It was January 1987. I, Janet, first stepped foot on the continent of Africa right here in Yaounde, Cameroon. At that time I was a missionary with Wycliffe and had come here for a 3 month Africa Orientation Course (AOC).
Jump ahead 25 years to January 2012. Once again I’m here in Yaounde, but this time instead of being oriented to life in Africa, I got to assist at the orientation course for Wycliffe (and other) missionaries at the Cameroon Branch Orientation, or CAMBO. Being there was like deja vu, only different.
This 5 week course was packed with helpful information and experiences, including 2 days specifically for orientation of the children. Many changes have taken place in the orientation of new missionaries in the past 25 years. One very noticible positive change was the inclusion of many Cameroonians as teachers explaining their own cultures, language, polite manners, and values.
The 2 days of orientation for the kids included drum and dance lessons from local professionals.
While the course is shorter than it was when I was new to Africa, valuable aspects remain, including a village phase where participants are able to spend some time living in the homes of Cameroonians to get first hand understanding of life in the village. This and other activities that required stepping outside the comfort zone help new missionaries to get over the fear of the unknown and begin to build meaningful relationships with colleagues and neighbors of a culture (and maybe language) different from their own.
