Dear Friends and Family,
I must type like a wildman--I had written about two pages when all of a sudden my page disappeared--you gotta be kidding me. Anyways, by God's grace I have completed the Spring semester here at CBTS. I finished all of my grading a few days ago which took many, many, many hours. No time to breathe, however, due to the preparation required for my one week intensive beginning next Monday. I will be teaching a couse on Old Testament Exegesis in the book of Exodus to the MA students--5 days for 6 hours a day--Lord, help me and the students. In other news, last week we played the final match in the inter-degree program football league. It was the match of the century, well, at least of my time here in Cameroon. Five minutes into the game I recevied an amazing pass from one of the forwards about 15 yards out from the goal. I met the ball head on with my left foot driving it into the net. That put us up 1-0, which ended up being the final score. It was a wonderful way to end my football playing days here at Ndu. Well, time is running out--please keep me in your prayers as I approach my final class. This will surely be a most difficult task, however, I am very excited. Always for the glory of Christ Jesus.
Blessings,
CT
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Grading, Pigeon-English, Grading, Living Water & Banda de Hermanos!
Dear Friends and Family,
Well, the end is definitely in sight, a fact which is a bit painful to realize. Of course I look forward to coming home to see friends and family, but am beginning to understand just how difficult it will be for me to leave this place. All the parents in the village are beginning to approach me saying, "Creez, do you know how painful it will be for our children when you leave?" I simply say, "It's going to be hard for me as well." Currently my days are spent grading and playing with the village munchkins--bible studies and Makam (their version of "tag"). All grades must be submitted by Friday, which I assure you will be no easy task. As I look at the stacks of theology papers and exams on my kitchen table I am reminded of the summer when I climbed Mt. Washington with two of my best friends, Matt Ramsey and Brigham "the OG" Lee. As I stood at the base of the mountain I remember looking up thinking, "Wow, this is not going to be easy!" I have the same feeling concerning the K2-sized paper stack on my kitchen table. Always by God's grace! Concerning the heading "pigeon English" I find myself speaking this odd language more and more as of lately. Even some of the older youth have taken notice saying, "Creez, you are learning to speak Pigeon?" "I guess so," I reply. A quick story: Last week I was down at the stream gathering water with a large group of children who were busy doing the same thing. As i made the journey from the valley back towards my home, I notice that a whole host of children began to follow me. i looked back, smiled, and continued on my journey. When I arrived back at the house i counted about 16 kids on my heels. I said, "Bible study?" And they said, "Yes." We sat down on my front porch and I took them through John 4, the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. It was awesome. I think more than anyting, well, besides teaching my seminary students, I will miss bible studies with the children. Another story: last week, specifically on Thursday, after administering my final exam for gospels I left the classroom and was approached by a few of my students. One of them said, "Pastor Chris, I have been greatly challenged and influenced by our gospels class this semester. I now read the gospels in light of the Old Testament and feel equipped and confident to teach the gospels." I report this for the glory of Christ. This has been my prayer for my students all semester, and to hear such comments from my students is a wonderful testimony of God's goodness and faithfulness. It is such a blessing to be used by the Almighty for His kingdom work. Throughout this semester I have realized my inadequacies, which has caused me to see that only in Christ can we be effective for the kingdom. Please keep me in your prayers as i continue to grade, prepare for my final class beginning on June 7 and prepare for my transition back to the States. To God be the glory. Oh yeah, after finishing with exams last week i began to watch the mini-series, "Band of Brothers." Wow, it is quite wonderful and made for a nice break.
In Christ,
CT
Well, the end is definitely in sight, a fact which is a bit painful to realize. Of course I look forward to coming home to see friends and family, but am beginning to understand just how difficult it will be for me to leave this place. All the parents in the village are beginning to approach me saying, "Creez, do you know how painful it will be for our children when you leave?" I simply say, "It's going to be hard for me as well." Currently my days are spent grading and playing with the village munchkins--bible studies and Makam (their version of "tag"). All grades must be submitted by Friday, which I assure you will be no easy task. As I look at the stacks of theology papers and exams on my kitchen table I am reminded of the summer when I climbed Mt. Washington with two of my best friends, Matt Ramsey and Brigham "the OG" Lee. As I stood at the base of the mountain I remember looking up thinking, "Wow, this is not going to be easy!" I have the same feeling concerning the K2-sized paper stack on my kitchen table. Always by God's grace! Concerning the heading "pigeon English" I find myself speaking this odd language more and more as of lately. Even some of the older youth have taken notice saying, "Creez, you are learning to speak Pigeon?" "I guess so," I reply. A quick story: Last week I was down at the stream gathering water with a large group of children who were busy doing the same thing. As i made the journey from the valley back towards my home, I notice that a whole host of children began to follow me. i looked back, smiled, and continued on my journey. When I arrived back at the house i counted about 16 kids on my heels. I said, "Bible study?" And they said, "Yes." We sat down on my front porch and I took them through John 4, the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. It was awesome. I think more than anyting, well, besides teaching my seminary students, I will miss bible studies with the children. Another story: last week, specifically on Thursday, after administering my final exam for gospels I left the classroom and was approached by a few of my students. One of them said, "Pastor Chris, I have been greatly challenged and influenced by our gospels class this semester. I now read the gospels in light of the Old Testament and feel equipped and confident to teach the gospels." I report this for the glory of Christ. This has been my prayer for my students all semester, and to hear such comments from my students is a wonderful testimony of God's goodness and faithfulness. It is such a blessing to be used by the Almighty for His kingdom work. Throughout this semester I have realized my inadequacies, which has caused me to see that only in Christ can we be effective for the kingdom. Please keep me in your prayers as i continue to grade, prepare for my final class beginning on June 7 and prepare for my transition back to the States. To God be the glory. Oh yeah, after finishing with exams last week i began to watch the mini-series, "Band of Brothers." Wow, it is quite wonderful and made for a nice break.
In Christ,
CT
Monday, May 17, 2010
Wooooo! Wooooo! African Dress, Football in the Rain & Bear Grylls!
Dear Friends and Family,
The double "WOOO" battle cry signals the completion of the Spring semester. It has been wonderful. Last Thursday, my final day of class, as I walked out of OT Introduction I lifted my hands in praise and seriously considered doing 5 consecutive flip-flops down the dirt road in front of the seminary, but decided against it. Because this past Thursday was a national holiday (Ascension Day) most classes were canceled. However, because we only had two chapters left in the Hebrew grammar, I encouraged my Hebrew class to meet at 7AM so as to finish out the grammar (the dreaded Hithpael Stem). I also promised them snacks if they came for class--they were more than happy to. When I arrived, a bit groggy because the coffee had not yet kicked in, i noticed that my students were gathered together in a huddle. One of them left the group and walked over to me. "We have a surprise for you," said Lobe. I said, "Sweet, what?" He had me step into one of the classrooms and presented me with a gift from the class, an offical Cameroonian dress (understand that dress simply refers to what one wears, whether male or female). They said I had to wear it as I taught my final class. I was so honored and blessed by such a gift. It came complete with trousers, a shirt and hat, all with amazingly awesome African colors and designs. I decided to wear my outfit for the remainder of the day which resulted in numerous marriage proposals from some of the local ladies (lol). The Wednesay before was the semi-final football match for the inner-school league, a separate league from the one I have mentioned in previous blogs. I was picked up by one of the teams. We began the match about 5PM and I found myself playing with and against several of my students--how cool! Anyways, about 35 minutes into the match the sky turned to death--it became so dark that we could hardly see the football. And then the rain began to pound against us, relentlessly, and yet the game continued on. It was incredible. After halftime the skies cleared and visibility returned. Our team won 3-1, and I had two assists, along with a horrible miss right in front of the goal. The final match will be played in two weeks. The locals get such a kick out of seeing a white man play football (soccer) with Cameroonians. In other news, this past Friday, in celebration of the completion of classes, I had about 12 students over for a night of fellowship. It was quite a night. We met in my living room area, equipped with snacks, and students began to unleash a barrage of questions concerning difficult gospel texts we were unable to cover in the semester due to time. It was beautiful. Also, I received such encouraging comments from my students concerning my different classes--it was such a blessing. After our discussion time, I prayed for the students in preparation for final exam week and then played the movie, Luther (Martin Luther (reformation)) on my laptop. The students absolutely loved this film. Today i finished writing my final exam for gospels and tomorrow will be giving exams for my Hebrew and OT classes. I have an exam on Wednesday and Friday as well. The next two weeks will consist of much grading, papers and exams, and preparation for my summer 1 Hebrew exegesis intensive. Lastly, concerning the "Bear Grylls" title, this past week I was without cooking gas, power and water which resulted in the application of numerous "Man vs. Wild" content. I cooked over an open fire for a few days and drew water from a stream for bucket baths. Presently the power has returned and I have been able to buy more cooking gas. I am still without water, which really is not that bad because of a nearby spring that provides water for cooking, cleaning, bathing and drinking (filtered of course). My time here has truly been wonderful--I look back over the past 41/2 months and am so thankful. It has been difficult, but my time with my students, the youth group and the little munchkins from the village has been fantastic. I will greatly miss this place, but am looking forward to what the Lord has in store, post-Cameroon. I hope to come back some day, if not fulltime, at least for a return visit so as to teach intensives. I hope this update finds all of you well and rejoicing in the glorious grace of our Lord and Savior. Thank you so much for your prayers.
For His glory,
CT
The double "WOOO" battle cry signals the completion of the Spring semester. It has been wonderful. Last Thursday, my final day of class, as I walked out of OT Introduction I lifted my hands in praise and seriously considered doing 5 consecutive flip-flops down the dirt road in front of the seminary, but decided against it. Because this past Thursday was a national holiday (Ascension Day) most classes were canceled. However, because we only had two chapters left in the Hebrew grammar, I encouraged my Hebrew class to meet at 7AM so as to finish out the grammar (the dreaded Hithpael Stem). I also promised them snacks if they came for class--they were more than happy to. When I arrived, a bit groggy because the coffee had not yet kicked in, i noticed that my students were gathered together in a huddle. One of them left the group and walked over to me. "We have a surprise for you," said Lobe. I said, "Sweet, what?" He had me step into one of the classrooms and presented me with a gift from the class, an offical Cameroonian dress (understand that dress simply refers to what one wears, whether male or female). They said I had to wear it as I taught my final class. I was so honored and blessed by such a gift. It came complete with trousers, a shirt and hat, all with amazingly awesome African colors and designs. I decided to wear my outfit for the remainder of the day which resulted in numerous marriage proposals from some of the local ladies (lol). The Wednesay before was the semi-final football match for the inner-school league, a separate league from the one I have mentioned in previous blogs. I was picked up by one of the teams. We began the match about 5PM and I found myself playing with and against several of my students--how cool! Anyways, about 35 minutes into the match the sky turned to death--it became so dark that we could hardly see the football. And then the rain began to pound against us, relentlessly, and yet the game continued on. It was incredible. After halftime the skies cleared and visibility returned. Our team won 3-1, and I had two assists, along with a horrible miss right in front of the goal. The final match will be played in two weeks. The locals get such a kick out of seeing a white man play football (soccer) with Cameroonians. In other news, this past Friday, in celebration of the completion of classes, I had about 12 students over for a night of fellowship. It was quite a night. We met in my living room area, equipped with snacks, and students began to unleash a barrage of questions concerning difficult gospel texts we were unable to cover in the semester due to time. It was beautiful. Also, I received such encouraging comments from my students concerning my different classes--it was such a blessing. After our discussion time, I prayed for the students in preparation for final exam week and then played the movie, Luther (Martin Luther (reformation)) on my laptop. The students absolutely loved this film. Today i finished writing my final exam for gospels and tomorrow will be giving exams for my Hebrew and OT classes. I have an exam on Wednesday and Friday as well. The next two weeks will consist of much grading, papers and exams, and preparation for my summer 1 Hebrew exegesis intensive. Lastly, concerning the "Bear Grylls" title, this past week I was without cooking gas, power and water which resulted in the application of numerous "Man vs. Wild" content. I cooked over an open fire for a few days and drew water from a stream for bucket baths. Presently the power has returned and I have been able to buy more cooking gas. I am still without water, which really is not that bad because of a nearby spring that provides water for cooking, cleaning, bathing and drinking (filtered of course). My time here has truly been wonderful--I look back over the past 41/2 months and am so thankful. It has been difficult, but my time with my students, the youth group and the little munchkins from the village has been fantastic. I will greatly miss this place, but am looking forward to what the Lord has in store, post-Cameroon. I hope to come back some day, if not fulltime, at least for a return visit so as to teach intensives. I hope this update finds all of you well and rejoicing in the glorious grace of our Lord and Savior. Thank you so much for your prayers.
For His glory,
CT
Monday, May 10, 2010
No Power, No Showers, Motorcycle Adventure, Preaching in the Village
Dear Friends and Family,
Let me address the above items one at a time. I have been without power for about 1 week now. I study at night by candle light, which sounds romantic, but I fear I may need reading classes upon my arrival in the States (lol). Also, the power issue has resulted in no hot water for the past few days. Being in the mountains, the water from the taps is a bit chilly. As a result I have taken a break from showers which has resulted in a foul smell throughout my home. Every room seems to have this pugnant odor...I soon realized it was myself I was smelling...woooo! I shall remedy this problem tonight despite the painful cold. Concerning the motorcycle adventure, I was recently asked to preach in a village church where one of my OT students is presently serving as the pastor. He picked me up this past Sunday (yesterday) on his motorcylce and we ending up driving for about 45 minutes over mountain roads to reach our final destination of Sehn, Cameroon. It was such a beautiful trip. The roads were a bit slipperly due to the massive rains the night before which almost caused some problems---almost. Where we travleled I have inferred that I may have been the first white person many of these people had ever seen. One small child was terrified of me, probably because of my awesome mountain man beard---I wish. The whole sermon was interpreted by the pastor into the native dialect of the people, a language which I have picked up on a bit while living here. I was able to greet the people in their language which caused an uproar of laughter. I walked out in tears--just kidding. The whole service was incredible. I had a wonderful time preaching to these people. My text was Mark 2:1-12. It's hard to believe that this is my final week of class before final exams. In way I am relieved, but know that I will greatly miss teaching my students. Time is running out, must be going. Sorry!!!
For His glory,
CT
Let me address the above items one at a time. I have been without power for about 1 week now. I study at night by candle light, which sounds romantic, but I fear I may need reading classes upon my arrival in the States (lol). Also, the power issue has resulted in no hot water for the past few days. Being in the mountains, the water from the taps is a bit chilly. As a result I have taken a break from showers which has resulted in a foul smell throughout my home. Every room seems to have this pugnant odor...I soon realized it was myself I was smelling...woooo! I shall remedy this problem tonight despite the painful cold. Concerning the motorcycle adventure, I was recently asked to preach in a village church where one of my OT students is presently serving as the pastor. He picked me up this past Sunday (yesterday) on his motorcylce and we ending up driving for about 45 minutes over mountain roads to reach our final destination of Sehn, Cameroon. It was such a beautiful trip. The roads were a bit slipperly due to the massive rains the night before which almost caused some problems---almost. Where we travleled I have inferred that I may have been the first white person many of these people had ever seen. One small child was terrified of me, probably because of my awesome mountain man beard---I wish. The whole sermon was interpreted by the pastor into the native dialect of the people, a language which I have picked up on a bit while living here. I was able to greet the people in their language which caused an uproar of laughter. I walked out in tears--just kidding. The whole service was incredible. I had a wonderful time preaching to these people. My text was Mark 2:1-12. It's hard to believe that this is my final week of class before final exams. In way I am relieved, but know that I will greatly miss teaching my students. Time is running out, must be going. Sorry!!!
For His glory,
CT
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tree Climbing, Dennis the Menace, Battle-Beard!
Dear Friends and Family,
Praise God, I survived another week--and what a wonderful week it was. My preaching went well on Tuesday and classes are progressing beautifully. We completed the Pual Stem (Passive Intensive Action) in Hebrew, Luke in Gospels and Habakkuk, Zephaniah and Haggai in OT Introduction. Wooooo! Only two weeks left of classes until final exams. Time is moving rather quickly and I am doing my best, always by God's grace, to stay caught up. I was just thinking this morning how blessed I have been the past 3 years concerning ministry opportunities. While in seminary I had the opportunity to live and serve at the Boston Rescue Mission, following seminary I had the opportunity to serve the best group of youth ever in my hometown, and now I am in West Africa serving as a seminary professor, youth pastor and kids pastor. God is so good. I still have days where I find myself holding on by a thread, but the Lord has continually provided me with His grace, love, comfort and strength to endure. I must bring you up to speed concerning my adventures with the Cameroonian kids. Last weekend about 12 kids came by the house wanting to play. It began to rain and I yelled out, "To the trees." There is a beautiful orchard of some exotic type of tree directly in front of my home. The trees grow close together and the branches intertwine allowing one to climb from tree to tree. The kids (4-5 year olds) spent about an hour just climbing and laughing. A new kid appeared that day, one that I had not yet had the privilege of meeting. His name is Dennis, and yes, he is a menace. However, he has the best laugh I have ever heard; it's infectious. He would laugh non-stop which would cause me to laugh--it was awesome. On Tuesday of this week the same group of kids came by the house wanting to play. I walked outside and immediately took off running with 12 little ninos behind me. Behing my house there is a small stair-like cliff which is perfect for "King of the Hill." I would race them up the hill--this lasted for sometime. Later on little Jesse came by with a friend for Bible Study. Ok, so on Tuesday I informed all of these kids that due to my busy schedule the next few days I would not be able to play again until Friday. I even had Anna, a missionary kid and little sister from another mother, communicate this to them in Pigeon English. On Wednesay I was in my living room studying for Thursday's classes when all of a sudden I heard a faint cry outside my frontdoor: "Uncle Creez." I stood up, a bit flustered, and approached the door. When I opened the door I saw little Jesse staring up at me with a new friend by his side. "Uncle Creez, we beg for Bible study," he said. I sighed an impatient sigh and then slowly began to smile. I rested my head against my forearm and said, "Ok Jesse, I cannot say 'No' to Bible Study." I told my class the next day and they laughed hysterically. Ok, now to the "Battle-Beard." For the past 8 years of my adult life I have suffered from a condition known as the "beardless man syndrom." I'm not making this up. I'm 26 years old and still unable to grow a beard, well, until now. Now I know what you are thinking, "There is no way!" Well, before you get too excited, understand that when I say "until now," I simply mean that the peach fuzz has evolved into something much more substantial. What I presently have attached to my face may only be considered a beard by Native Americans, but I'm pretty excited all the same. Anyways, I have not shaved for a week and will be playing in the final football (soccer) match tomorrow armed with my 'battle-beard.' In other news, I'll be preaching next Sunday in a village chruch nearby where one of my OT students serves as the senior pastor. He will serve as my translator. Also, I must mention a comment I received from one of my OT students following class. Hanson, a fellow teammate and student approached me after class as I was walking home, tired and exhausted, and said, "Professor Chris, I just wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed our Old Testament class. I truly feel prepared to now preach through the Old Testament." I think I almost started crying. I walked home with my hands lifted high, praising God for his goodness and for the opportunity to be used for His glory. It's such an excited thing to hear that you are being used by God to edify His people. I it is only by His grace and by the power of His Spirit that such things are happening, and to Him be all the glory. I'm not sure if I mentinoed this, but one of the rats has died, and yet one remains--He must be an a lab-rat who escaped from MIT, because he has evaded every trap I've thrown his way. Don't laugh, but twice now I have thrown my knife at him in the kitchen--I'm currently 0 for 2. Anyways, I continue to ask for your prayers as we move into the final two weeks of the semester. Tomorrow will mark 4 months that I have now been in Africa. It's a bit hard to fathom. Part of me is ready to head home, but I would not trade these past 4 months for anything. God has been faithful, and again I know that it is due to your prayers that I have been mostly healthy and have remained encouraged throughout many difficult nights of study and preparation.
Praise God, I survived another week--and what a wonderful week it was. My preaching went well on Tuesday and classes are progressing beautifully. We completed the Pual Stem (Passive Intensive Action) in Hebrew, Luke in Gospels and Habakkuk, Zephaniah and Haggai in OT Introduction. Wooooo! Only two weeks left of classes until final exams. Time is moving rather quickly and I am doing my best, always by God's grace, to stay caught up. I was just thinking this morning how blessed I have been the past 3 years concerning ministry opportunities. While in seminary I had the opportunity to live and serve at the Boston Rescue Mission, following seminary I had the opportunity to serve the best group of youth ever in my hometown, and now I am in West Africa serving as a seminary professor, youth pastor and kids pastor. God is so good. I still have days where I find myself holding on by a thread, but the Lord has continually provided me with His grace, love, comfort and strength to endure. I must bring you up to speed concerning my adventures with the Cameroonian kids. Last weekend about 12 kids came by the house wanting to play. It began to rain and I yelled out, "To the trees." There is a beautiful orchard of some exotic type of tree directly in front of my home. The trees grow close together and the branches intertwine allowing one to climb from tree to tree. The kids (4-5 year olds) spent about an hour just climbing and laughing. A new kid appeared that day, one that I had not yet had the privilege of meeting. His name is Dennis, and yes, he is a menace. However, he has the best laugh I have ever heard; it's infectious. He would laugh non-stop which would cause me to laugh--it was awesome. On Tuesday of this week the same group of kids came by the house wanting to play. I walked outside and immediately took off running with 12 little ninos behind me. Behing my house there is a small stair-like cliff which is perfect for "King of the Hill." I would race them up the hill--this lasted for sometime. Later on little Jesse came by with a friend for Bible Study. Ok, so on Tuesday I informed all of these kids that due to my busy schedule the next few days I would not be able to play again until Friday. I even had Anna, a missionary kid and little sister from another mother, communicate this to them in Pigeon English. On Wednesay I was in my living room studying for Thursday's classes when all of a sudden I heard a faint cry outside my frontdoor: "Uncle Creez." I stood up, a bit flustered, and approached the door. When I opened the door I saw little Jesse staring up at me with a new friend by his side. "Uncle Creez, we beg for Bible study," he said. I sighed an impatient sigh and then slowly began to smile. I rested my head against my forearm and said, "Ok Jesse, I cannot say 'No' to Bible Study." I told my class the next day and they laughed hysterically. Ok, now to the "Battle-Beard." For the past 8 years of my adult life I have suffered from a condition known as the "beardless man syndrom." I'm not making this up. I'm 26 years old and still unable to grow a beard, well, until now. Now I know what you are thinking, "There is no way!" Well, before you get too excited, understand that when I say "until now," I simply mean that the peach fuzz has evolved into something much more substantial. What I presently have attached to my face may only be considered a beard by Native Americans, but I'm pretty excited all the same. Anyways, I have not shaved for a week and will be playing in the final football (soccer) match tomorrow armed with my 'battle-beard.' In other news, I'll be preaching next Sunday in a village chruch nearby where one of my OT students serves as the senior pastor. He will serve as my translator. Also, I must mention a comment I received from one of my OT students following class. Hanson, a fellow teammate and student approached me after class as I was walking home, tired and exhausted, and said, "Professor Chris, I just wanted to let you know how much I have enjoyed our Old Testament class. I truly feel prepared to now preach through the Old Testament." I think I almost started crying. I walked home with my hands lifted high, praising God for his goodness and for the opportunity to be used for His glory. It's such an excited thing to hear that you are being used by God to edify His people. I it is only by His grace and by the power of His Spirit that such things are happening, and to Him be all the glory. I'm not sure if I mentinoed this, but one of the rats has died, and yet one remains--He must be an a lab-rat who escaped from MIT, because he has evaded every trap I've thrown his way. Don't laugh, but twice now I have thrown my knife at him in the kitchen--I'm currently 0 for 2. Anyways, I continue to ask for your prayers as we move into the final two weeks of the semester. Tomorrow will mark 4 months that I have now been in Africa. It's a bit hard to fathom. Part of me is ready to head home, but I would not trade these past 4 months for anything. God has been faithful, and again I know that it is due to your prayers that I have been mostly healthy and have remained encouraged throughout many difficult nights of study and preparation.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Last post continued due to blackout...
Alright, as I was saying, I am hoping to take my summer 1 Hebrew exegesis class through the book of Joshua. I am very excited. In other news, this past weekend consisted of the semifinals matches for the inner-seminary football (soccer) league. Our team played Hallelujah, a most difficult challenger, for the finals spot. We won 4-0, a most definitive victory, which landed us in the finals next Saturday. I had one goal, more of a face goal, and an assist. It was a sweet time. The rain has been non-stop. I woke up this morning, about 3Am, and thought that the roof might cave in on me. The rain here is pretty intense, but it has kept the farmers happy--for that I am thankful. Also, power has been an issue this week, so I have found myself most nights studying by candlelight. Last night I was down to my last three candles. By about 11PM the last of the three begin to sputter and flicker, desperately trying to maintain a flame. When the room became dark I knew it was time to call it a night. I had to get up early this morning to complete my class preparation which moved into chapel time as well. However, i did manage to get everything done in preparation for another beastly Thursday. I'll be preaching again this Tuesday in chapel. Please pray! Normally I set aside Thursday night as my break night. I head to the village for a bottle of coke and some Cameroonian chocolate and usually watch a movie on my laptop. Last week was "Jeremiah Johnson." Watch your top-knot. Well, time is running out, so I must run.
For His glory,
CT
For His glory,
CT
Get that Piel Stem, Hanging by a Thread, God is Good!
Dear Friends and Family,
Well, I survived another week. Woooo! I came out of the classroom praising God today. It was truly a wonderful week, minus the one rat still at large in my house. I'm now missing two toes on my left foot--just kidding! Tuesday's preaching engagement went extremely well. I hardly slept the night before due to class preparation, but the Lord pulled me through. I preached through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and was greatly encouraged by the comments of my students following the chapel service. Many said that they were encouraged and that the text was opened up to them in a wonderful way. Praise God! Today in OT we managed to finish Joel (we had to pick up from last time), Amos, Obadiah and Jonah. I was surprised that we got through so much material in just 3 hours. I most surprised to find out how much I enjoy teaching Hebrew. I have decided that this summer I will take my 1-week Hebrew exegesis
Well, I survived another week. Woooo! I came out of the classroom praising God today. It was truly a wonderful week, minus the one rat still at large in my house. I'm now missing two toes on my left foot--just kidding! Tuesday's preaching engagement went extremely well. I hardly slept the night before due to class preparation, but the Lord pulled me through. I preached through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and was greatly encouraged by the comments of my students following the chapel service. Many said that they were encouraged and that the text was opened up to them in a wonderful way. Praise God! Today in OT we managed to finish Joel (we had to pick up from last time), Amos, Obadiah and Jonah. I was surprised that we got through so much material in just 3 hours. I most surprised to find out how much I enjoy teaching Hebrew. I have decided that this summer I will take my 1-week Hebrew exegesis
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The White Cameroonian, Pre-historic Rats and Called to Preach!
Dear Friends and Family,
First off, for those who have been receiving blank emails from me, I apologize. It seems that my hotmail account has fallen prey to some sort of virus. It's Thursday, which means that by God's grace I have survived another week of teaching. In all honesty, each Thursday after I walk out of my final class, OT Intro., I throw my hands into the air thanking God for His grace and strength to persevere. Six hours straight of intense biblical-theological teaching is awesome, yes, but at times it is enough to cause my head to explode. Presently, in my gospels' classes we have finished Matthew, conerning OT we completed the book of Ezekiel today, which was awesome by the way, and in Hebrew we are now in the Niphal verbal stem (passive/reflexive simple action). I love teaching--man, I love teaching. There are still days when I want to cry, but by God's grace I am being carried through. You do not know how much your prayers mean to me. Alright, before my computer spazzes out, or something else unforseen occurs, let me comment on the titles above. Concerning, "The White Cameroonian," I was recently addressed by a student and fellow teacher as a "White man with black skin underneath." I was blessed by such a comment, but had to laugh a bit. Also, some of the students who were watching the football match last Saturday approached me after the game and said, "Professor, you play like a black man." I though my performance that game was pretty poor, but was enouraged by such a comment. Alright, about the rats: I have been invaded by zebra-sized bush rats. These little suckers seem to be inpervious to my MacGuyver-like wits. I've put out poison, traps and have even waited over their hole with my stag-handled bowie knife with no luck. I may need to bring Scamp, my wild dog, into the home to take care of this problem. I was hoping that the rats and I could be friends, but it does not look like this will be the case. They must die by my hands---Arrrr! Lastly, I found out today that I will be preaching in chapel on Monay--Holy Smokes! Usually I devote my entire weekend to lecture preparation for the following week. Pray that I would be able to prepare both my lectures and Monday's sermon this weekend. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm not too worried. I'm leaning towards the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. It's hard to believe that my time here is moving to a close. There remains 4 weeks left of teaching in the Spring semester, followed by graduation and lastly the one week Hebrew exegesis intensive I have been asked to teach one week prior to my departure. Some days I feel that I may be ready to return home, but other days I find myself absolutely loving my situation. Of course ministry is not meant to be easy, but in all honestly this has been the most difficult minstry I have ever been involved in. At the same time it has probably been the most enjoyable minstry experience of my life. Many students and teachers are encouraging me to stay, but this is clearly something that I must seriously pray about. I have grown quite fond of the Cameroonian culture, especially the food, and am overwhelmed at times by the numerous needs and challenges addressing the church here in West Africa. May God's will be done! I must leave, but again, thank you so much for your prayers.
For His glory,
CT
First off, for those who have been receiving blank emails from me, I apologize. It seems that my hotmail account has fallen prey to some sort of virus. It's Thursday, which means that by God's grace I have survived another week of teaching. In all honesty, each Thursday after I walk out of my final class, OT Intro., I throw my hands into the air thanking God for His grace and strength to persevere. Six hours straight of intense biblical-theological teaching is awesome, yes, but at times it is enough to cause my head to explode. Presently, in my gospels' classes we have finished Matthew, conerning OT we completed the book of Ezekiel today, which was awesome by the way, and in Hebrew we are now in the Niphal verbal stem (passive/reflexive simple action). I love teaching--man, I love teaching. There are still days when I want to cry, but by God's grace I am being carried through. You do not know how much your prayers mean to me. Alright, before my computer spazzes out, or something else unforseen occurs, let me comment on the titles above. Concerning, "The White Cameroonian," I was recently addressed by a student and fellow teacher as a "White man with black skin underneath." I was blessed by such a comment, but had to laugh a bit. Also, some of the students who were watching the football match last Saturday approached me after the game and said, "Professor, you play like a black man." I though my performance that game was pretty poor, but was enouraged by such a comment. Alright, about the rats: I have been invaded by zebra-sized bush rats. These little suckers seem to be inpervious to my MacGuyver-like wits. I've put out poison, traps and have even waited over their hole with my stag-handled bowie knife with no luck. I may need to bring Scamp, my wild dog, into the home to take care of this problem. I was hoping that the rats and I could be friends, but it does not look like this will be the case. They must die by my hands---Arrrr! Lastly, I found out today that I will be preaching in chapel on Monay--Holy Smokes! Usually I devote my entire weekend to lecture preparation for the following week. Pray that I would be able to prepare both my lectures and Monday's sermon this weekend. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm not too worried. I'm leaning towards the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. It's hard to believe that my time here is moving to a close. There remains 4 weeks left of teaching in the Spring semester, followed by graduation and lastly the one week Hebrew exegesis intensive I have been asked to teach one week prior to my departure. Some days I feel that I may be ready to return home, but other days I find myself absolutely loving my situation. Of course ministry is not meant to be easy, but in all honestly this has been the most difficult minstry I have ever been involved in. At the same time it has probably been the most enjoyable minstry experience of my life. Many students and teachers are encouraging me to stay, but this is clearly something that I must seriously pray about. I have grown quite fond of the Cameroonian culture, especially the food, and am overwhelmed at times by the numerous needs and challenges addressing the church here in West Africa. May God's will be done! I must leave, but again, thank you so much for your prayers.
For His glory,
CT
Friday, April 9, 2010
4AM Easter Service, Gassy Boots, New Best Friend continued...
Dear Friends and Family,
My computer almost exploded just now and caused me to lose much of the last update. This is a continuation. So sorry! Ok, so after about 4 hours of studying, on Easter Sunday (post candy hunt), I heard a faint voice outside my front door: "Uncle Creez?" I opened the door to find little Jesse standing by himself. He looked up at me and said, "I come for Bible study." I began laughing and said, "Jesse, we had bible study earlier today." He just looked at me. I said, "Ok little buddy, let's have a bible study." I was so encouraged to see little Jesse's desire to study God's word. In other news, classes are going extremely well. I certainly do not know what God has in store for my life in the future, but I am open to Cameroon if it be His will. The teaching load overwhelms me at times, but by His grace I am able to continue. I am constantly encouraged by my students. Tonight some of them are coming by the house for a time of fellowship. I hope to listen to a lecture on the deity of Christ by N.T. Wright, provide tea and cookies and watch Braveheart with them on my laptop. It's gonna be an awesome night--i just hope the power does not go out. We shall see. Also, the rains have come--boy, have they come, and not just once a day. However, each morning i walk outside and find everything looking so alive and green and smelling wonderful. Ok, now concerning gassy boots. But first, a story about little Macron, my little 5 year old Cameroonian buddy who probably my best buddy in Cameroon. This week while walking Scamp, little Macron, while holding my hand, said, "Uncle Creez, I will come to America with you." I said, "Ok Macron, but how long will you stay?" He said, "Everday!" "Everday," I said, "But won't you miss your mother and father?" He said, "It's ok, I'll see them when I get to heaven." I laughed harder than I have ever laughed before. A few days later, while walking Scamp with Macron it began to rain. He tried to hid his head under the back of my shirt but then exclaimed, "Uncle Creez, your dress (shirt) smells gassy." Little kids use this word for poots or anything foul smelling. I had taught for 6 straight hours and smelled terrible. Marcon found this out the hard way. I laughed so hard. Ok, so to gassy boots. Today, I learned that one of my little friends, John Mark, had fallen ill to Malaria and had been taken to the health center nearby. I wanted to visit him, and knowing that this was Macron's best friend i asked Macron to accompany me, and not only Macron, but the entire kid brigade. On the way I said, "Macron, John Mark is your best friend, ehh?" He said, "Yes, and you too Uncle Creez." I just smiled and continue to the health center with him and the others. Upon our arrival we found little 5 year old John Mark in bed, his mother beside him, and the poor little guy normally so full of life looking like he wanted to die. His mother assured me that he was doing much better and that the medicine was working. I brought him so bong-bong (candy) and was able to pray with the little guy in his room. It was one of the saddest sights I have ever seen. It's so hard to see little kids suffering. But again, the medicine is working and he should be getting much better in the next few days. On the way back to the house I said, "Macon, your boots smell gassy." He said, "Ohhh, no your boots are gassy." This inspired a new song, "Gassy boots." In fact, at this point I think I have a song for most of the kids of Ndu. As you can see things are going quite well. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I think I'm not going to make it due to my teaching schedule. Some days I find myself absolutely exhausted and at times discouraged due to feelings of isolation. However, I have found great joy in ministering in this West African context. Of course there are challenges, but God is good and His grace always sufficient. My Limbume is improving, which causes quite a stir at times when I try to converse with people I meet for the first time in their dialect. Usually they just laugh at me but seem to appreciate the effort. Please pray that I would continue to persevere in Christ, and that I would faithfully handle His word for His glory. I'm sure there is more that could be said, but I better get back to the house for studies before the guys come by tonight.
For His glory,
CT
My computer almost exploded just now and caused me to lose much of the last update. This is a continuation. So sorry! Ok, so after about 4 hours of studying, on Easter Sunday (post candy hunt), I heard a faint voice outside my front door: "Uncle Creez?" I opened the door to find little Jesse standing by himself. He looked up at me and said, "I come for Bible study." I began laughing and said, "Jesse, we had bible study earlier today." He just looked at me. I said, "Ok little buddy, let's have a bible study." I was so encouraged to see little Jesse's desire to study God's word. In other news, classes are going extremely well. I certainly do not know what God has in store for my life in the future, but I am open to Cameroon if it be His will. The teaching load overwhelms me at times, but by His grace I am able to continue. I am constantly encouraged by my students. Tonight some of them are coming by the house for a time of fellowship. I hope to listen to a lecture on the deity of Christ by N.T. Wright, provide tea and cookies and watch Braveheart with them on my laptop. It's gonna be an awesome night--i just hope the power does not go out. We shall see. Also, the rains have come--boy, have they come, and not just once a day. However, each morning i walk outside and find everything looking so alive and green and smelling wonderful. Ok, now concerning gassy boots. But first, a story about little Macron, my little 5 year old Cameroonian buddy who probably my best buddy in Cameroon. This week while walking Scamp, little Macron, while holding my hand, said, "Uncle Creez, I will come to America with you." I said, "Ok Macron, but how long will you stay?" He said, "Everday!" "Everday," I said, "But won't you miss your mother and father?" He said, "It's ok, I'll see them when I get to heaven." I laughed harder than I have ever laughed before. A few days later, while walking Scamp with Macron it began to rain. He tried to hid his head under the back of my shirt but then exclaimed, "Uncle Creez, your dress (shirt) smells gassy." Little kids use this word for poots or anything foul smelling. I had taught for 6 straight hours and smelled terrible. Marcon found this out the hard way. I laughed so hard. Ok, so to gassy boots. Today, I learned that one of my little friends, John Mark, had fallen ill to Malaria and had been taken to the health center nearby. I wanted to visit him, and knowing that this was Macron's best friend i asked Macron to accompany me, and not only Macron, but the entire kid brigade. On the way I said, "Macron, John Mark is your best friend, ehh?" He said, "Yes, and you too Uncle Creez." I just smiled and continue to the health center with him and the others. Upon our arrival we found little 5 year old John Mark in bed, his mother beside him, and the poor little guy normally so full of life looking like he wanted to die. His mother assured me that he was doing much better and that the medicine was working. I brought him so bong-bong (candy) and was able to pray with the little guy in his room. It was one of the saddest sights I have ever seen. It's so hard to see little kids suffering. But again, the medicine is working and he should be getting much better in the next few days. On the way back to the house I said, "Macon, your boots smell gassy." He said, "Ohhh, no your boots are gassy." This inspired a new song, "Gassy boots." In fact, at this point I think I have a song for most of the kids of Ndu. As you can see things are going quite well. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I think I'm not going to make it due to my teaching schedule. Some days I find myself absolutely exhausted and at times discouraged due to feelings of isolation. However, I have found great joy in ministering in this West African context. Of course there are challenges, but God is good and His grace always sufficient. My Limbume is improving, which causes quite a stir at times when I try to converse with people I meet for the first time in their dialect. Usually they just laugh at me but seem to appreciate the effort. Please pray that I would continue to persevere in Christ, and that I would faithfully handle His word for His glory. I'm sure there is more that could be said, but I better get back to the house for studies before the guys come by tonight.
For His glory,
CT
4AM Easter Service, Easter Egg Hunt, Gassy Boots, New Best Friend!
Dear Friends and Family,
Oh my goodness, I've been itching to use the computer so as to update my blog. Power is been going out constantly this week and when working the internet has decided to go on strike---but not today: Woooo! Ok, first I must describe last Sunday's 4AM Easter service; that's right, I said 4Am. They don't mess around here in Cameroon. I got up at 3:30Am last Sunday morning and doggedly walked 10 minutes in pitch black to Emmanuel Baptist Church. When I walked inside I couldn't see anything, but for some reason people could see me. A group of kids came up to me saying, "Uncle Creez!" About 10 minutes after 4 we began the most amazing procession I have ever been a part of. We walked about 1 mile to the top of a hill so as to gather for a large fire. The whole way people were singing in their amazing African voices, drums were booming, and everyone was dancing, including me. When we arrived at our destination on top of the hill, everyone gathered in a large circle around the fire. Young children and elderly folk began to sing Easter songs, in both English and the native dialect. It was absolutley amazing. There was so much joy at such an early part of the day. After the singing, dancing and drums, a young brother gave a wonderful Easter sermon. After about 2 hours we began our march back to the church, but not straight back. The gathered church, about 400 of us, continue the procession through the village, singing, dancing and praising our resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. It was awesome. The day before I had told the youngins about an American tradition where adults hide candy and the kids get to search for it and eat whatever they find. I had instructed the kiddos to come by my house after lunch for this strange tradition. The kids were so excited, as was I, with video camera ready. I hid candy all over my compound and then gave the signal. It was a frenzy and to my amazement the kids began digging through the grass, thinking I had buried the bong-bong (candy). I was laughing hysterically. After the children found all of the candy I had them sit around me for a bible study. We read through Matthew 28, the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Of course, little Jesse was present. After this I had the kids go home while I began studying for the next day of classes.
Oh my goodness, I've been itching to use the computer so as to update my blog. Power is been going out constantly this week and when working the internet has decided to go on strike---but not today: Woooo! Ok, first I must describe last Sunday's 4AM Easter service; that's right, I said 4Am. They don't mess around here in Cameroon. I got up at 3:30Am last Sunday morning and doggedly walked 10 minutes in pitch black to Emmanuel Baptist Church. When I walked inside I couldn't see anything, but for some reason people could see me. A group of kids came up to me saying, "Uncle Creez!" About 10 minutes after 4 we began the most amazing procession I have ever been a part of. We walked about 1 mile to the top of a hill so as to gather for a large fire. The whole way people were singing in their amazing African voices, drums were booming, and everyone was dancing, including me. When we arrived at our destination on top of the hill, everyone gathered in a large circle around the fire. Young children and elderly folk began to sing Easter songs, in both English and the native dialect. It was absolutley amazing. There was so much joy at such an early part of the day. After the singing, dancing and drums, a young brother gave a wonderful Easter sermon. After about 2 hours we began our march back to the church, but not straight back. The gathered church, about 400 of us, continue the procession through the village, singing, dancing and praising our resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ. It was awesome. The day before I had told the youngins about an American tradition where adults hide candy and the kids get to search for it and eat whatever they find. I had instructed the kiddos to come by my house after lunch for this strange tradition. The kids were so excited, as was I, with video camera ready. I hid candy all over my compound and then gave the signal. It was a frenzy and to my amazement the kids began digging through the grass, thinking I had buried the bong-bong (candy). I was laughing hysterically. After the children found all of the candy I had them sit around me for a bible study. We read through Matthew 28, the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Of course, little Jesse was present. After this I had the kids go home while I began studying for the next day of classes.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Cameroon Kids Camp...Holy Smokes!
Dear Friends and Family,
What a great week! On Tuesday I had the opportunity to travel to a nearby village for the annual Cameroon Baptist Convention Kids Camp. Over 1000 kids gathered together for three days of worship and bible study. I had the privilege of addressing all the students in the church upon my arrival. Basically, if you find yourself visiting a church or home for the first time it is required that you give a word or short message. I love this aspect of Cameroon culture. Anyways, I encouraged the kids to seek Christ with their whole hearts and to really dig into His word. During the mid-afternoon break I was literally swamped by a wave of little munchkins. They all wanted to shake my hand or touch my hair--the kids here are very interested in white man hair--they compare it to dog hair. I would randomly pick up kids who came at me giving them an East Texas battle cry which may have indeed frightened a few. Before our arrival I had eaten lunch and was therefore not very hungry. However, if one is ever offered food in a Cameroonian setting it is rude not to accept. Some of the leaders invited into their home for a small linner (lunch plus dinner). If you would have seen what was placed before me you may have ran. However, as mentioned above I did not wish to appear rude and so I did what I had to--I scarfed it. Our journey home was probably the highlight of the trip. Taxis here are known for taking on more passengers than anyone should ever dare to put into one vehicle. In our taxi, purchased for the 40 minute drive back to Ndu, we had 10 passengers. The driver shared his seat with a passenger as did I in the passenger side of the small two door car. There were five in the back seat and one man actually held on to the back of the car for a good 15 minutes. He didn't fall off, we simply reached his destination on the way to Ndu. Also, I must report a recent tradition that I have grown accustomed to. Almost every day children visit my home to see the white man, their friend, Uncle Creez. Anyways, for a while I would simply provide them with cookies and play football with them in the yard. Finally i decided it would be a good idea to attempt a bible study with these little guys and gals. Something pretty hilarious and awesome has resulted. One little guy, Jesse, who is probably just barely 4 years old, appears at my door several days a week requesting Bible study. What is amazing, is that each time he brings with him a little buddy. Yesterday it was a little girl named Kinaise (probably 3 years old). Some days I find myself extremely busy with studies and then all of a sudden I hear a knock at the door. Who could it be, I wonder? It's little Jesse and his kid brigade. I just can't turn the little guy away. This morning, little Macron came by the house with two friends for bible study (Caleb and Benjamin). I asked little Macron to pray and he acquiesed praying the Lord's prayer. It was the coolest thing ever. This weekend has been very productive as I been preparing to finish Matthew in my gospels classes and Isaiah in my OT survey class. It's hard to believe that this Sunday will mark 3 months. The Lord has been so good and I am constantly encouraged by my students. While here my desire to pursue further studies has grown. I am hoping to engage myself in some sort of GRE boot camp when I arrive back in the States in prepartion for PhD applications. I have been contacting professors at differnt schools in the States expressing my interest to pursue gospel research. These programs are extremely competive, and therefore I realize that I must really prepare well for the GRE when I get home this summer. Please pray that the Lord would direct me in this matter. Also, I'm still debating whether or not to attend the 4AM sunrise service tomorrow morning prior to the 9AM service. At this point I think I'm going to go for it. Alright, time to go. Thanks again for all of your prayers.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
What a great week! On Tuesday I had the opportunity to travel to a nearby village for the annual Cameroon Baptist Convention Kids Camp. Over 1000 kids gathered together for three days of worship and bible study. I had the privilege of addressing all the students in the church upon my arrival. Basically, if you find yourself visiting a church or home for the first time it is required that you give a word or short message. I love this aspect of Cameroon culture. Anyways, I encouraged the kids to seek Christ with their whole hearts and to really dig into His word. During the mid-afternoon break I was literally swamped by a wave of little munchkins. They all wanted to shake my hand or touch my hair--the kids here are very interested in white man hair--they compare it to dog hair. I would randomly pick up kids who came at me giving them an East Texas battle cry which may have indeed frightened a few. Before our arrival I had eaten lunch and was therefore not very hungry. However, if one is ever offered food in a Cameroonian setting it is rude not to accept. Some of the leaders invited into their home for a small linner (lunch plus dinner). If you would have seen what was placed before me you may have ran. However, as mentioned above I did not wish to appear rude and so I did what I had to--I scarfed it. Our journey home was probably the highlight of the trip. Taxis here are known for taking on more passengers than anyone should ever dare to put into one vehicle. In our taxi, purchased for the 40 minute drive back to Ndu, we had 10 passengers. The driver shared his seat with a passenger as did I in the passenger side of the small two door car. There were five in the back seat and one man actually held on to the back of the car for a good 15 minutes. He didn't fall off, we simply reached his destination on the way to Ndu. Also, I must report a recent tradition that I have grown accustomed to. Almost every day children visit my home to see the white man, their friend, Uncle Creez. Anyways, for a while I would simply provide them with cookies and play football with them in the yard. Finally i decided it would be a good idea to attempt a bible study with these little guys and gals. Something pretty hilarious and awesome has resulted. One little guy, Jesse, who is probably just barely 4 years old, appears at my door several days a week requesting Bible study. What is amazing, is that each time he brings with him a little buddy. Yesterday it was a little girl named Kinaise (probably 3 years old). Some days I find myself extremely busy with studies and then all of a sudden I hear a knock at the door. Who could it be, I wonder? It's little Jesse and his kid brigade. I just can't turn the little guy away. This morning, little Macron came by the house with two friends for bible study (Caleb and Benjamin). I asked little Macron to pray and he acquiesed praying the Lord's prayer. It was the coolest thing ever. This weekend has been very productive as I been preparing to finish Matthew in my gospels classes and Isaiah in my OT survey class. It's hard to believe that this Sunday will mark 3 months. The Lord has been so good and I am constantly encouraged by my students. While here my desire to pursue further studies has grown. I am hoping to engage myself in some sort of GRE boot camp when I arrive back in the States in prepartion for PhD applications. I have been contacting professors at differnt schools in the States expressing my interest to pursue gospel research. These programs are extremely competive, and therefore I realize that I must really prepare well for the GRE when I get home this summer. Please pray that the Lord would direct me in this matter. Also, I'm still debating whether or not to attend the 4AM sunrise service tomorrow morning prior to the 9AM service. At this point I think I'm going to go for it. Alright, time to go. Thanks again for all of your prayers.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Monday, March 29, 2010
Grading, White Death, Sleep and Goat Tail!
Dear Friends and Family,
The title above just about summarizes the past 10 days of life here in West Africa. Let me explain. Today we resumed classes which means the mid-semester break is officially over. It was a nice break, busy and productive, but it did provide the opportunity for some much needed sleep. I spent most of the break seated at my kitchen table grading a mountain of exams, all of which consisted of numerous essay questions, and preparing lectures for the second half of the semester. I was extremely pleased with the overall outcome of midterm grades. All my classes did well. Praise God! Concerning "White Death" a new phenomenon has hit Cameroon. Dust particles from the Sudan have moved South causing the sky to turn white. This dust is no joke--inhabitants of Cameroon have never seen anything like it. Also, it is somehow affecting the rain, or the lack there of, which could be devastating for the farmers here in Ndu. Pray for rain. I must mention the baptism service I attended two Sundays back. A student of mine, Paul, the blind man who I am currently mentoring, invited me to a baptism service at his church where he would be preaching. To get to this church we had to take bush-taxis, small motorcycles driven by ex-cowboys (lol). It was an adventure to say the least. When I arrived at the church that Sunday morning, covered in dust and fulll after having swallowed a few West African june bugs, we began a procession of a few hundred people, singing and clapping for close to a mile to get to the small stream where baptisms would take place. I was able to capture much of this on my camera. It was amesome. My student preached a wonderful sermon on Acts 2 and then the baptisms began. The choir encircled the pastor and those being baptised and would erupt in singing as the young man or woman came up out of the water. It was seriously the best baptism service I have ever attended. This lasted about 2-3 hours. I thought we were done for the day. Boy, was I wrong. When we arrived back at the church a whole other service was begun--all in all the service(s) lasted nearly 6 hours. Intense, I know! In other news, youth meetings have been going well. We finished Mark 3 this past Saturday and have since watched National Treasure and Pink Panther. The kids usually vote on movies that I have already approved. This past Saturday one of the missionary family's kids came home for break. He is attending a missionary kid school in Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon. He is an incredible guitar player and was able to lead the students in a few worship songs around the camp fire this past Saturday--it was a sweet time. It's hard to believe that we are halfway through the semester. Pray that the Lord would continue to strengthen me--trust me, I'm going to need it. Oh yeah, the goat. Yesterday after church I was invited to have lunch with another missionary family. Goat was on the menu. Kiddingly I said, "Save the tail for me." They took me literally, and therefore I had to dominate it--it wasn't too bad. Again, thank you so much for your prayers and support.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
The title above just about summarizes the past 10 days of life here in West Africa. Let me explain. Today we resumed classes which means the mid-semester break is officially over. It was a nice break, busy and productive, but it did provide the opportunity for some much needed sleep. I spent most of the break seated at my kitchen table grading a mountain of exams, all of which consisted of numerous essay questions, and preparing lectures for the second half of the semester. I was extremely pleased with the overall outcome of midterm grades. All my classes did well. Praise God! Concerning "White Death" a new phenomenon has hit Cameroon. Dust particles from the Sudan have moved South causing the sky to turn white. This dust is no joke--inhabitants of Cameroon have never seen anything like it. Also, it is somehow affecting the rain, or the lack there of, which could be devastating for the farmers here in Ndu. Pray for rain. I must mention the baptism service I attended two Sundays back. A student of mine, Paul, the blind man who I am currently mentoring, invited me to a baptism service at his church where he would be preaching. To get to this church we had to take bush-taxis, small motorcycles driven by ex-cowboys (lol). It was an adventure to say the least. When I arrived at the church that Sunday morning, covered in dust and fulll after having swallowed a few West African june bugs, we began a procession of a few hundred people, singing and clapping for close to a mile to get to the small stream where baptisms would take place. I was able to capture much of this on my camera. It was amesome. My student preached a wonderful sermon on Acts 2 and then the baptisms began. The choir encircled the pastor and those being baptised and would erupt in singing as the young man or woman came up out of the water. It was seriously the best baptism service I have ever attended. This lasted about 2-3 hours. I thought we were done for the day. Boy, was I wrong. When we arrived back at the church a whole other service was begun--all in all the service(s) lasted nearly 6 hours. Intense, I know! In other news, youth meetings have been going well. We finished Mark 3 this past Saturday and have since watched National Treasure and Pink Panther. The kids usually vote on movies that I have already approved. This past Saturday one of the missionary family's kids came home for break. He is attending a missionary kid school in Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon. He is an incredible guitar player and was able to lead the students in a few worship songs around the camp fire this past Saturday--it was a sweet time. It's hard to believe that we are halfway through the semester. Pray that the Lord would continue to strengthen me--trust me, I'm going to need it. Oh yeah, the goat. Yesterday after church I was invited to have lunch with another missionary family. Goat was on the menu. Kiddingly I said, "Save the tail for me." They took me literally, and therefore I had to dominate it--it wasn't too bad. Again, thank you so much for your prayers and support.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Thursday, March 18, 2010
You gotta love Africa!
Dear Friends and Family,
I apologize that so much time has passed since my last update. Electricity, or rather the lack there of, has been a big problem as of lately. However, by God's grace i have managed to get everything done in preparation for mid-term exams. Today i gave my final mid-term exam--now for the break. I honestly had a wonderful time writing exams for my students. Grading is another matter, however I hope to finish all of my grading by Sunday night so as to have the whole week of Spring break to prepare lectures for the second half of the semester. So far I have just graded mid-terms for my Hebrew class. I was so excited by the results. I had 5 A's, 5 B's, 1 C and sadly, 1 F. Overall the students did very well. Well, being that I have not submitted a blog in some time there is obviously much to report. Last Friday I met with a small group of my students once again--this will hopefully be a bi-weekly tradition. We had a bible study in Philippians 1, drank coke and ate cookies and watched Remember the Titans. The guys absolutely loved this film; in fact many of the guys were clapping at the end of the movie. It was awesome. Things are also going well with the youth. We continue to meet every Saturday evening and are still trekking through the gospel of Mark--almost done with chapter 2. It has been a very fruitful time. As mentioned in an earlier blog up-date, every morning as I make my way to chapel I pass by the elementary school on campus. As I approach 75 little munchkins come running towards me yelling, "Uncle Crees." The first time I was a bit frightened because the kids come running at me full speed and the first to arrive bury their head into my stomach. Most of the kids have what I call the "snot nose," which is pretty awesome, but not so much for my shirt that day. However, it brightens my day each morning when these kids ambush me with hugs and smiling faces. I occasionally let out a battle cry and try to maneuver through them which quickly turns into a game of tag on the way to chapel. This Sunday I will be attending my first baptism service in Africa. My friend, Paul, the blind student I am mentoring, invited me to this service which he will be overseeing, and which will take place in a river. We have to take a bush taxi to get to our destination. In this case, a bush taxi will consist of a small motorcycle--getty-up! Also, a missionary couple who has been in Africa for 23 years, the Schulz's, lent me seasons 1 and 2 of the television series, Prison Break. It has made for a pretty awesome study break. Concerning the weather, the rainy season is now upon us. For the next 5-6 months it is guaranteed to rain at least one time a day--so far so good. The great thing about the rainy season is that it does away with the dust problem. No more dust!!!! Wooooo! Some may think that this would have an effect on the soccer season--no sir, the games continue regardless of the weather. They don't mess around here in Cameroon, especially when it comes to their football (soccer). I must mention that I was a bit down a couple of weeks back due to my lingering sickness and insane class schedule. I was fearful that I was getting burned out, but thanks be to God for your prayers and His grace, for I am doing much better this week, and am also moving into the one week Spring break which should provide opportunity for adequate rest and recharge. I miss everyone dearly, but again am so very thankful to be ministering here in Cameroon. I know i have mentioned it already, but i absolutely love teaching. May God be glorified in all that I do here in Cameroon and may this up-date find you well and pursuing Christ wholeheartedly.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
P.S. Our football team is currently leading in points. How sweet it is! Also, it is official that I will be teaching a one week summer intensive on Hebrew exegesis following graduation. Six hours a day for one week--holy smokes!
I apologize that so much time has passed since my last update. Electricity, or rather the lack there of, has been a big problem as of lately. However, by God's grace i have managed to get everything done in preparation for mid-term exams. Today i gave my final mid-term exam--now for the break. I honestly had a wonderful time writing exams for my students. Grading is another matter, however I hope to finish all of my grading by Sunday night so as to have the whole week of Spring break to prepare lectures for the second half of the semester. So far I have just graded mid-terms for my Hebrew class. I was so excited by the results. I had 5 A's, 5 B's, 1 C and sadly, 1 F. Overall the students did very well. Well, being that I have not submitted a blog in some time there is obviously much to report. Last Friday I met with a small group of my students once again--this will hopefully be a bi-weekly tradition. We had a bible study in Philippians 1, drank coke and ate cookies and watched Remember the Titans. The guys absolutely loved this film; in fact many of the guys were clapping at the end of the movie. It was awesome. Things are also going well with the youth. We continue to meet every Saturday evening and are still trekking through the gospel of Mark--almost done with chapter 2. It has been a very fruitful time. As mentioned in an earlier blog up-date, every morning as I make my way to chapel I pass by the elementary school on campus. As I approach 75 little munchkins come running towards me yelling, "Uncle Crees." The first time I was a bit frightened because the kids come running at me full speed and the first to arrive bury their head into my stomach. Most of the kids have what I call the "snot nose," which is pretty awesome, but not so much for my shirt that day. However, it brightens my day each morning when these kids ambush me with hugs and smiling faces. I occasionally let out a battle cry and try to maneuver through them which quickly turns into a game of tag on the way to chapel. This Sunday I will be attending my first baptism service in Africa. My friend, Paul, the blind student I am mentoring, invited me to this service which he will be overseeing, and which will take place in a river. We have to take a bush taxi to get to our destination. In this case, a bush taxi will consist of a small motorcycle--getty-up! Also, a missionary couple who has been in Africa for 23 years, the Schulz's, lent me seasons 1 and 2 of the television series, Prison Break. It has made for a pretty awesome study break. Concerning the weather, the rainy season is now upon us. For the next 5-6 months it is guaranteed to rain at least one time a day--so far so good. The great thing about the rainy season is that it does away with the dust problem. No more dust!!!! Wooooo! Some may think that this would have an effect on the soccer season--no sir, the games continue regardless of the weather. They don't mess around here in Cameroon, especially when it comes to their football (soccer). I must mention that I was a bit down a couple of weeks back due to my lingering sickness and insane class schedule. I was fearful that I was getting burned out, but thanks be to God for your prayers and His grace, for I am doing much better this week, and am also moving into the one week Spring break which should provide opportunity for adequate rest and recharge. I miss everyone dearly, but again am so very thankful to be ministering here in Cameroon. I know i have mentioned it already, but i absolutely love teaching. May God be glorified in all that I do here in Cameroon and may this up-date find you well and pursuing Christ wholeheartedly.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
P.S. Our football team is currently leading in points. How sweet it is! Also, it is official that I will be teaching a one week summer intensive on Hebrew exegesis following graduation. Six hours a day for one week--holy smokes!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Only by the grace of God...
Dear Friends and Family,
Each new week I find myself overwhelmed by new challenges and the responsibilities that have been assigned to me, and yet sustained by the grace and strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This week has been wonderful, and yet my health has been struggling. Today is the best that i have felt and I truly believe that in a day or so I will be completely over whatever has been affecting me (most likely some time type of upper respiratory infection/or the dreaded West African three-toed sloth virus--much worse than the swine flu (just kidding)). In OT we completed the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth this past week. Next week we will begin the verbal system in Hebrew, and will by God's grace complete the gospel of Mark. Next week is the final week before midterms. Again, I look forward to the small break that I will have. Yesterday, following the afternoon classes the faculty and staff of CBTS came together for a staff meeting which last 4.5 hours. It was pretty insane, but informal. I was asked my the President to give the devotional at the beginning of the meeting. I taught from Philippians 1:27-30, encouraging those present, the faculty and staff, to unite together for the advantage and advancement of the faith of the gospel. It went well. During the meeting the president of the seminary told the faculty and staff that he was seriously praying that God would call me to Cameroon for full time ministry. I was a bit surprised by this statement, but was encouraged as well. I'm not sure what God has in store for me following my time here at CBTS, but do desire more than anything to be in His will. We shall see. Presently there is a mixed team from the states serving here for the duration of two weeks. Three of the students, all from Bethlehem Baptist (John Piper's church), are staying in my home. This has presented the opportunity for some wonderful fellowship with fellow believers from the States. I am very thankful for their presence here if only for a short time. Please pray for my students as we enter the week of midterms. I plan on making my exams very challenging, and yet will inform them well conerning what to expect. Pa, the man employed by me who had a stroke, is still unable to speak clearly and yet he seems to be slowly improving. Please continue to pray for him. I hope this update finds everyone well and daily persevering in the faith of Christ Jesus. Again, as always, thank you so much for your faithful prayers on my behalf. God is truly sustaining by His grace. I look forward to tomorrow's football match. We will be facing Hallelujah, a tough team who we I must be going now.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Each new week I find myself overwhelmed by new challenges and the responsibilities that have been assigned to me, and yet sustained by the grace and strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This week has been wonderful, and yet my health has been struggling. Today is the best that i have felt and I truly believe that in a day or so I will be completely over whatever has been affecting me (most likely some time type of upper respiratory infection/or the dreaded West African three-toed sloth virus--much worse than the swine flu (just kidding)). In OT we completed the books of Joshua, Judges and Ruth this past week. Next week we will begin the verbal system in Hebrew, and will by God's grace complete the gospel of Mark. Next week is the final week before midterms. Again, I look forward to the small break that I will have. Yesterday, following the afternoon classes the faculty and staff of CBTS came together for a staff meeting which last 4.5 hours. It was pretty insane, but informal. I was asked my the President to give the devotional at the beginning of the meeting. I taught from Philippians 1:27-30, encouraging those present, the faculty and staff, to unite together for the advantage and advancement of the faith of the gospel. It went well. During the meeting the president of the seminary told the faculty and staff that he was seriously praying that God would call me to Cameroon for full time ministry. I was a bit surprised by this statement, but was encouraged as well. I'm not sure what God has in store for me following my time here at CBTS, but do desire more than anything to be in His will. We shall see. Presently there is a mixed team from the states serving here for the duration of two weeks. Three of the students, all from Bethlehem Baptist (John Piper's church), are staying in my home. This has presented the opportunity for some wonderful fellowship with fellow believers from the States. I am very thankful for their presence here if only for a short time. Please pray for my students as we enter the week of midterms. I plan on making my exams very challenging, and yet will inform them well conerning what to expect. Pa, the man employed by me who had a stroke, is still unable to speak clearly and yet he seems to be slowly improving. Please continue to pray for him. I hope this update finds everyone well and daily persevering in the faith of Christ Jesus. Again, as always, thank you so much for your faithful prayers on my behalf. God is truly sustaining by His grace. I look forward to tomorrow's football match. We will be facing Hallelujah, a tough team who we I must be going now.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Just Checking In
Dear Friends and Family,
Things are still going well over here in West Africa. My sickness has continued to linger, but I continue to thank God for His grace and strength. This past Saturday we had an important football (soccer) match against one of the better teams in the league. I was feeling pretty rough, however because one of our stud-players was out of town I had to play. About an hour before the match I threw down some cough syrup, tylenol and giraffe spit (just kidding) and headed out to the field. This sun was beaming down with the wrath of a Texas summer, but once I got out on the field and began to play I forgot all about my condition. It was the roughest match this season, and as usual I left the field bloodied and bruised. I don't think Africans bleed, or maybe they just have an extra layer of skin. After every game the players say, "Asha," which means, "sorry for your wounds." Our team played incredibly well and we were able to hold off the opposition to a draw (0-0). That evening I met with 10 students, a few from each of my classes. I decided to invite those who over the past few weeks have proven to be the most involved during class lectures. It was an awesome night. As the students arrived I noticed that many were dressed up, shirts tucked in, ties and even a few suits. I was simply wearing some grungy pants and a white T. As we sat around the table I begin to ask each student their testimony, namely, how they had arrived at CBTS (Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary) and what their plans for ministry were post-seminary. It was such a blessing getting to know my students at a more personal level. After this, while drinking Coke and eating cookies, I played a lecture by New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright on Jesus as the Messiah. We listened and discussed. We laughed, prayed and even sang a hymn to close the night. It was truly a sweet time of fellowship. We plan to meet again in two weeks. Well, time is of the essence. I would like to say more, but I must be going. Please continue to lift me up in your prayers. Two more weeks until mid-terms and then a bit of a break.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Things are still going well over here in West Africa. My sickness has continued to linger, but I continue to thank God for His grace and strength. This past Saturday we had an important football (soccer) match against one of the better teams in the league. I was feeling pretty rough, however because one of our stud-players was out of town I had to play. About an hour before the match I threw down some cough syrup, tylenol and giraffe spit (just kidding) and headed out to the field. This sun was beaming down with the wrath of a Texas summer, but once I got out on the field and began to play I forgot all about my condition. It was the roughest match this season, and as usual I left the field bloodied and bruised. I don't think Africans bleed, or maybe they just have an extra layer of skin. After every game the players say, "Asha," which means, "sorry for your wounds." Our team played incredibly well and we were able to hold off the opposition to a draw (0-0). That evening I met with 10 students, a few from each of my classes. I decided to invite those who over the past few weeks have proven to be the most involved during class lectures. It was an awesome night. As the students arrived I noticed that many were dressed up, shirts tucked in, ties and even a few suits. I was simply wearing some grungy pants and a white T. As we sat around the table I begin to ask each student their testimony, namely, how they had arrived at CBTS (Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary) and what their plans for ministry were post-seminary. It was such a blessing getting to know my students at a more personal level. After this, while drinking Coke and eating cookies, I played a lecture by New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright on Jesus as the Messiah. We listened and discussed. We laughed, prayed and even sang a hymn to close the night. It was truly a sweet time of fellowship. We plan to meet again in two weeks. Well, time is of the essence. I would like to say more, but I must be going. Please continue to lift me up in your prayers. Two more weeks until mid-terms and then a bit of a break.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Friday, February 26, 2010
The week my head almost exploded!
Dear Friends and Family,
Ok, so this past week could quite possibly go down as the most hardcore week of my entire life. I preached three time during chapel services and taught 16 hours worth of classes. Two of the preaching days were back-t0-back. It is during weeks such as these that one is able to see the gracious hand of God at work. Early Wednesday morning I began to notice the early signs of sickness. I was like, "This is not good." However, I was determined to trust God and He totally carried me through the rest of the week. I had such a wonderful time preaching to the students this week. My texts were Galatians 5:16-18, 5:22-26 and James 5:19-20. Thursday morning as I stood before the student body and faculty of CBTS I told them, "It still amazes me that I am here in Africa preaching God's word to my brothers and sisters in Christ half-way around the world. This is so cool!" My classes are also going swell. In OT Introduction we completed the Pentateuch this week (Genesis-Deuteronomy). In Hebrew we are already in chapter 9 of the grammar (Pronominal Suffixes). I am still amazed at how quickly we are moving through the grammar--this is certainly not normal, nor should it be, but it is what I have been instructed to do. The majority of the students are doing well, however, some are simply not committing vocabulary to memory which is reflecting poorly on their quiz grades. In Gospels we are in Mark 10. Two more weeks until mid-terms. Can you believe that? Holy Smokes! Today at 1PM I am having some students from one my gospels classes over for tutoring. These students have a difficulty understanding my English accent, so I have agreed to meet with them for the purpose of review. Occasionally I attempt an African accent while teaching but this probably makes things more difficult for the students. Don't misunderstand, most of the students are able to understand me perfectly fine; it's those who have not been accustomed to the English language for very long who are struggling. Tomorrow I am having students over for fellowship. I've invited about 10 students, but am expecting 200--just kidding. I am really looking forward to tomorrow night. I hope to listen to either an N.T. Wrigth/Greg Beale lecture or John Piper sermon, followed by a movie. Also, tomorrow is football (soccer) day. We were victorious last Saturday, 2-1. I told my team that from here on out we would not lose again. This was not prophetic, just my goal for the remainder of the season. Tomorrow's match will be a difficult one. We play New Generation. I'm convinced that half of their team is on steriods or some type of lion tranquilizer. Anyways, thanks again for all of your prayers. I am still feeling ill, but am confident that i am currently on the up-and-up. To God be the glory for this amazing opportunity. I love you all---keep your eyes on Christ.
For His glory,
CT
Ok, so this past week could quite possibly go down as the most hardcore week of my entire life. I preached three time during chapel services and taught 16 hours worth of classes. Two of the preaching days were back-t0-back. It is during weeks such as these that one is able to see the gracious hand of God at work. Early Wednesday morning I began to notice the early signs of sickness. I was like, "This is not good." However, I was determined to trust God and He totally carried me through the rest of the week. I had such a wonderful time preaching to the students this week. My texts were Galatians 5:16-18, 5:22-26 and James 5:19-20. Thursday morning as I stood before the student body and faculty of CBTS I told them, "It still amazes me that I am here in Africa preaching God's word to my brothers and sisters in Christ half-way around the world. This is so cool!" My classes are also going swell. In OT Introduction we completed the Pentateuch this week (Genesis-Deuteronomy). In Hebrew we are already in chapter 9 of the grammar (Pronominal Suffixes). I am still amazed at how quickly we are moving through the grammar--this is certainly not normal, nor should it be, but it is what I have been instructed to do. The majority of the students are doing well, however, some are simply not committing vocabulary to memory which is reflecting poorly on their quiz grades. In Gospels we are in Mark 10. Two more weeks until mid-terms. Can you believe that? Holy Smokes! Today at 1PM I am having some students from one my gospels classes over for tutoring. These students have a difficulty understanding my English accent, so I have agreed to meet with them for the purpose of review. Occasionally I attempt an African accent while teaching but this probably makes things more difficult for the students. Don't misunderstand, most of the students are able to understand me perfectly fine; it's those who have not been accustomed to the English language for very long who are struggling. Tomorrow I am having students over for fellowship. I've invited about 10 students, but am expecting 200--just kidding. I am really looking forward to tomorrow night. I hope to listen to either an N.T. Wrigth/Greg Beale lecture or John Piper sermon, followed by a movie. Also, tomorrow is football (soccer) day. We were victorious last Saturday, 2-1. I told my team that from here on out we would not lose again. This was not prophetic, just my goal for the remainder of the season. Tomorrow's match will be a difficult one. We play New Generation. I'm convinced that half of their team is on steriods or some type of lion tranquilizer. Anyways, thanks again for all of your prayers. I am still feeling ill, but am confident that i am currently on the up-and-up. To God be the glory for this amazing opportunity. I love you all---keep your eyes on Christ.
For His glory,
CT
Monday, February 22, 2010
God is good!
Dear Friends and Family,
Ok, I have to make this quick. Last night I had my first preaching opportunity in Cameroon. It was a wonderful blessing. I preached to the students on Galatians 5:16-18 during the Sunday evening vespers service. Here is the cool part. About two days ago I ran into Julius (African Traditional Religion guy) in the village and invited him to the Sunday night service. His words, "I'll be there." I was so excited. Sure enough, last night about 5 minutes before the service began in walked the J-man. After the service we had a wonderful discussion in which he expressed a strong desire to learn more about the Trinity. He asked me if I had any material he could check out. i told him I would provide him with some helpful material. Today, while making some copies for Julius from Wayne Grudem's theology text, guess who walked in? Julius. I was like, "Julius, I'm making your copies right now." He was so excited. Talk about a providential moment. Ok, here is the crazy thing. He has invited me to come to his village to addess his people from the Bible. It seems that I will have the opportunity sometime in the upcoming weeks to preach the gospel to an entire African village. Oh my goodness! Also, today I had my first mentorship meeting with Paul, a blind student in one of my Gospels classes. He asked me two weeks ago if I would spend time with him, mentoring him in the word and in prayer. I prayed about this for 4 or 5 days and then decided to meet with Paul twice a month on Mondays for lunch. I discovered that his blindness was the result of a brutal robbery while he was in Nigeria some time ago. He is a wonderful brother, married and with two kids. His life story is pretty amazing. I would like to say more, but I really must go.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Ok, I have to make this quick. Last night I had my first preaching opportunity in Cameroon. It was a wonderful blessing. I preached to the students on Galatians 5:16-18 during the Sunday evening vespers service. Here is the cool part. About two days ago I ran into Julius (African Traditional Religion guy) in the village and invited him to the Sunday night service. His words, "I'll be there." I was so excited. Sure enough, last night about 5 minutes before the service began in walked the J-man. After the service we had a wonderful discussion in which he expressed a strong desire to learn more about the Trinity. He asked me if I had any material he could check out. i told him I would provide him with some helpful material. Today, while making some copies for Julius from Wayne Grudem's theology text, guess who walked in? Julius. I was like, "Julius, I'm making your copies right now." He was so excited. Talk about a providential moment. Ok, here is the crazy thing. He has invited me to come to his village to addess his people from the Bible. It seems that I will have the opportunity sometime in the upcoming weeks to preach the gospel to an entire African village. Oh my goodness! Also, today I had my first mentorship meeting with Paul, a blind student in one of my Gospels classes. He asked me two weeks ago if I would spend time with him, mentoring him in the word and in prayer. I prayed about this for 4 or 5 days and then decided to meet with Paul twice a month on Mondays for lunch. I discovered that his blindness was the result of a brutal robbery while he was in Nigeria some time ago. He is a wonderful brother, married and with two kids. His life story is pretty amazing. I would like to say more, but I really must go.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Friday, February 19, 2010
Dear Friends and Family,
Almost six weeks in, a bit hard to believe. However, while here I've noticed that time passes neither too swiftly, nor too slowly. My days are extremely busy, and I have already mentioned to some that teaching here has been like seminary on steroids. Of course my time at seminary remains one of the greatest periods of my life--I know I'm still a young-gun, but I am so thankful for that period of my life. Teaching here has been like seminary on steroids in the following way: I love teaching here, I absolutely do, however, on top of studying the material, much like seminary as a student, I am teaching what i study as well. On Thursdays, after teaching for 6 hours straight I feel like I just got into a fight with Bruce Lee; and yet, I am encouraged by the fact that I am teaching the Scriptures to God's people called to minister the gospel in Cameroon. It has been an unbelievable privilege and I remain so very thankful. Today (Friday), which is usually my day off, I'll be meeting with two students for an independent study on NT Survey-Acts to Revelation. We will be walking through all of Acts 2, Romans 6-8 and 1 Cor. 15:1-8. I'm pretty stoked but am wondering how long this will take--too bad for the students, but we will probably be together for at least 3 hours. I'm hoping to have some students over in the near future, maybe a Friday night, for fellowship. In seminary, the guys and I would get together on the weekends for a movie or Piper Biography. John Piper gives these amazing biographies on heroes of the Christian faith. I may attempt this next Friday. Of course I cannot have every student over--that would be impossible, and yet I hope that students do not get their feelings hurt when they are not invited. I'm hoping for a group of about 6-8, 1 to 2 students from each class. Maybe I can draw names from a hat. Anyways, tomorrow I'm meeting with Ngala, my little Muslim friend, once again. He is planning to come by my home about 11AM for a study of the Bible. After this I will follow him to his home so as to meet his family. I'm not sure what to expect, or how they feel about me sharing Christ with their grandson, but I am excited all the same. Pray that the Lord would give me boldness to share the gospel with the entire family. In other news, Pa seems to be doing better. Until he recovers fully i have hired another cook. Her name is Ansela and she is the mother of 5. She seriously puts Betty Crocker to shame. She makes this sauce called Pepe which I think may have its origin in pieces of our sun that have broken off and fallen to the earth. One drop of this stuff makes my nose bleed and yet I just cannot stop eating it. I'm hoping that it will aid me in my beard growth--a goal of mine while here in Africa. Lastly, I had a wonderful week teaching. My students are so encouraging. My Hebrew class is still going well, but the pace is becoming frightful. Last week we covered four chapter from the grammar--for those of you who have not taken Hebrew, that is insane. The students are coping well, and I hope their desire to learn the language, coupled with God's grace, helps them to endure to the end of the semester. Well, i must be going now. I'm preaching this Sunday night to the students on Gal. 5:16-18. Please keep me in your prayers.
For His glory,
CT
Almost six weeks in, a bit hard to believe. However, while here I've noticed that time passes neither too swiftly, nor too slowly. My days are extremely busy, and I have already mentioned to some that teaching here has been like seminary on steroids. Of course my time at seminary remains one of the greatest periods of my life--I know I'm still a young-gun, but I am so thankful for that period of my life. Teaching here has been like seminary on steroids in the following way: I love teaching here, I absolutely do, however, on top of studying the material, much like seminary as a student, I am teaching what i study as well. On Thursdays, after teaching for 6 hours straight I feel like I just got into a fight with Bruce Lee; and yet, I am encouraged by the fact that I am teaching the Scriptures to God's people called to minister the gospel in Cameroon. It has been an unbelievable privilege and I remain so very thankful. Today (Friday), which is usually my day off, I'll be meeting with two students for an independent study on NT Survey-Acts to Revelation. We will be walking through all of Acts 2, Romans 6-8 and 1 Cor. 15:1-8. I'm pretty stoked but am wondering how long this will take--too bad for the students, but we will probably be together for at least 3 hours. I'm hoping to have some students over in the near future, maybe a Friday night, for fellowship. In seminary, the guys and I would get together on the weekends for a movie or Piper Biography. John Piper gives these amazing biographies on heroes of the Christian faith. I may attempt this next Friday. Of course I cannot have every student over--that would be impossible, and yet I hope that students do not get their feelings hurt when they are not invited. I'm hoping for a group of about 6-8, 1 to 2 students from each class. Maybe I can draw names from a hat. Anyways, tomorrow I'm meeting with Ngala, my little Muslim friend, once again. He is planning to come by my home about 11AM for a study of the Bible. After this I will follow him to his home so as to meet his family. I'm not sure what to expect, or how they feel about me sharing Christ with their grandson, but I am excited all the same. Pray that the Lord would give me boldness to share the gospel with the entire family. In other news, Pa seems to be doing better. Until he recovers fully i have hired another cook. Her name is Ansela and she is the mother of 5. She seriously puts Betty Crocker to shame. She makes this sauce called Pepe which I think may have its origin in pieces of our sun that have broken off and fallen to the earth. One drop of this stuff makes my nose bleed and yet I just cannot stop eating it. I'm hoping that it will aid me in my beard growth--a goal of mine while here in Africa. Lastly, I had a wonderful week teaching. My students are so encouraging. My Hebrew class is still going well, but the pace is becoming frightful. Last week we covered four chapter from the grammar--for those of you who have not taken Hebrew, that is insane. The students are coping well, and I hope their desire to learn the language, coupled with God's grace, helps them to endure to the end of the semester. Well, i must be going now. I'm preaching this Sunday night to the students on Gal. 5:16-18. Please keep me in your prayers.
For His glory,
CT
Monday, February 15, 2010
Dear Friends and Family,
Waysakey? (How are you?) Well, Pa seems to be doing a bit better. I stopped by his home a few days ago to visit him and assess his condition. He is still unable to speak or move his right side very well, however, he is walking with more confidence and his mood has improved. I have to be very careful in this situation. Cameroonian people are very dependent, and therefore see a westerner as a means to their financial improvement. This is what experienced missionaries are telling me. I agreed to pay Pa for the full month, and have decided to pay half his salary for the remainder of my time here in Ndu, or atleast until he is back to full strenght. During my visit with him and his family a few days ago I was presented with a small piece of paper. Pa had handed to me with no reservations. I opened to discover it was their electric bill. Again, it was the equivalent of about $3.00, not a big hit finacially my any means, but I have been told to expect this type of thing much more often in the future. It seems that I have taken Pa's family under my wing. Pray that the Lord would give me wisdom in this situation and that not merely my actions but my words as well would communicate the love of Christ Jesus. Also, I had my first meeting with Ngala this past Saturday. He came by the house about two hours early, which was fine, and we spent about an hour drinking tea and looking at two chapters in Matthew and two chapters in Mark. He seemed to be very interested in the life of Jesus being that much of what I had read to him was new information. I emphasized the deity of Christ and spent time looking at some of the divine perogatives in operation via Jesus, i.e., forgiveness of sin in Mark 2:1-12. After reading through the Bible I took him to sura 23:102-103 of the Koran where it speaks of the day of judgment and the scale by which man's good deeds and evil deeds will be weighed. Muslims believe that if just one more good deed is found than bad deeds then one may safely pass into paradise. I spoke to him of the holiness of God and how because of just one sin committed by man we are unable to enter into God's presence. This led to the sharing of the gospel, whereby i was able to speak to him of God's ultimate sacrifice on behalf of sinful mankind, the substitionary atonement. After our time together he appeared once again at my home, a few hours later, to watch our football team play in the afternoon. We played "New Generation" who was victorious, 4-3. Our team played well but was unable to come away with the "W." It was still a great time of fellowship, and more blood and pain--due to the merciless battle field we play on. Saturday night there was a staff dinner due to the presence of the General Secretary of the Cameroon Baptist Conference. It was a great feast, however, it caused me to be late to my youth meeting. As soon as I was dismissed from the meal, i rounded up all the kids and we headed to my home. We continued our journey together and Mark 1 and spent the rest of the night outside around a camp fire drinking some strange African cola and eating strawberry cookies. One of the kids asked me if I had any country music on my ipod. I was very surprised to hear this, but immediately begin playing some George Strait. She loved it, which made me laugh hysterically. Lastly, my classes are going great. I'm really enjoying my Hebrew class to my surprise. The students have done very well on the first two quizzes. There is one student who is struggling, but I greatly respect his effort. I tutored one of the students Sunday after church which went very well. Well, i have to run.
For His glory,
Chris
P.S. I'm preaching 3 days next week. please pray for me--woooo!
Waysakey? (How are you?) Well, Pa seems to be doing a bit better. I stopped by his home a few days ago to visit him and assess his condition. He is still unable to speak or move his right side very well, however, he is walking with more confidence and his mood has improved. I have to be very careful in this situation. Cameroonian people are very dependent, and therefore see a westerner as a means to their financial improvement. This is what experienced missionaries are telling me. I agreed to pay Pa for the full month, and have decided to pay half his salary for the remainder of my time here in Ndu, or atleast until he is back to full strenght. During my visit with him and his family a few days ago I was presented with a small piece of paper. Pa had handed to me with no reservations. I opened to discover it was their electric bill. Again, it was the equivalent of about $3.00, not a big hit finacially my any means, but I have been told to expect this type of thing much more often in the future. It seems that I have taken Pa's family under my wing. Pray that the Lord would give me wisdom in this situation and that not merely my actions but my words as well would communicate the love of Christ Jesus. Also, I had my first meeting with Ngala this past Saturday. He came by the house about two hours early, which was fine, and we spent about an hour drinking tea and looking at two chapters in Matthew and two chapters in Mark. He seemed to be very interested in the life of Jesus being that much of what I had read to him was new information. I emphasized the deity of Christ and spent time looking at some of the divine perogatives in operation via Jesus, i.e., forgiveness of sin in Mark 2:1-12. After reading through the Bible I took him to sura 23:102-103 of the Koran where it speaks of the day of judgment and the scale by which man's good deeds and evil deeds will be weighed. Muslims believe that if just one more good deed is found than bad deeds then one may safely pass into paradise. I spoke to him of the holiness of God and how because of just one sin committed by man we are unable to enter into God's presence. This led to the sharing of the gospel, whereby i was able to speak to him of God's ultimate sacrifice on behalf of sinful mankind, the substitionary atonement. After our time together he appeared once again at my home, a few hours later, to watch our football team play in the afternoon. We played "New Generation" who was victorious, 4-3. Our team played well but was unable to come away with the "W." It was still a great time of fellowship, and more blood and pain--due to the merciless battle field we play on. Saturday night there was a staff dinner due to the presence of the General Secretary of the Cameroon Baptist Conference. It was a great feast, however, it caused me to be late to my youth meeting. As soon as I was dismissed from the meal, i rounded up all the kids and we headed to my home. We continued our journey together and Mark 1 and spent the rest of the night outside around a camp fire drinking some strange African cola and eating strawberry cookies. One of the kids asked me if I had any country music on my ipod. I was very surprised to hear this, but immediately begin playing some George Strait. She loved it, which made me laugh hysterically. Lastly, my classes are going great. I'm really enjoying my Hebrew class to my surprise. The students have done very well on the first two quizzes. There is one student who is struggling, but I greatly respect his effort. I tutored one of the students Sunday after church which went very well. Well, i have to run.
For His glory,
Chris
P.S. I'm preaching 3 days next week. please pray for me--woooo!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Good news and bad news!
Friends and Family,
Well, I'm torn between divulging the good news or bad news first. I'll begin with the good news. Two days ago I was passing through the village so as to make copies for my classes. There is a small building where I am able to make copies for about 2 cents per page. On the first story of this building is a small shop where many men of the village gather together for discussion--much like a barber shop in the States. I often stop by this store to greet the men gathered together. They often yell, "Hey white man!" The owner of the store is a Muslim by the name of Alhaji. He is a very kind man whose shop provides me with eggs. Back to the story: So, as I passed by the shop two days ago I noticed a rather large group of men gathered together. I strode into the group and greeted all the men gathered. The conversation quickly turned toward Christ, namely, His identity. The main voices in this discussion were mine, another Christian brother, a Muslim and an individual associated with ATR (African Traditional Religion--ancestral intercession)--his name is Julius. We quickly got into it, in a very civilized way--it did not get crazy. I began to address Isaiah 52 and 53, the background for the NT term, "gospel." I talked about the OT expectation of God's coming kingdom associated with His salvation and restoration. I then drew their attention to Christ as the fulfillment of these texts, along with others. We looked at Hebrews, the gospel of John and other places. It was a wonderful conversation. Julius and I are hoping to get together in the near future for more discussion. Surprisingly, he has had interaction with John Piper, when the Pipe-dawg was here visiting the seminary sometime ago. At the end of our conversation Julius admitted the possibility of his being in error. I was very thankful for this opportunity to share the gospel. Also, I will be meeting with a young Muslim boy this Friday so as to talk about Jesus. I have played football (soccer) with him on many occasions, and he often stops by my home to borrow my football and receive free food--it seems that some of the children in the village seldom have more than one solid meal per day. His name is Ngala and he knows very little about Jesus. I am very excited about our time together. Please pray that the Lord would give me wisdom in sharing God's truth with him, and further that the Lord would prepare His heart for our time together. Classes are still going very well. I find myself exhausted at the end of each day, but by God's grace and due to your prayers, I surely believe, He has given me the strength to persevere each day. Teaching 5-6 classes per week is a busy workload, but i love my students very much. Also, the students thrive on confrontation. Don't misunderstand, they respect their professors, however, they are not afraid to ask difficult questions and to challenge the professor on certain points, especially much debated passages. I must come to class ready and prepared--both in prayer and in my studies. Some students even stand up to address me in class--I'm like, "Whoaa wildman!" So far the teacher-student dialogue has been quite enjoyable, and i often find myself impressed by their observations and thoughtful questions. This past Saturday was week two of tournament football (soccer). My team, literally named, "the Winning Team," faced off against Regeneration F.C. They happened to have three semi-pro players from the village. It was a great match which ended in a 3-3 draw. I had two goals and more battle scars. I'm not kidding when I say the field is a death trap. We are currently in the dry season which makes the field hard as a rock. Dust pervades every square inch of ground and somehow finds a way into one's home despite all attempts of prevention. They say that the dust blows south from the Sahara Desert--pretty cool, but dirty. The great thing about Saturday football is that i have the opportunity to play with and against my students. After the match on Sat. I hurried home to prepare for bible study (YOUTH NIGHT). We continued to move through Mark 1, looking at the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Afterwards, we headed outside for our traditional campfire. I played some sweet American tunes for the kids on my i-pod: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Bob Marley--it was hilarious. It was another great night with the kids. Ok, now for the bad news. Last Saturday, Pa Zachaeus, my cook, did not come into work. I figured that he may have become sick, but nothing too serious. I received a call from his wife on Monday concerning his condition. All I could gather is that he had had a high fever, which indicated the possibility of Malaria. Tuesday I had Ma Yong, a wonderful missionary and my next door neighbor, take me to his home to visit him. Upon visiting him I found out that it was much worse than i could have imagined. He had experienced a stroke, leaving his entire right side paralyzed. Furthermore he is unable to speak. I was so broken to see him in this condition. Worse yet, he refused to go to the hospital, wanting to first place his trust in traditional religion for aid. There are many "Christians" who still cling to their traditional religious beliefs. I was very saddened to here this, knowing then that Pa was not a true believer. At the end of our visit I asked him if i could pray for him. He was willing. When i returned home, i went immediately to the health center to explain his condition to the local physician. He expressed great concern and encouraged me to go back so as to plea that Pa Zachaeus come to the health center for a thorough check up. This morning I returned to his home determined. I explained the dangers of his condition and the need to get checked out by a doctor. I told him i would cover the fees (a consultation is the equivalent of 75 cents in US money). He agreed to go tomorrow morning. Please pray for physical healing on behalf of Pa, but more importantly that his eyes would be opened to the gospel. I will be meeting him at his home at 9am tomorrow to help get him to the health center. Although he is a wild man and the batman of Cameroon, his condition seems to be very serious. He is quite old for a Cameroonian, and is probably not expected to live much longer. Just pray that the Lord would give me wisdom in making him aware of the salvation available solely in Christ, and to help him see the importance of severing his ties with traditional African religion. Again, i greatly appreciate all of your prayers. Well, i must be going.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Well, I'm torn between divulging the good news or bad news first. I'll begin with the good news. Two days ago I was passing through the village so as to make copies for my classes. There is a small building where I am able to make copies for about 2 cents per page. On the first story of this building is a small shop where many men of the village gather together for discussion--much like a barber shop in the States. I often stop by this store to greet the men gathered together. They often yell, "Hey white man!" The owner of the store is a Muslim by the name of Alhaji. He is a very kind man whose shop provides me with eggs. Back to the story: So, as I passed by the shop two days ago I noticed a rather large group of men gathered together. I strode into the group and greeted all the men gathered. The conversation quickly turned toward Christ, namely, His identity. The main voices in this discussion were mine, another Christian brother, a Muslim and an individual associated with ATR (African Traditional Religion--ancestral intercession)--his name is Julius. We quickly got into it, in a very civilized way--it did not get crazy. I began to address Isaiah 52 and 53, the background for the NT term, "gospel." I talked about the OT expectation of God's coming kingdom associated with His salvation and restoration. I then drew their attention to Christ as the fulfillment of these texts, along with others. We looked at Hebrews, the gospel of John and other places. It was a wonderful conversation. Julius and I are hoping to get together in the near future for more discussion. Surprisingly, he has had interaction with John Piper, when the Pipe-dawg was here visiting the seminary sometime ago. At the end of our conversation Julius admitted the possibility of his being in error. I was very thankful for this opportunity to share the gospel. Also, I will be meeting with a young Muslim boy this Friday so as to talk about Jesus. I have played football (soccer) with him on many occasions, and he often stops by my home to borrow my football and receive free food--it seems that some of the children in the village seldom have more than one solid meal per day. His name is Ngala and he knows very little about Jesus. I am very excited about our time together. Please pray that the Lord would give me wisdom in sharing God's truth with him, and further that the Lord would prepare His heart for our time together. Classes are still going very well. I find myself exhausted at the end of each day, but by God's grace and due to your prayers, I surely believe, He has given me the strength to persevere each day. Teaching 5-6 classes per week is a busy workload, but i love my students very much. Also, the students thrive on confrontation. Don't misunderstand, they respect their professors, however, they are not afraid to ask difficult questions and to challenge the professor on certain points, especially much debated passages. I must come to class ready and prepared--both in prayer and in my studies. Some students even stand up to address me in class--I'm like, "Whoaa wildman!" So far the teacher-student dialogue has been quite enjoyable, and i often find myself impressed by their observations and thoughtful questions. This past Saturday was week two of tournament football (soccer). My team, literally named, "the Winning Team," faced off against Regeneration F.C. They happened to have three semi-pro players from the village. It was a great match which ended in a 3-3 draw. I had two goals and more battle scars. I'm not kidding when I say the field is a death trap. We are currently in the dry season which makes the field hard as a rock. Dust pervades every square inch of ground and somehow finds a way into one's home despite all attempts of prevention. They say that the dust blows south from the Sahara Desert--pretty cool, but dirty. The great thing about Saturday football is that i have the opportunity to play with and against my students. After the match on Sat. I hurried home to prepare for bible study (YOUTH NIGHT). We continued to move through Mark 1, looking at the baptism and temptation of Jesus. Afterwards, we headed outside for our traditional campfire. I played some sweet American tunes for the kids on my i-pod: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Bob Marley--it was hilarious. It was another great night with the kids. Ok, now for the bad news. Last Saturday, Pa Zachaeus, my cook, did not come into work. I figured that he may have become sick, but nothing too serious. I received a call from his wife on Monday concerning his condition. All I could gather is that he had had a high fever, which indicated the possibility of Malaria. Tuesday I had Ma Yong, a wonderful missionary and my next door neighbor, take me to his home to visit him. Upon visiting him I found out that it was much worse than i could have imagined. He had experienced a stroke, leaving his entire right side paralyzed. Furthermore he is unable to speak. I was so broken to see him in this condition. Worse yet, he refused to go to the hospital, wanting to first place his trust in traditional religion for aid. There are many "Christians" who still cling to their traditional religious beliefs. I was very saddened to here this, knowing then that Pa was not a true believer. At the end of our visit I asked him if i could pray for him. He was willing. When i returned home, i went immediately to the health center to explain his condition to the local physician. He expressed great concern and encouraged me to go back so as to plea that Pa Zachaeus come to the health center for a thorough check up. This morning I returned to his home determined. I explained the dangers of his condition and the need to get checked out by a doctor. I told him i would cover the fees (a consultation is the equivalent of 75 cents in US money). He agreed to go tomorrow morning. Please pray for physical healing on behalf of Pa, but more importantly that his eyes would be opened to the gospel. I will be meeting him at his home at 9am tomorrow to help get him to the health center. Although he is a wild man and the batman of Cameroon, his condition seems to be very serious. He is quite old for a Cameroonian, and is probably not expected to live much longer. Just pray that the Lord would give me wisdom in making him aware of the salvation available solely in Christ, and to help him see the importance of severing his ties with traditional African religion. Again, i greatly appreciate all of your prayers. Well, i must be going.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Friday, February 5, 2010
Need to clarify
Sorry, after reading through my last post i noticed some mistakes.
- My Hebrew students did very well on their first quiz. Also, the kids followed me home, not hope. My health is good and i am also sleeping quite well--a nice change (early to bed and early to rise--my Pops would be proud).
Furthermore, i failed to mention a pretty interesting story. Yesterday, a Christian book distributor donated a few thousand books to the students at Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary. The students were organized in lines before several book tables and were allowed to choose up to 5-7 books a piece. I have never seen such excitement. It reminded me of the Christian Book Distributor warehouse sales when i was in seminary, but on steroids. The students would get their books and immediately begin waving them in the air as if they were holding up a great trophy of some sort. I realized how needy these people really are. Most of the books were old and provided very little contribution to Christian scholarship. I was rummaging through the books, desperately trying to find books that would be a blessing for the students in their studies while in seminary. Many of these students are lacking a good bible--that is hard to imagine with them being in seminary. Don't misunderstand me--many of these students know God's word very well, it's just that they lack resources which would be of great value for students in seminary. I hope to leave Cameroon in just my underwear and a t-shirt. Pardon the hyperbole. In two of my classes i have assigned papers, an OT theology paper and a gospels' exegesis paper. As an incentive for hard work, i have promised to reward the top paper writers with a commentary and OT theology text. All I'm saying is that it will be difficult not to leave everything behind for those whose needs are so much greater than my own. Please pray that God would provide for the needs of these students. Many of them are struggling greatly just to pay their fees to stay in seminary--it seems to be a semester by semester struggle. Also, pray that i would continue to be able to see my students through the eyes of Christ and that i might be able to communicate to them clearly the truths of God's word. The need for the gospel, although great worldwide, is especially great here in Cameroon. These students will be tomorrow' s pastors and missionaries in Cameroon. Pray that the Lord would prepare them well, and that I would be used in that work during my short stay here.
For the glory of Christ Jesus,
Chris Taylor
- My Hebrew students did very well on their first quiz. Also, the kids followed me home, not hope. My health is good and i am also sleeping quite well--a nice change (early to bed and early to rise--my Pops would be proud).
Furthermore, i failed to mention a pretty interesting story. Yesterday, a Christian book distributor donated a few thousand books to the students at Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary. The students were organized in lines before several book tables and were allowed to choose up to 5-7 books a piece. I have never seen such excitement. It reminded me of the Christian Book Distributor warehouse sales when i was in seminary, but on steroids. The students would get their books and immediately begin waving them in the air as if they were holding up a great trophy of some sort. I realized how needy these people really are. Most of the books were old and provided very little contribution to Christian scholarship. I was rummaging through the books, desperately trying to find books that would be a blessing for the students in their studies while in seminary. Many of these students are lacking a good bible--that is hard to imagine with them being in seminary. Don't misunderstand me--many of these students know God's word very well, it's just that they lack resources which would be of great value for students in seminary. I hope to leave Cameroon in just my underwear and a t-shirt. Pardon the hyperbole. In two of my classes i have assigned papers, an OT theology paper and a gospels' exegesis paper. As an incentive for hard work, i have promised to reward the top paper writers with a commentary and OT theology text. All I'm saying is that it will be difficult not to leave everything behind for those whose needs are so much greater than my own. Please pray that God would provide for the needs of these students. Many of them are struggling greatly just to pay their fees to stay in seminary--it seems to be a semester by semester struggle. Also, pray that i would continue to be able to see my students through the eyes of Christ and that i might be able to communicate to them clearly the truths of God's word. The need for the gospel, although great worldwide, is especially great here in Cameroon. These students will be tomorrow' s pastors and missionaries in Cameroon. Pray that the Lord would prepare them well, and that I would be used in that work during my short stay here.
For the glory of Christ Jesus,
Chris Taylor
Survived my first week of teaching--Praise Jesus!
Dear Friends and Family,
Well, i survived my first week of teaching. What a week it was! I absolutely love my classes, especially Intro. to Old Testament. This class is composed of both MA and BA students, all of which seem very excited about studying God's word--so much so that many students stayed after class yesterday to continue discussing Genesis 3--this was after 3hrs together. These guys and gals are hardcore. I must mention how thankful i am for OT scholar, M. Kline. His works have inspired my lectures greatly. I was a bit concerned with my Hebrew students after our first day together. They were terrified by the Hebrew alphabet--I told them to quit whimpering and to get tough--just kidding. We had our first quiz yesterday, and the students to very well. In this class i have three french speakers, however, they seem to be able to follow the lectures very well so far. I must tell you guys about a crazy incident i had earlier this week. A massive group of lil turteheads (mostly 5 and 6 yr olds) followed me hope this past Monday. I told them that i could not play due to the amount of work i had to do in preparation for the next day's classes. They wouldn't listen, and thus began the chaos. I happen to have this massive fruit producing plant in my front yard which caught the kids' eyes. They poured through my fence and literally begin diving into the plant (lil pirates). This began a game which consisted of me picking up kids over my head and throwing them (just kidding, gently setting them) over my fence. After about 30 minutes of this I realized my great need to get inside and begin studying. So what did i do? I released Scamp, my wild dog, who quickly devoured 5 of the children. In all honesty this game continued for about an hour until both myself and the kids were exhausted--i'd like to say that i was victorious, but my naked plant is evidence of their vicotry. Again, i greatly appreciate everyone who is praying for me--God has been very good to me, as He always is, even in the midst of suffering. Please continue to pray for my Hebrew students. We had a good first week together, but as some of you know, it will continue to get more and more difficult as we progress. I am so thankful to be here in Cameroon and look forward to the weeks ahead. Tomorrow is week 2 of tournament football (soccer). It's on!
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Well, i survived my first week of teaching. What a week it was! I absolutely love my classes, especially Intro. to Old Testament. This class is composed of both MA and BA students, all of which seem very excited about studying God's word--so much so that many students stayed after class yesterday to continue discussing Genesis 3--this was after 3hrs together. These guys and gals are hardcore. I must mention how thankful i am for OT scholar, M. Kline. His works have inspired my lectures greatly. I was a bit concerned with my Hebrew students after our first day together. They were terrified by the Hebrew alphabet--I told them to quit whimpering and to get tough--just kidding. We had our first quiz yesterday, and the students to very well. In this class i have three french speakers, however, they seem to be able to follow the lectures very well so far. I must tell you guys about a crazy incident i had earlier this week. A massive group of lil turteheads (mostly 5 and 6 yr olds) followed me hope this past Monday. I told them that i could not play due to the amount of work i had to do in preparation for the next day's classes. They wouldn't listen, and thus began the chaos. I happen to have this massive fruit producing plant in my front yard which caught the kids' eyes. They poured through my fence and literally begin diving into the plant (lil pirates). This began a game which consisted of me picking up kids over my head and throwing them (just kidding, gently setting them) over my fence. After about 30 minutes of this I realized my great need to get inside and begin studying. So what did i do? I released Scamp, my wild dog, who quickly devoured 5 of the children. In all honesty this game continued for about an hour until both myself and the kids were exhausted--i'd like to say that i was victorious, but my naked plant is evidence of their vicotry. Again, i greatly appreciate everyone who is praying for me--God has been very good to me, as He always is, even in the midst of suffering. Please continue to pray for my Hebrew students. We had a good first week together, but as some of you know, it will continue to get more and more difficult as we progress. I am so thankful to be here in Cameroon and look forward to the weeks ahead. Tomorrow is week 2 of tournament football (soccer). It's on!
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Beginning
Dear Friends and Family,
Today was the beginning--my first day of teaching. I hardly slept last night thinking about my first day with the students. I had Old Testament Introduction from 8:15AM-11:20. It was a wonderful time. I must remember to speak very slowly, being that not all of my students are native English speakers (some are Francafones (French speakers)). The class was very interactive, which i encouraged at the outset. The students appear to be very bright and very eager to study the Old Testament. I was quite surprised at how quickly i was able to move through 6 pages of notes. There are 32 students in the class. Today was more of an introduction and we will begin in the Genesis 1 this Thursday. It's gonna be sweet. Tomorrow I have Introduction to Biblical Hebrew and the Gospels. I am very excited about my Gospels course, and am equally excited about Hebrew and yet am approaching this course with a bit of fear concerning the large amount of material i have been asked to cover in a very short time. Pray for the students. Ok, so this past Saturday tournament soccer began. There are four teams made of students from the seminary. These guys are unbelievable football (soccer) players. We played on what resembled a war-zone. There were massive holes and grass knee high in certain places on a pitch 120 yards in length. It was awesome. Within the first 5 minutes of play I was served a sweet cross from the left side about 18 yards away from the goal keeper. I lept forward heading the ball into the left corner of the goal. I stood up a bit surprised that i had actually made contact and was immediately accepted by the Cameroonian players. My legs were bleeding from the fall, but I was so excited I didn't have time to notice until after the game. Please do not misunderstand. For the rest of the game I was pretty much dominated by these players. It was just sweet to get a goal for my team--praise the Lord! When I arrived home Saturday evening I had about 30 minutes before the youth arrived for our weekly youth meeting. I made a decision to take the students through the gospel of Mark. Although last week we studies chapter 2, i began afresh in chapter 1, verse 1. It was a good time, and the students seemed pretty engaged during the study. After studying God's word we went outside for a small fire and snacks. The kids told stories, most of which I could not understand, but they enjoyed themselves immensely. Once the fire died down, we headed inside for Remember the Titans on my laptop. The kids loved it. They would laught hysterically whenever the players came out in their uniforms and gear. They could not get over the shoulder pads and tight pants--they thought it was the funniest thing ever. I told them that they better not disrespect american football in the presence of a Texan--heck, shoot! I must go now.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Today was the beginning--my first day of teaching. I hardly slept last night thinking about my first day with the students. I had Old Testament Introduction from 8:15AM-11:20. It was a wonderful time. I must remember to speak very slowly, being that not all of my students are native English speakers (some are Francafones (French speakers)). The class was very interactive, which i encouraged at the outset. The students appear to be very bright and very eager to study the Old Testament. I was quite surprised at how quickly i was able to move through 6 pages of notes. There are 32 students in the class. Today was more of an introduction and we will begin in the Genesis 1 this Thursday. It's gonna be sweet. Tomorrow I have Introduction to Biblical Hebrew and the Gospels. I am very excited about my Gospels course, and am equally excited about Hebrew and yet am approaching this course with a bit of fear concerning the large amount of material i have been asked to cover in a very short time. Pray for the students. Ok, so this past Saturday tournament soccer began. There are four teams made of students from the seminary. These guys are unbelievable football (soccer) players. We played on what resembled a war-zone. There were massive holes and grass knee high in certain places on a pitch 120 yards in length. It was awesome. Within the first 5 minutes of play I was served a sweet cross from the left side about 18 yards away from the goal keeper. I lept forward heading the ball into the left corner of the goal. I stood up a bit surprised that i had actually made contact and was immediately accepted by the Cameroonian players. My legs were bleeding from the fall, but I was so excited I didn't have time to notice until after the game. Please do not misunderstand. For the rest of the game I was pretty much dominated by these players. It was just sweet to get a goal for my team--praise the Lord! When I arrived home Saturday evening I had about 30 minutes before the youth arrived for our weekly youth meeting. I made a decision to take the students through the gospel of Mark. Although last week we studies chapter 2, i began afresh in chapter 1, verse 1. It was a good time, and the students seemed pretty engaged during the study. After studying God's word we went outside for a small fire and snacks. The kids told stories, most of which I could not understand, but they enjoyed themselves immensely. Once the fire died down, we headed inside for Remember the Titans on my laptop. The kids loved it. They would laught hysterically whenever the players came out in their uniforms and gear. They could not get over the shoulder pads and tight pants--they thought it was the funniest thing ever. I told them that they better not disrespect american football in the presence of a Texan--heck, shoot! I must go now.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wooooo!
Dear Friends and Family,
I must begin with another word concerning my relationship with the children here in Ndu, Cameroon. It is totally rock-awesome. All of the small children of the village call me Uncle Crees (Chris), while the older children just call me Crees. Everyday when i come home from the market or the library i find 3-7 kids waiting outside my door to play. It is hilarious. Also, there is a small kid-gang of 5 year old boys who follow me everywhere. They are always asking for Bon-Bon, which means, candy or sweets. They love to hold my hand and walk down the roads. Yesterday I was able to provide them with some cookies. We sat on the grass outside my home and had a small bible study while they ate their Bon-Bon. Also, this past Saturday I had 8 children over to the home for a time of fellowship. It would seem that the Lord would have me to do youth ministry during my time here in Cameroon. The children, between the ages of 7-15, were so excited about coming over for s'mores. I was able to find some chocolate and sweet crackers in town, while another missionary family had half a bag of marshmallows. I also purchased a bottle of coke for our first youth shendig. The kids came by about seven and we began by studying a passage from the gospel of Mark in my living room area. After this we went into my front yard so as to make a small fire and create the reknowned magical treat known as s'mores. Of course the kids had never seen the likes of burnt marshmallows, but all tried the magical treats with little hesitation. Their faces lit up and one boy exclaimed, "I could eat these for the rest of my life." My yard overlooks a beautiful valley full of colorful trees and fields for farming. It was just beginning to grow dark as we lit the fire. As we ate s'mores the children began to tell scary stories in one of their native dialects--Pigeon English. I was able to follow for the most part. I would occasionally add a happy ending to a rather hideous or gruesome tale so as to alleviate the fears of Rantisma, the youngest child of the bunch. She may be the most amazing little kid I have ever met, and i'm not quite sure, but she may be funnier than my lil nephew, Hudson. After s'mores and stories we headed back into the house to watch Prince Caspian on my laptop. The kids were enthralled by the talking animals and magical transportation to Narnia. I would have to stop the movie several time so as to explain certain characters and events from the first film. It was a great night and we plan to meet again this next Saturday--it's like a little house church/youth group. I greatly miss the youth at Southside, but am very thankful for this opportunity. I must make mention of another little turtle head (little kid) i have grown quite fond of; his name is Macron. He is 5 and has more energy than anyone i have ever met. He always attempts to play football (soccer) with me and the older boys, but is always driven away by the older children. He appears to be fearless. As i said earlier, the people of Ndu are quite frightened of dogs. The children scatter the streets whenver i am walking my dog, Scamp. However, lil Macron approaches, always saying, "I do not fear." What a wild man! His little running buddies are John Mark and Benias. I'm hoping to bring them back home to America with me--woooo---just to visit. Their parents all seem very happy that i have befriended them. I still manage to play about 2 hours of football per day and have taken on the nickname, White Thunder--just kidding--that would be stinkin' awesome. In reality I am often schooled by 8 and 9 year olds--the kids are incredible football players. Also, this past Sunday i was invited over to the home of three little girls who regularly pass my home lugging buckets of water on their heads--how they balance them i will never know. Their names are Hilda, Priska and Kainaise. I met many members of their family and was given four massive picture albums to look through. I guess that is what a traditional meet and greet looks like in Ndu. Afterwards i was taken to a youth meeting (sort of like the Boys and Girls club, only in a small hut) where they encourage kids to attend church, school and to abstain from sex and stealing. They passed around this stout smelling drink called, Mesha--it's basically sweet corn punch--it looked horrible, and i had to abstain due to the unfiltered drinking water used to make the drink. Were it not for the water issue i would have glady partaken. Classes begin in a few days. Students are quickly returning to the seminary from break which has provided me with the opportunity to meet some of my students. I am growing very excited about the semester. Preparation is going very well--praise the Lord! Lastly, i was invited over to a family's home last night to watch the football match on tv between Cameroon and Egypt (The Africa Cup of Nations is presently going on). The family was gathered around a tv set the size of my cell phone cheering loudly during the entire duration of the game--it was a pretty sweet time. After the game i was invited to stay over for the family devotional--i was very blessed and encouraged. I will try to post pics as soon as i can. Thanks again for all of your prayers.
Nuwaneeway (God Bless),
Chris Taylor
P.S. I am trying to learn Limbun, the local dialect in Ndu--it is very difficult, but i am slowly improving. Also, i must mention this. My cook. Pa (Aka Zacheaus, aka Cameroon-Eastwood) is a culinary genius. From just four ingredients (green beans, carrots, beef and potatos) he is able to make hundreds of different tasty creations: pizza, calzones, Shepherd' Pie, etc...
I must begin with another word concerning my relationship with the children here in Ndu, Cameroon. It is totally rock-awesome. All of the small children of the village call me Uncle Crees (Chris), while the older children just call me Crees. Everyday when i come home from the market or the library i find 3-7 kids waiting outside my door to play. It is hilarious. Also, there is a small kid-gang of 5 year old boys who follow me everywhere. They are always asking for Bon-Bon, which means, candy or sweets. They love to hold my hand and walk down the roads. Yesterday I was able to provide them with some cookies. We sat on the grass outside my home and had a small bible study while they ate their Bon-Bon. Also, this past Saturday I had 8 children over to the home for a time of fellowship. It would seem that the Lord would have me to do youth ministry during my time here in Cameroon. The children, between the ages of 7-15, were so excited about coming over for s'mores. I was able to find some chocolate and sweet crackers in town, while another missionary family had half a bag of marshmallows. I also purchased a bottle of coke for our first youth shendig. The kids came by about seven and we began by studying a passage from the gospel of Mark in my living room area. After this we went into my front yard so as to make a small fire and create the reknowned magical treat known as s'mores. Of course the kids had never seen the likes of burnt marshmallows, but all tried the magical treats with little hesitation. Their faces lit up and one boy exclaimed, "I could eat these for the rest of my life." My yard overlooks a beautiful valley full of colorful trees and fields for farming. It was just beginning to grow dark as we lit the fire. As we ate s'mores the children began to tell scary stories in one of their native dialects--Pigeon English. I was able to follow for the most part. I would occasionally add a happy ending to a rather hideous or gruesome tale so as to alleviate the fears of Rantisma, the youngest child of the bunch. She may be the most amazing little kid I have ever met, and i'm not quite sure, but she may be funnier than my lil nephew, Hudson. After s'mores and stories we headed back into the house to watch Prince Caspian on my laptop. The kids were enthralled by the talking animals and magical transportation to Narnia. I would have to stop the movie several time so as to explain certain characters and events from the first film. It was a great night and we plan to meet again this next Saturday--it's like a little house church/youth group. I greatly miss the youth at Southside, but am very thankful for this opportunity. I must make mention of another little turtle head (little kid) i have grown quite fond of; his name is Macron. He is 5 and has more energy than anyone i have ever met. He always attempts to play football (soccer) with me and the older boys, but is always driven away by the older children. He appears to be fearless. As i said earlier, the people of Ndu are quite frightened of dogs. The children scatter the streets whenver i am walking my dog, Scamp. However, lil Macron approaches, always saying, "I do not fear." What a wild man! His little running buddies are John Mark and Benias. I'm hoping to bring them back home to America with me--woooo---just to visit. Their parents all seem very happy that i have befriended them. I still manage to play about 2 hours of football per day and have taken on the nickname, White Thunder--just kidding--that would be stinkin' awesome. In reality I am often schooled by 8 and 9 year olds--the kids are incredible football players. Also, this past Sunday i was invited over to the home of three little girls who regularly pass my home lugging buckets of water on their heads--how they balance them i will never know. Their names are Hilda, Priska and Kainaise. I met many members of their family and was given four massive picture albums to look through. I guess that is what a traditional meet and greet looks like in Ndu. Afterwards i was taken to a youth meeting (sort of like the Boys and Girls club, only in a small hut) where they encourage kids to attend church, school and to abstain from sex and stealing. They passed around this stout smelling drink called, Mesha--it's basically sweet corn punch--it looked horrible, and i had to abstain due to the unfiltered drinking water used to make the drink. Were it not for the water issue i would have glady partaken. Classes begin in a few days. Students are quickly returning to the seminary from break which has provided me with the opportunity to meet some of my students. I am growing very excited about the semester. Preparation is going very well--praise the Lord! Lastly, i was invited over to a family's home last night to watch the football match on tv between Cameroon and Egypt (The Africa Cup of Nations is presently going on). The family was gathered around a tv set the size of my cell phone cheering loudly during the entire duration of the game--it was a pretty sweet time. After the game i was invited to stay over for the family devotional--i was very blessed and encouraged. I will try to post pics as soon as i can. Thanks again for all of your prayers.
Nuwaneeway (God Bless),
Chris Taylor
P.S. I am trying to learn Limbun, the local dialect in Ndu--it is very difficult, but i am slowly improving. Also, i must mention this. My cook. Pa (Aka Zacheaus, aka Cameroon-Eastwood) is a culinary genius. From just four ingredients (green beans, carrots, beef and potatos) he is able to make hundreds of different tasty creations: pizza, calzones, Shepherd' Pie, etc...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Hey Brothers, Sisters and Everyone Else,
I must write this rather quickly--no time to read over, so pardon mispelled words and such. Heck Shoot! That there is Texas jargon. I'm a bit frustrated because i cannot get any of my pictures to post on facebook. I've been rejected. The pics are so wonderful: kids, soccer and the Schrein-dawg. I finished preparing all of my syllabi today. Also, i found out today that i would be expected to work through an entire Hebrew grammar in the course of one semester. This will be quite the challenge--please be praying for me. In seminary we split the grammar into two semesters. I'm hoping to get three weeks into each class as far as lecture preparation goes. The days are busy, but God has been awesome. Thank you for your prayers. Also, I'm having some of the children over this Saturday for s'mores, a bible study and the Chronicles of Narnia on my lap-top. i'm pretty stoked. Classes begin next week. that means no more soccer; well, not as much as I have been playing (2-3 hrs a day--hey, I'm getting to know the kids--give me a break). I presently working through Galatians in my devo-time. It has been a sweet time thus far. I hope to pics posted soon. Until next time, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
I must write this rather quickly--no time to read over, so pardon mispelled words and such. Heck Shoot! That there is Texas jargon. I'm a bit frustrated because i cannot get any of my pictures to post on facebook. I've been rejected. The pics are so wonderful: kids, soccer and the Schrein-dawg. I finished preparing all of my syllabi today. Also, i found out today that i would be expected to work through an entire Hebrew grammar in the course of one semester. This will be quite the challenge--please be praying for me. In seminary we split the grammar into two semesters. I'm hoping to get three weeks into each class as far as lecture preparation goes. The days are busy, but God has been awesome. Thank you for your prayers. Also, I'm having some of the children over this Saturday for s'mores, a bible study and the Chronicles of Narnia on my lap-top. i'm pretty stoked. Classes begin next week. that means no more soccer; well, not as much as I have been playing (2-3 hrs a day--hey, I'm getting to know the kids--give me a break). I presently working through Galatians in my devo-time. It has been a sweet time thus far. I hope to pics posted soon. Until next time, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Week 1 in Cameroon
Dear Friends, Family and Supporters,
My first week in Cameroon has been incredible. After landing in Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, I had a two day trek across the country (south to north west). It was an adventure. We drove through many villages, across large plains and over mountains. My final destination was Ndu, located in the NW province. We are about 7,000 ft up, located in a lush mountainous region. It is simply beautiful. Upon arrival I discovered that Dr. Thomas Schreiner and his family were here teaching for the duration of one week. If you are not familiar with that name, Dr. Schreiner happens to be a stud in the world of NT studies. He is a professor at Southern Seminary in Kentucky and has written many wonderful works on Paul. Him and his family were the most wonderful people. I was blessed with the opportunity to have community with the Schreiner family, along with another brother, Jason, a worship pastor at Bethlehem Baptist (John Piper's church), for three days. The Schrein-dawg and I had some sweet talks late at night--it was awesome. My living quarters are more than sufficient. I was surprised to find myself living in a home built for five, a missionary family presently in Chicago on furlough. I have the house all to myself, well, in about a week. Currently there is a church group from Michigan serving here for about 10 days. They are wonderful people. The Yongs are the missionary family who live beside me. They have a daughter Anna, about 12 or 13 years of age, who is hilarious. She has a pet goat named, Billy-Bob. I myself have a wild guard dog named, Scamp. He is definately wild, but has taken to me quite well--of course I feed him so that helps. I take him on a daily walk (sometimes twice a day) around campus and through the village of Ndu. The Cameroonian people seem very afraid of dogs, especially wild dogs. If he was a bit larger I'd make a saddle and ride him to and from school. The people here are beautiful. God has definately given me favor with the village children. I have about 35 friends thus far, ranging in ages from 3-15. I play soccer with the children daily, sometimes 3 times a day. The children are incredible, and extremely mature in their playing. Also, when we play on an old basketball court many of the children are not afraid of doing bicycles kicks on the pavement. I tried, but soon realized it would not be wise to risk getting seriously injured this early into by trip. This past Sunday I attended my first Cameroonian church service. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. During worship I could not help but weep at the site of God's kingdom at work in a part of the world so different from my own. The gospel is truly making a difference in all parts of the world--Praise Jesus! The music was so lively--I was dancing with the people in my pew and clapping like a wild man. Also, the sermon was one of the best I have yet heard on the book of Esther. I must mention--yesterday I took my soccer ball to the court for a friendly match with the children. The children typically play with round objects that resemble a soccer ball--some are as hard as a rock, others more like a balloon. When they saw my nice american soccer ball they came running towards me, screaming with joy. They were hugging me and cheering with excitement. I was so pumped and literally played for 3 hours with the children. I am especially fond of the little children--they are the cutest little turte-heads (my word for young children) i have ever seen. My favorties are Benias and Macron. They have so much personality for their age. The little girls have the most beautiful voices i have ever heard. In the mornings they can be heard singing on the way to class--there is a elementary school on campust across from the seminary. I have already met some of my students, and they all seem very eager to begin class. This encourages me greatly. I am still preparing my classes, a work which is slowly moving ahead. Please pray that God may grant me wisdom and favor with those i will be ministering to. I must also mention my cook Pa, aka Zachaeus. He reminds me of the Cameroonian version of Clint Eastwood. He is a cook by day and patrols the village by night--He is sort of like Batman, i guess. Anyways, he is extremely friendly and a skillful cook. So far I have eaten elephant brains with rice and snake knee with fried banana--just kidding. The food is actually really good. My favorite thus far is jamba-jamba, a spinach like vegetable with onions and tomatos. I met a man my first day who said, "You are very powerful, big man, very strong." I responded by saying, "I'm a Texas boy, that's how we do things in the south." I'm totally kidding about my response. I truly love the people here--they seem so very content in the midst of their poverty and simple living. That seems to be enough for now. Thank you everyone who is praying for me. My health has been good so far. I am very thankful for good health. I have to be very careful. The water has to be filtered and the food washed a certain way before I am able to eat it. My electricity goes out a few times each night, but running water has been consistent. It's all part of the experience. I look forward to teaching. I begin on the 28th. I'm teaching two classes on the gospels, introduction to Hebrew (6 hrs a week--they are combining two semester into one for this course--Lord, help me!) and introduction to biblical Hebrew. It shall definately prove to be a difficult semester, but such difficulties drive us to cling to Jesus. May I cling to Him daily and teach and preach in such a way that others are encouraged to do the same. I am very thankful for my time here thus far. I love all of you very much and will try to post at least once a week.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
My first week in Cameroon has been incredible. After landing in Douala, the largest city in Cameroon, I had a two day trek across the country (south to north west). It was an adventure. We drove through many villages, across large plains and over mountains. My final destination was Ndu, located in the NW province. We are about 7,000 ft up, located in a lush mountainous region. It is simply beautiful. Upon arrival I discovered that Dr. Thomas Schreiner and his family were here teaching for the duration of one week. If you are not familiar with that name, Dr. Schreiner happens to be a stud in the world of NT studies. He is a professor at Southern Seminary in Kentucky and has written many wonderful works on Paul. Him and his family were the most wonderful people. I was blessed with the opportunity to have community with the Schreiner family, along with another brother, Jason, a worship pastor at Bethlehem Baptist (John Piper's church), for three days. The Schrein-dawg and I had some sweet talks late at night--it was awesome. My living quarters are more than sufficient. I was surprised to find myself living in a home built for five, a missionary family presently in Chicago on furlough. I have the house all to myself, well, in about a week. Currently there is a church group from Michigan serving here for about 10 days. They are wonderful people. The Yongs are the missionary family who live beside me. They have a daughter Anna, about 12 or 13 years of age, who is hilarious. She has a pet goat named, Billy-Bob. I myself have a wild guard dog named, Scamp. He is definately wild, but has taken to me quite well--of course I feed him so that helps. I take him on a daily walk (sometimes twice a day) around campus and through the village of Ndu. The Cameroonian people seem very afraid of dogs, especially wild dogs. If he was a bit larger I'd make a saddle and ride him to and from school. The people here are beautiful. God has definately given me favor with the village children. I have about 35 friends thus far, ranging in ages from 3-15. I play soccer with the children daily, sometimes 3 times a day. The children are incredible, and extremely mature in their playing. Also, when we play on an old basketball court many of the children are not afraid of doing bicycles kicks on the pavement. I tried, but soon realized it would not be wise to risk getting seriously injured this early into by trip. This past Sunday I attended my first Cameroonian church service. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. During worship I could not help but weep at the site of God's kingdom at work in a part of the world so different from my own. The gospel is truly making a difference in all parts of the world--Praise Jesus! The music was so lively--I was dancing with the people in my pew and clapping like a wild man. Also, the sermon was one of the best I have yet heard on the book of Esther. I must mention--yesterday I took my soccer ball to the court for a friendly match with the children. The children typically play with round objects that resemble a soccer ball--some are as hard as a rock, others more like a balloon. When they saw my nice american soccer ball they came running towards me, screaming with joy. They were hugging me and cheering with excitement. I was so pumped and literally played for 3 hours with the children. I am especially fond of the little children--they are the cutest little turte-heads (my word for young children) i have ever seen. My favorties are Benias and Macron. They have so much personality for their age. The little girls have the most beautiful voices i have ever heard. In the mornings they can be heard singing on the way to class--there is a elementary school on campust across from the seminary. I have already met some of my students, and they all seem very eager to begin class. This encourages me greatly. I am still preparing my classes, a work which is slowly moving ahead. Please pray that God may grant me wisdom and favor with those i will be ministering to. I must also mention my cook Pa, aka Zachaeus. He reminds me of the Cameroonian version of Clint Eastwood. He is a cook by day and patrols the village by night--He is sort of like Batman, i guess. Anyways, he is extremely friendly and a skillful cook. So far I have eaten elephant brains with rice and snake knee with fried banana--just kidding. The food is actually really good. My favorite thus far is jamba-jamba, a spinach like vegetable with onions and tomatos. I met a man my first day who said, "You are very powerful, big man, very strong." I responded by saying, "I'm a Texas boy, that's how we do things in the south." I'm totally kidding about my response. I truly love the people here--they seem so very content in the midst of their poverty and simple living. That seems to be enough for now. Thank you everyone who is praying for me. My health has been good so far. I am very thankful for good health. I have to be very careful. The water has to be filtered and the food washed a certain way before I am able to eat it. My electricity goes out a few times each night, but running water has been consistent. It's all part of the experience. I look forward to teaching. I begin on the 28th. I'm teaching two classes on the gospels, introduction to Hebrew (6 hrs a week--they are combining two semester into one for this course--Lord, help me!) and introduction to biblical Hebrew. It shall definately prove to be a difficult semester, but such difficulties drive us to cling to Jesus. May I cling to Him daily and teach and preach in such a way that others are encouraged to do the same. I am very thankful for my time here thus far. I love all of you very much and will try to post at least once a week.
For His glory,
Chris Taylor
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