Building Renovations

As we have visited our two Buildings this past couple of weeks, there are many new changes going on.  They have painted all the walls, plastered and painted the walls surrounding the grounds. They are also expanding both chapel areas.  The Branches are growing and need more room for the members.  It was nice to smell new paint today as we sat in Church.  Here are a few pictures of the work.

Happy Thanksgiving

We took our 8 Elders out for a late lunch at "L'awale" restaurant.  At first glance, you would question whether it was safe to eat there, but we had been there once before.  The Elders were pleasantly surprised and enjoyed their dinners.  After, we met back at our apartment for a dessert buffet of banana cream pies, key lime pies, cinnamon pies, caramel popcorn and crepes.  The Elders brought some of it.  Just when I think that it's impossible to cook something, they come up with it.  It was a fun, memorable Thanksgiving here in Cameroon.

President Interviews

President and Sister Jameson visited this week for Elder's interviews.   The Elder's showed up all decked out in shined shoes, crisp white shirts and trimmed hair cuts.  It was a nice tribute to President Jameson.  Sister Jameson told of their visit with Elder Holland, while President Jameson did individual interviews.

We had a light breakfast of muffins, yogurt and cereal.  After the interviews, President Jameson spoke to them for an hour.  We then had taco soup and rootbeer floats.
It was a short, but grand visit from the Jameson's.  They left for Douala and Point Noire to repeat their schedule.  

We passed them on the road as we were headed to the airport.

President Holland Visits the DR Congo, Kinshasa Mission and Dedicates Central African Republic

This was an exciting time for our Mission.  Because of problems getting the young Elders into Kinshasa, the outlying area missionaries were not invited.  Our Branch Presidents were, though.  They were excited as little children.  President Bala, our District President, said that he was greeted "warmly" by Elder Holland.  President Holland came first to Kinshasa and met with the Branch Presidents, members and the missionaries.  Then he went to Bangui, Central African Republic and dedicated that country.  You can read about it below.

I'm taking liberties, but I wanted to post this on our blog, so that we would have it for reference.  You can read more details on the Church News website.  You could also read Sister Jameson's blog at http://grammyandpapas.blogspot.com/

On a heavily forested hillside overlooking the capital city of Bangui, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve offered a prayer of dedication and blessing upon the country and people of the Central African Republic.

The prayer was offered Monday, October 29, on Gbazabangui hillside overlooking the Ubangi River—a major tributary of the Congo River—a few degrees north of the equator that is the original site of the Bangui people.

“What I’ve said about Africans in general, I say about these people: It strikes me that what life and circumstances have not given them materially the Lord has made up for spiritually. These really are devoted, spiritual people.”

Of the meeting in Bangui, Elder Holland said, “I was so moved by their faith. These are believing people. They accept the gospel when they hear it—it is in their bones. They have genuine faith. They will walk scores of miles to attend meetings and perform their duties. It isn’t superficial. It isn’t a fleeting thing with them. They just believe. The thing I come back with from Africa is the spirituality and faith of the people who have so little materially.”

Elder Holland spoke of Bangui Branch President Langue, a lawyer who trained in France, practiced law in the United States, and then returned to the Central African Republic. “He kept saying, with tears in his eyes, that he couldn’t quite fathom that a member of the Quorum of the Twelve had come all that way and sought them out in their interior African world, in the jungle, in the isolated communities that they are. He couldn’t get over the fact that we would come and find them, that their little handful of members mattered. That was touching to me. I said, ‘Of course you matter. Of course we will find you.’ It was a great day.”

The dedication of the Central African Republic was one of many activities during Elder Holland’s visit in the Africa Southeast Area, October 19–30."

Elder Holland Dedicates Central African Republic

By Ruth L. Renlund, Gerry Avant, and Marianne Holman, Church News

9 NOVEMBER 2012

Taxis

Yellow taxis are the way the people get around - including our young Elders.  The streets are crowded with them.  We enjoy reading what they write on the back of their taxis.  We tried to take some pictures, but you have to be very discrete, so they aren't always the best pictures.  Here are a few:






"Thank you Sir"












"The Wonders of God"

Others have read:

"Any disappointment is a blessing"


"Only Jesus Saves"


"God Lives"



"Life Without Christ
 is Crisis"

"The Missionary"

Bats

We could see a large group of "birds" flying.  We've noticed them a couple of times, but today we drove closer to them.  They were not birds, they were bats. We tried to take a picture of them to show how many there were, but we're not sure they show up very well.  They were out for a couple of hours today.  We will have to observe and see if they come out every morning.

Primary Children

We arrived just in time to see the Primary children lining up to come into Sacrament Meeting.  We were sure they must be singing, but no, they were just being reverent before they entered into the chapel.  Aren't they adorable?

My friend sent us with 50 CTR rings.  We have given them all out to the Primary children in our 4 Branches and now the YM/YW come up to us and ask us for one.  They love them.  Here is a picture of two of them.

Piano

Here are some of my piano students.  Every week, there is usually a new student or 2 coming to join us.  I have just decided to teach "group" lessons.  It works pretty well.  They just take turns on the keyboard.  It is actually good, because they help each other understand what I'm trying to explain to them in my simple French.   The need is so great here.  

Marlysse, on my left, asked me to teach her English.  She just returned from her mission.  I told her I would, if she would teach me French.   Hopefully that works for both of us.  Rose, on my right, is leaving this month to be married in the Salt Lake Temple and live in Chicago.  We have been teaching her the Temple Prep classes.

Vanessa is my most advanced student.  She plays for Sacrament meetings - unless she can talk me into it and then she leads the music.

Baptisms

We have a baptism every other week.  The work is moving right along here in Yaounde'.  Last week, the Elders baptized a family of 6.

This is Natasha with Elder Nash.  She was the first baptism we saw here.  She found the Gospel when she saw a friend, who always hung out with their group, changing his habits.  He no longer drank beer and his attitude was changing.  She was so impressed, she asked him why he had made the change.  He introduced her to the missionaries.  What an influence our friends have us and we on them.  Natasha always finds us and greets us.
  I always say, "Mon Ami".  (My friend)  

Here are the baptism clothes.  They are locked in a closet to which we have the key.  Sweet Sister Evanson, before we came, washed and organized them according to size.  I can size up the candidate easily.  I then have to take the wet suits and towel home to wash.  The 6 baptisms took me 4 loads with my small washer.

Here are the "changing" rooms.  I must admit, I was a little creeped out about the peeling paint and musty smell.  This past week, when we stopped by the Church, all the paint had been scraped off and they are painting the whole Church.  I'm so excited to see this room get a face-lift.  Maybe I'll even walk inside.

The Baptismal Font
Our missionaries average about 5 baptisms a month.