Christina Loves God, Pygmies and Orphans

Christine has a heart for orphans in Ndop
 
Christina is a godly Cameroonian woman.  Her husband died quite young, and she was left to raise her children alone.   For income she took a job helping a missionary family with household chores.  Missionaries Yves & Christine and their young children lived in the village of Ndjibot learning and analyzing the Baka language with the goal of translating the Bible for this pygmie people group.  Christina went with them to help cook, clean and care for the children, leaving her own children in the care of relatives.  In Ndjibot she wondered why these missionaries spent all their time studying the language and not evangelizing.  She did not yet understand the role of linguistics in the process of Bible translation.  So the Lord laid it on her heart to witness to the Baka people about Jesus and start a church in that village.  She and the missionary wife became prayer partners for many years.
 
Christina has a heart for orphans.  Now that she is no longer helping the missionary family, she has established an orphanage in the town of Ndop (which is a fun word to say*).     Her own children are grown and have jobs, so they are able to help support their mother’s orphanage somewhat.  Still she struggles to make ends meet. 
 
Three orphaned children are living with Christina in Ndop now.  Soon she expects a fourth to join her.   She also assists other orphans who are living with aging grandparents.  To gain income to support the orphanage, Christina has begun raising pigs.  Years ago she was trained in pig farming by Heiffer Project International, (HPI)  so she does have some experience. 
 
Hearing Christine’s story, her passion for taking care of orphaned children, and knowing she had asked no one for financial assistance just made me want to come alongside her.  I wanted to encourage her in a concrete way. When I asked how we could help, she wrote up a project proposal for improving the enclosure for the pigs, increasing her pig stock and buying bulk quantity of feed. 
 
Christine hopes to build this type of pen for her pigs
 
 Each year Women Ministries of the Covenant Church offer project funds to long term Covenant missionaries.  This year I’ve submitted Christina’s proposal.  Just the other day I was able to give her the money.  She is so thankful for this first financial gift from someone other than family.  She told me, “I wish I could open my heart so that you could see all the gratitude inside.  She plans to purchase sacs of cement and gravel soon to get started fixing up the pig pen. 
 
Thank God with us for the project funds made available by Covenant Women Ministries.  And pray for Christina, the orphans she cares for as well as  the many orphans in Ndop who are not yet being cared for.
 
 
(*”Ndop” makes me think of the line in Dr. Seuss’ book “Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?” in which Mr. Brown makes the sound of rain: “dibble dibble dop dop”.)
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