Well, I have now been here a full week in Kumbo and I am feeling more settled and at home. In some ways I can’t believe I’ve already been here a week and in other ways it seems as if I’ve been here for weeks. I am sure that is partly due to my plush living set up and the blessing it has been staying with the Snell’s; they are like my African parents (even though they aren’t African at all).
The weekends here are quite chill. The only time we go into the hospital is if there is an emergency case, but we didn’t have any this last weekend. On Saturday I got to sleep in, which was nice because every other day I have to get up around 6am. I then went to the market again with the Yvonne’s and Elvyne. (In case you haven’t read my other posts I am staying with Mark and Yvonne Snell, who are from Bonney Lake, Washington. I met Mark last spring through my Spanish professor at SPU, who is Marks cousin, and we got to talking about medical missions and that is how I ended up here. We have a Cameroonian house maid, Yvonne Ngwang, and she lives with, and takes care of, her younger brother (Prosper), sister (Elvyne) and cousin (Emma). Yvonne and Mark have basically adopted the Ngwang’s since being here). Ok, back to Saturday…the market is much less hectic when it is not market day and there was hardly anyone there. I bought some flip flops to wear in our house and Yvonne and the girls looked for fabric to make a table cloth and aprons. The rest of the day was quite relaxed with some pinochle, a nap and a run mixed in there as well.
Sunday morning we went to church, at 7am! There are two services, 7am and 9:30am and at first I wondered why in the world we were going so dang early. Mark told me that at the 7am service they have to be done by 9:15 in order to start the second service. But, at the 9:30am service they can go as looong as they want…sometimes till 12:30 or 1pm. So I was thankful to be attending the 2hr service rather than the 3-4hr service. The service itself though was great. When you hear the phrase “the four walls of the church” this building it what should be added as the illustration. It consists of four walls, a tin roof, some pillars inside to keep the roof up, a stage and wooden benches.
One quick note about African, or at least Cameroonian, culture is that when they have guests in the congregation, they ask that they stand and introduce themselves. I was for-warned of this upon my arrival and was told the proper protocol, or a general idea of what you should say. You’re supposed to say something along the lines of, “Hi, I am Jon Vaux. I bring you greetings from my church and family in Seattle, Wa. Thank you for having me; it is an honor to be here”, or something like that. Now if I was African and felt really uncomfortable, I probably could have gotten away with not standing up. But when you are one of 4 white people in a room of 200, it is hard to go unnoticed.
I knew this was going to happen on Sunday at church, but I was not prepared in the least for this to happen at Chapel last Wednesday at the hospital. So, at chapel, when the lady up front asked Dr Snell to introduce me I was relieved, stood with Dr Snell, he talked, and then we sat down. But then she asked me to stand and say something…I froze. All I said was “Hi. Good morning. Thank You” and sat down. The whole chapel erupted in laughter and all I could think about was all of the other ways I could have introduced myself. So, knowing that the same situation was going to occur on Sunday, I prepared myself plenty in advance. As I was falling asleep on Saturday, and on the way to church Sunday morning, I recited in my head what I was going to say when they called on me. And when the time came Sunday morning I was well rehearsed and prepared and didn’t choke! So if you ever go to an African country, be prepared to introduce yourself and make sure to error on the side of a long introduction rather than a short one.
Back to the actual service…I really had no expectations going in to the service, but was hoping for some sweet African music, and I was not disappointed. It was a pretty normal “order of service”, but there was something different. It was so genuine and real. Their sound system sucked, they had one keyboard and a drum set, and their songs were really repetitive, BUT they were worshiping with all their hearts. Almost all of their songs even had the same rhythm with a different melody, but you could tell that their worship was genuine and that the spirit of God was there. As I listened to the 48 key Casio keyboard, that you could probably get at Fred Meyer for $300, and the same repetitive drum beat, it struck me that we don’t need a $30,000 sound system, power point, a full band and a choir to worship God. As I was trying to learn the songs and worship, I was struck with how simple and powerful worshiping God can, and in some ways should, be. I know this is said often, but it really is neat and encouraging to see that God is here and the same as he is in Seattle, Wa. That he doesn’t change because I’m half way across the world and that just because I don’t have a full band playing through a PA system. Next Sunday is Easter and I am excited to experience that here as well. There is a sunrise service from 3:30-5:30am, but we’ll see if we make it to that one.
Cameroonians do what many of us American do not on Sudnay’s and that is follow the fourth commandment, which is: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God”. I don’t know how many of them know this is a Christian commandment, but generally everyone practices it. Almost all stores and businesses are closed. Nobody does any farming or other work, but they do work very hard the other six days of the week. I think most of us could learn something about work and Sabbath from the Cameroonians.
The rest of the day was quite relaxed. We had brunch with the Ngwangs and played some ping pong. I did some reading and went for a run. As I sit and reflect on the last week of my time here in Kumbo, I am realizing how much I am being blessed by my time here. Whether it be the blessing of the Snell’s at home, the experiences I’m having in the hospital and OR, or at services like chapel and Sunday morning. My prayer for the rest of my time here is that I am able to be at least half the blessing to these people that they have been to me.
Blessings to you all,
jon
