We left on Friday morning for the Beloved Ebel- Abonga. Ive wanted to go all summer. It was planned that I would go to Cameroon... til I got sick. Still I had peace about staying back because I knew that God must have had a better plan for me.

We had plans to go and stay in a village and do a clinic on Friday, then stay overnight until Saturday. For whatever reason we weren't able to go, and at the last minute plans changed for us to go to Ebel- abonga. Ebel is the village that we got to stay at for four days, and dug a foundation for a church. We left early and stopped to get bean sandwiches, which are basically amazing.

We got there early afternoon, and walked up to see the work that we had done at the church last year. When we had left last year, the property was bare dirt, and the foundation looked great. When we got back there on Friday, the first thing we see is weeds and manioc plants. No foundation. It made me laugh if anything, even though it was pretty frustrating. The reason that no work had been done in over a year was because there wasnt enough money for building materials at the time.

We went back and told people in the village that we were going to be playing the Jesus film that night. Most people seemed interested, others were too drunk to care. We ate hot dogs over a fire and by that time they had already started to film. While the film was playing, I just walked off and talked with God for a while. I'm so thankful that He brought me back there. When I was there over a year ago, I thought that I would never be back. To top it off, last year when we were in the village, we went to go play the Jesus film, only to find that the projector bulb was broken, so it seemed like a failure. How amazing is it that He brought us back to Ebel, to see the film be played in the village for the first time? Not only that, but about ten people prayed to receive Jesus after the film was over. I now understood why He let me get sick to stay from Cameroon. He's a pretty cool redeemer of situations.

After the film we all went to sleep outside under mosquito nets. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that a three day party was going on right across the street... all night long. Funny thing is that I slept through it all. Not everyone else was so lucky.

We got up early and packed up our camp, then went and drove to the church property. I was thinking that the work was going to take forever, and that we were going to have to re dig all the trenches. We took machetes and cleaned up all of the vines that were everywhere and covering everything. Surprisingly we were done in about an hour and a half. No need to re dig the trenches again. Not only that, yet work on the foundation will begin this week. Once again God shows Hes the best at redeeming.

So. I cant believe that this summer is just about over. I have about three days left. Yesterdays church service at Nzeng Ayong really makes me sad to leave. The people have such a love and passion for God that you dont have to speak their language, you can just feel the Spirit moving in them. This summer went too fast. Im going to miss the people that we got to work alongside, like Pastor Jacob, Mama Janine, Pastor John Mark and the list goes on. Ill miss the kids at the Hope House : Mboumba, Moussounda, Christopher, and lastly Emmanuella who is going to break my heart when I have to say goodbye. I'll miss living in the community of young adults who want nothing more than to see Christ glorified through their lives. They have become my brothers and sisters. Ill miss Tim and Meredith who put up with the craziness for a whole summer.

Dont get me wrong, I can't wait to see you all. Im just torn. Once again, ill fall back on the Redeemer who knows every detail, and always has our best interest in mind. Hes pretty Good at taking care of things like this.

Love you all.

I shouldnt be able to write this blog entry. I should be over half way to Cameroon.

I started feeling sick in my stomach on Thursday night, which I'm still dealing with. Between Friday morning and last night I had a hard time staying hydrated and was really weak. I was in bed asleep almost all day yesterday. I slept from 9 last night until about 1:45 this afternoon, with a 3 hour window of being awake. I still feel like I could sleep. I should have left around 6 this morning but I decided to stay because I dont think I could have made the 14 hour ride feeling this way.

Its ok though. I have peace about staying and I know that God must have a reason for me to stay back home.

We had a team come in from Wisconsin on Thursday night. Their Job while they are there is to put a roof on the church at Okolasee, which it actually where we first started working at the beginning of the summer. Right now the church meets under a mango tree. So ill be able to work with them this week. SO. Just please pray that I still am able to get over this stomach problem.

I cant believe that I have less than 2 weeks here. This summer went faster than any other.

I love Bongolo.

I got to go on rounds with a nurse at the hospital on Friday. I watched another nurse clean and dress an amputees wound. The woman had Diabetes and so the amputated a little below the hip. Down the hall was a man with tuberculosis who didnt have money to pay for food. He wasnt gaining any weight and needed food with more protein. The Nurse I was with was able to get the equivalent of $20 for him and his family for the week.
I could see myself working in a place like Bongolo Hospital.
I wish we could have stayed longer. It was an awesome time.

SO. I just found out last night that I will be going to Cameroon on Saturday with a local church. Its the first missions trip from the national church, with about 8 from the church going and 4 of us interns. some will be working on building a church, and others will get to run medical clinics. Only problem is that its a 14 hour drive. I hate long car rides. I better get some Dramamine. Just pray for safety for our trip and wisdom for the driver. Also for health. Dont worry Dad, its a safe place.

Love you guys

Smells like BBQ in here...

We left at 6 AM and got here just before 6 PM yesterday. We only had one flat tire and it wasn't as bad of a trip as I remember. We got in and ate at Barak Obama cafe. Haha I love Bongolo.

This morning we went to put screen on the materinity ward windows, but one of the nurse missionaries knew that a few of us wanted to be able to see all that the doctors and nurses do, so I took the opportunity. After they put us in scrubs, another girl and I, went on rounds with the surgeons, which was lead by Dave Thompson, who is an awesome guy and was the one who started the Hospital. We saw a man who had been hit by a car and other injuries like that. After an hour or so we were able to go watch a surgery in the OR. The first surgery was an umbilical hernia on a woman. That surgery took only about a half hour, then we waited around as they prepped another woman for surgery.

We watched them give her an epidural, which was the only thing that really bothered me. It was about a four inch needle going onto her spine. That was nasty. We watched them remove two cysts from her ovaries, which was also awesome to see. In both surgeries we were able to stand right there next to the table. I was close enough to smell it. Simply awesome.

This afternoon a few of us went down to the river down below the hospital. One of my few fears is being in water that I cant see in that's over my head. I had to get over it quick.
It was so awesome. I wish I could had taken my camera to get pictures of swimming in a river in the middle of a rain forest. All I could think about at the time was the movie Anaconda. Is that sad?

So. Not sure was is going on tomorrow, except that I hope to be able to shadow a nurse or something in the hospital.

Days like today make me just want to worship. Its so awesome to see Gods plans unravel.

Isaiah 55:8

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.

So, just keep praying that as my time here is winding to a close, that God will keep revealing Himself and His plan all the more.

Miss you all

This week was good.

So. I leave for Bongolo Hospital in the morning. Ill be back Saturday night. I still havnt packed yet.

Not really sure all that we will be doing. I know that we will be working on the nursing school, and I hope to possibly go with some of the nurses in the hospital.

Mmmm not much has changed here. work at cftac is basically done. I also have a chance to go to Cameroon next week, to work with a local church that is sending the first short term team in the country.

I think ill be able to update this sometime this week.
Miss you guys

Mmmmmm so Ive been told that I need to update this thing. I dont really have any earth shattering news, yet I have been loving whats going on here.

Ive been working at CFTAC, digging a trench for a water line, which was around 200 feet deep by 18 inches deep. The water line will be going to a guest house on the CMA's property so that the site can bring in revenue.

The Hope House kids are great.
The Clinic is awesome.
Everything is the same.

Except that God is always showing Himself to me, I am needing His direction more and more and needing to run to Him.

I realized today that this is exactly one month until I leave. Im excited to see friends and family, yet I feel like I could stay here and just keep working. Its exciting to see where God has me next and where it will be. Its hard to trust that He will reveal His plan for my future, yet He is Good. So Ill wait

Anyway, like I said, not much is new. Love and miss you guys.

^{Psalm 33:13-15
13}The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
¹⁴From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.

I'm starting to like the taste of powdered milk.
Antelope kinda tastes like Limburger cheese.
I ate manioc the other day and didn't mind it.
Always, I mean always, wear sunscreen.
Don't let the mosquito net touch your skin at night. They can bite through.

Interesting...

This week went so fast. We went to the clinic where they are planning on having a rehab center one day. We cleaned that out. We went another day to CFTAC and almost finished digging a huge hole for a septic tank. There was also a mobile clinic or two this week. Other than that I dont remember much of this week haha.

Yesterday we needed a day to rest and spent it on the sweetest beach Ive ever been on, called Santa Clara.Today we spent the first few hours at Nzeng Ayong, an alliance church. It was nice, yet all in french and two and a half hours long.

A friend of mine from last summer, Lionel, stopped in for a while this afternoon. Its funny how just a few day we spent with him last summer made an impact on him. He showed me a video he made from pics of that trip. You can tell that he really loved when we were here last.

Recently I noticed that I have gotten comfortable here. My desire to do my devotions isnt what it should be. I feel like I have been attacked in small ways such as that. I had a cold last week, a possible ear infection this week, and now have moved to being comfortable with not meeting intimately with God everyday. Its interesting how Satan works.

The very first night of this trip, it was like God handed me Psalm 33. Then during training our speaker, Jason Ostander, spoke on finding out orientation in God alone, and used Psalm 33. So far this has been the scripture I have had to run to time and time again throughout this trip, and will continue to need it. Read it for yourself. Its good.

Tomorrow night we're invited to someones house for 'porkypig,' which is porky pine. This will be interesting...