Wycliffe Compound in Yaoundé

My hair feels heavy, the crickets (I think they’re crickets…I hope they’re crickets…) are chirping, and I am slowly getting used to brushing my teeth with bottled water. Nights free from portables and outside communication have been wholesome to my spirit here. Journaling and reading the Word put me to bed every night with a peace in my heart. God tucks me in here. :]

After cleaning up the kitchen with Lizzie after breakfast today, we waited for the girls to get their hair done. It was finally our turn to sit in the chairs for four hours! I was so blown away by their nimble fingers—they move so quickly you can’t see them. They mean serious business here. The lady who did my hair was sweet and very forgiving of my mediocre French when we conversed. They’re such hard workers here. Several hours of tugging and pulling later, I was donning these “Rasta braids” that left me looking like a samurai warrior with a heavy head. Oy, so this is what it feels like…I miss my West Philly students. Though it’s going to take time getting used to, we all felt that this was the way to go. Not knowing what the shower situation’s going to look like in the village, we knew we’ll be safe with braids that aren’t supposed to be washed for 2 weeks anyways and besides, when else can we do something crazy like this? Heh.

Ginny, a Bible translator who helped with projects in Nigeria and Cameroon for some time, joined us for dinner and shared how God has been moving in some of these areas. She knew a lot about Limbim, so that was extremely helpful. Though the Limbum New Testament was dedicated in 2008, it’s sad that the new translation is unavailable for those in our villages. There’s just so much to this work—Bible translation, literacy, Scripture use, etc. It doesn’t just end with the completion of a translation; there needs to be literacy classes and people finding ways to connect the Word to their culture, showing the people that the Gospel applies to them.

We leave tomorrow morning for Bamenda, then Ndu, then Taku, our village. I’m going to miss this place, the people, and the yummiest pineapples I’ve ever tasted, but we were meant to go. I look forward to the next step God has prepared for us.

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." -Deuteronomy 31:8

Greetings from Cameroon!

Hi everyone!

After 23 hours of travel (dallas-chicago-zurich-yaounde), our team safely made it here at the Wycliffe compound in the capital of Cameroon. We crammed into a small jeep after collecting our luggage and arrived here at night, so it was incredible seeing the sunshine and exotic trees in the morning. It's really humid because we arrived right on time for the rainy season here, but I slept so well after the exhausting journey. A few got sick on the plane, but God has been with us every step of the way. Thank you so much for all your prayers<3

Right now, I'm just trying to breathe in, see, and hear everything about this place. I'm avidly jotting down the sights, smells, and sounds so I can share with you when I get back. We have limited internet connection here, so I wanted to update you before heading out to the village on Wednesday.

I spent the afternoon playing with Danielle, one of the daughters of a translator here. Afterwards, our team ventured out to the city (nothing like the "cities" back home, for sure). We get lots of stares here (no surprise there--a group of 7 American girls trekking through the dirt roads), but a couple children waved to us from the roadside. Tonight, we'll be having dinner with a Cameroonian family to get the details on what's appropriate and what's not in the village--lots of culture-learning here! :)

Prayer request:
-safe travels to Ndu, the area where we'll be staying (our team will be split into twos and assigned to three different villages) and good relationships with our host families
-good health: I'm realizing more and more how important this is
-that we grow and encourage one another as a team, as one body of Christ, so we can be open-minded, selfless, and flexible so we can shine His light here in Cameroon

I won't have any internet until we return to this city at the end of our stay, but I'm thinking of you and the love you all continue to show me. I find strength in your prayers every morning. I miss you all very much.

Oh, and the Limbum language is tonal, so you can say the same thing in different tones, and it'll mean something totally different. For example, "beri weh" means "thank you," but if you say "beri!" with a raised voice, it means "goodbye!"

So until then, "beri!" :)

Love,
Cathy :)

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