I Have Three Dollars 

"Aunt Christy, I have three dollars I want to give to help you," said my niece and then added, "I had saved one, and then the tooth fairy gave me two more."

This reminded me of those new believers in 2 Cor. 8, "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints."

I do not testify enough to the giving of those who support my ministry. Once I saw a some of my supporters (who had just upped their giving by 10 dollars) at the grocery store setting aside groceries maybe they could afford next time. I have individuals who I know give out of their lack, and God blesses them for it. I have seen God provide for what he wants to do through my ministry by the faithfulness of those who, "gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." 2 Cor. 8

At the "African Afternoon" I held at Harderwyk CRC in Holland, MI, a dear brother in Christ said, "Christy, we don't have a lot, but we want to give until we are dependent on God to supply our needs. Then we will experience the joy of giving."

Please, you do not have to plead...you, too, can join me in giving the gift of literacy to children and adults around the world. I pray we would all learn from the first church of old how to give in faith, and experience God's delight in us through our sacrifice and generosity.

Back to School! 

 
I am a student again after 5 years of being a teacher and living overseas! It is so exciting! I didn't think that I would be enjoying my time so much (I haven't started classes yet), but I will begin classes tomorrow at GIAL (Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics) in Dallas, Texas. This schooling will prepare me to better serve Bible Translation in Cameroon as I hope to return in the near future! (Next year)
I am thankful for how God has moved me in this direction, and for the deep sense of peace that I have in being here.
I was reunited with my good friend Lami, and an Aunt and Cousins that I have not seen for quite some time. What a joy.

GIAL 

Standing for Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics, the program I am in for linguistics is challenging my way of thinking and processing information considerably. I have found the teachers to be very supportive and encouraging, and my fellow students to be full of zeal and passion.
Currently I am studying Indonesian to learn how to learn a language, and finding that all of the strange sounds in English, that our 26 letters are sufficient for, are actually written totally differently by linguists! And I though I had trouble spelling before!
It is a very stretching experience for me.
If you would like to see a short video (3 min.) on what GIAL does, go to:
www.gial.edu
Click on GIAL DVD at the bottom of the left hand column.

Lovin' Life... 

 

(Because I don't have a picture of this event I took one off the internet, and will have to let my words construct a picture for you) “I love my life” is what was reverberating over and over in my head as I traveled through the rainforest, down rainy...more

Crossing Bridges 

 
Today we are asked to cross a bridge,
You and I, to step out on a ledge,
Today we are asked if we will truly live,
If we trust our Daddy, and fully give,
Our hearts, our feet, our hands, our all,
To be our best, to answer the call.
Today when I see the bridge up ahead,
I pray I'll remember what my God said,
"Do not be afraid our discouraged, for,
your God will be with you forevermore."
Then step out no matter the cost,
With confidence, I cannot be lost,
I'm found on that bridge and ledge unseen,
Because where I tread, my Leader has already been.

Jacksonville, Cameroon 

 

I soaked my feet in a bubbly, massaging footbath on the back porch of the Jackson home and thanked God for this family that so...more

Pray for Pastor Joseph! 

 

Pastor Joseph God has given me a dear friend and brother in Christ that I want to introduce to you. We call him “Pastor” Joseph, but he is still in...more

A Jackson Moment 

 
Karen Jackson (pictured above), from the Jackson family I previously mentioned, has anywhere from 20-50 children in her home every Tuesday afternoon for a few hours to teach them about the Bible. She has been writing Sunday school curriculum that is geared toward children in this context that teachers will be able to carry out with the resources available to them. She handed me a lesson an hour before the children were to arrive so I could test it out. As every teaching experience here with Cameroonian kiddoes, the atmosphere was filled with energy and playfulness. Following the activity I carried out, Karen gave a lesson, and it was so neat to see her teaching as well! This is another opportunity for me to be involved here in Cameroon in the future.

Shining Beauty Not of This World 

 
Surrounded by beautiful hills, rolling far into the distance, you find the Handicapped Center in Santa, the Northwest Region of Cameroon. This is a unique shelter where children with disabilities can find a place where they are embraced. My experience is that, out of ignorance, in many developing countries around the world mentally and physically handicapped children are rejected, abandoned, mistreated, or hidden by their families out of the social stigma that having a child like this creates. As many of you know, my younger sister, Leah, is a major reason for my openness to others and love for differences. She has Down Syndrome. An experience, that brings tears even now, is when a little Downs girl, probably about 10-12 years, walked up to me as I sat outside with the children and squarely planted her feet and looked in to my eyes. Her face was almost expressionless, and yet, full of the adorable expectation that I would love her. How she knew, I don’t know, but I did love her. I started singing “Jesus Loves Me” while clapping her hands, realizing she had natural rhythm, and then with a little tickle, she burst into a smile and I embraced her. As I prayed with Magdalen, the director of the School, who is also disabled, the tears flowed because she has experienced the love of Christ deeply and wants that same life changing grace to flow over these precious children of God…created for fellowship with him as we all are. She is reaching out to “the least of these brothers of mine” in a context that is raw and hard and real. Could this be a place of ministry in my future?

The Gadala Morning 
 

By Aaron--- I am sitting on the cool rocks on the tall mountain above the waking people of Gadala. Gadala is a small village in the north of Cameroon. The...more

He Can READ! 

 

Pictured to the right is a small child reading his own language from a phonics book. I had the opportunity while in Bamenda last week to visit a village where they are teaching children in their mother tongue (Kom) their first three years of primary...more

Mofu Bible Dedication 

 
The power of God's word was seen in the Mofu dedication on February 16th in the Far North of Cameroon. It was powerful to see a group of people reading the Word of God in their own language for the first time. To see them raising them up and dancing for joy because of this Living Word. It was an honor for me to witness this celebration and to take part in my own small way as I sat with a group of women on stony ground...delighting in the occasion with them, praying that this Word would penetrate their hearts.

Discovering God's Word 
All around the world people are discovering God’s Word for the first time in the language of their hearts. At the dedication of a New Testament, one man said, “I feel that God has answered my prayers. God’s Word has truly arrived to show others how to walk in the light!”

Psalm 119:18,24, NLT 
"Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your law…Your decrees please me; they give me wise advice."
Daily Prayer Request

My Church Family 
 
My church family, Iglise Baptist de la Grace, is very special to me as they have now seen me grow personally through this year. As I walk to church on Sunday mornings, I look forward to their strong harmonizing voices in morning services, their warm greetings after church, and the occasional unexpected "Sister Christy!" in the streets of Yaounde. I see Christ in them, and am thankful to be a part of this growing body of His.
We pray we will be a light in our community, accepting and embracing those who are new among us.

Teaching in Bambalang 
 
About a year ago I wrote about teaching Anna, a vibrant 3rd grader. She has only gotten more lovely as she has grown. Now a fourth grader, she has grown linguistically, artistically, and in her critical thinking skills, making her challengingly wonderful to teach! We taught ourselves the basics on the guitar, tie dyed, made rag dolls (a past favorite), studied biomes and food webs, made a video for the literacy course spoken of above, memorized 3 chapters of Scripture, and read a very interesting book on Korean pottery that ended in a trip to Prespot (the Presbyterian pottery place in a near by village). We would participate in the course devotions some times, and enjoyed filming them for the video. I am always encouraged to see Anna’s ability to relate to others in her community and her willingness to grow and be stretched. She is truly a remarkable child, and I look forward to the astounding young lady she is going to be someday. I know I say it over and over, but to have a hand in the lives of the children, even if they have a speck of recollection of Aunt Christy in their futures, I am privileged to have been part of their lives.

LIteracy Course 

 
I found myself intrigued with the diverse group of participants in the first Bambalang Primer Course on the Ndop Plain of the Northwest Provence. Two language groups were included in this training as a test run for the facilitators, Melody Grove and Jon and Sandra Blackwell. On our breaks from schoolwork, I found myself wandering into the living room, which served as the classroom for the course, to take in the excitement of if all! Papers were everywhere, as the students collaborated to etch out the first lessons and primers for their languages. They too, are learning and growing in their knowledge of their written language as they write lessons to teach others. It is a rich environment where everyone is comfortable and has something to offer to the team of literacy workers. I listened to their stories during the rest times we shared. Stories of abusive husbands who have come to the Lord, children with heart problems and epilepsy, marriages orchestrated by the Fon (local "king") between them and a much older man, the calling of God while a fisherman on a nearby island, walking away from wealth and worldly prosperity, supportive families, upcoming marriages, and unexpected meetings with missionaries that lead to their passion for literacy and Bible Translation. They were pastors, mothers, and recent graduates from high school. They were dynamic, and I was thankful to be part of their work, of God’s working through them.

Girls night! 
 
Gathered around pots of maple syrup with platters of pancakes to share, the 10 giggly, precious girls eat breakfast after a sleepover in my apartment last Saturday. What fun to spend time, to breath for a moment the contagious life that flows in their midst. How refreshing it was!