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...