my last check (express mailed from my dear brother in Korea) and some unexpected support today. My total amount fund-raised? $4,342. That's 96% of my goal of $4,500. Praise the Lord!

During these past few months of fund-raising, I cannot tell you how many times I began to doubt God's power, regret signing up, and even call myself crazy for committing to such a trip. I thought, "What did I get myself into? I'm so foolish...I'm not prepared. I should have waited until next year after I had made money or something..who am I to even go..." Looking back, I believe God used this time to stretch me and beckon me to completely trust in Him to provide. He knew how uncomfortable I felt receiving money that I had not physically sweated for, earned, or deserved. At times, it was suffocating--not being able to show people adequate thanks or fully express how much their support means to me. I think this was God's way of showing me what grace feels like--realizing that no matter how hard you try, you really can't pay it back and instead, you drown in this loving downpour. That's how deep the Father's love is! With what you have received, there's nothing you can do but praise Him and go wherever He wants you to go. You're so thankful, you just want to do anything your little human self can do to express your gratitude for the one who gave it all.

So thank you. Thank you for making yourselves available to God and His work in Cameroon this summer. Every word, cent, and encouraging gesture restored my own faith in this trip and in our Father as I waited for the funds to arrive. I am drowning in the Christ-like love you have shown me and have been praying every day since I committed to this trip that He will bless you to the hundredfold. I wish I could adequately express how much each of you means to me, but I realize that the greatest gift can come from God alone, so I pray that He drowns you also, in His blessings and love. Because in the end, it feels so so good.

In about 12 hours, I'll be finally meeting the rest of the team! Please pray for us<3

Next stop: the summer institute of linguistics (SIL) in Dallas

Until then,
God bless you! :)

Prayer Request

"The place God calls you is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." -Frederick Buechner

Lord, will you please give me a vision for my life.
Would you use this trip to show me your heart,
your people, and where I fit in your great plan?

Destination: Cameroon

Hello everyone! :)

I know that through your prayers, financial support, and encouraging words, God will do great things in Cameroon this summer and for the years to come.

Words cannot express how much you mean to me, and I am so thankful that we'll be going on this trip together, because I am certainly not going alone. Though this blog may be titled, "cathygoestocameroon," I am merely your "eyes" for the next few weeks. The church is going together because honestly, why would God use one when He could use many? :] I pray that I will give you clear glimpses of this country that God so loves during my stay.

So where are we going exactly?
Below is a map of all the different language groups in southwest Cameroon alone!



...we are headed for the city of Ndu, in northwest Cameroon (marked in purple)!
There, I will be living with the Wimbum people who speak the Limbum language.

[interesting fact: Mbum is the name of the territory; Wii actually means "people" and Li means "language," so you get "people of Mbum" (Wimbum) and "language of Mbum" (Limbum)]

After coming home to Dallas last Wednesday, I've been spending my days mailing support letters, reading Ministering Cross-Culturally by Lingenfelter & Mayers, praying, packing, and even exercising for the journey ahead. In terms of fund-raising, God has already provided 70% as of today. Praise the Lord! I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support and love that has been coming in, more than I had ever anticipated. I am so humbled and amazed. He continues to use even this time to test and strengthen my faith, beckoning me to completely trust in Him to provide for every area of this trip.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you here--every step of the way.
God bless you.

In Him,
Cathy