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...
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
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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