While on vacation in the NW Region of Cameroon, Ron and I met up with Sharon Davis, Covenant missionary here for Community Development. She is being invited by The Torchbearers Foundation (TBF) to serve in villages around Bamenda. So we took one day of our vacation to visit villages where Torchbearers is helping people help themselves.
One village welcomed us warmly proud to show us their medical clinic that they started with help from TBF. These people had been promised a local clinic for 30 years. The promise was never fulfilled. Finally they have one. With a consultation room, a lab (a table with one microscope), a few beds and 2 delivery tables, the clinic is adequate to serve many people.
RFIS teacher and Covenant missionary, Samantha Barron, came with us – she enjoyed the opportunity to see African villages and ministries during her break from school.
We also visited a village where families are raising pigs to earn money to put their children through school. These women shared a song and testimonies – informing us how raising pigs, with the help of Torchbearers, is impacting their lives.
The woman on the far right (above) and her husband run the piggery. Here they keep a stock of pigs and train villagers how to raise them. Each woman received 1 to 4 piglets to raise. When they have piglets of their own they will “pay them back” so someone else can benefit.
Torchbearers also have opened Computer Technology Institutes for instruction in typing and use of the internet. These Institutes also serve the community as a sort of Kinkos – a place people can come for photocopies, office supplies, etc.
On another day of our vacation we went to the Baptist Center which is home to the national church headquarters of Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC). We met with Elizabeth, the head of the Baptist Women’s Union, and talked about ways that they envision Sharon working with them to train leaders and work with womens groups.
The CBC also has a radio station in Bamenda. Emmanuel, who is managing it, has offered Sharon a weekly spot on the radio. On a recent visit she was interviewed on the subject of community development. Their listening audience is very interested in learning more from her. The manager is also interested in learning how to better operate a Christian radio station. He said they learned from secular schools, but would appreciate more training from a Christian point of view.
In partnership with Torchbearers there are a number of ways that Sharon might be able to serve. August 15-18 we will return to Bamenda with our Covenant Mission Regional Coordinators for Europe and Africa, John & Letha Kerl. Pray for that trip, for contacts made, and for direction. If approved, this could open the way to new ministry opportunities not only for Sharon but for Covenant World Mission in Cameroon!
