My first trip to Cameroon brought
many other “firsts” along with it. My
first case of Malaria, my first time sharing a hotel room with a bat, first
time serving as a translator for Spanish-speaking Chinese passengers and
French-speaking African passengers, and several others. However, what was most notable for me was
seeing the way a new Church could be mature in their service and devotion to
the Lord. The Christian Church has been
in Cameroon for many years, but the work of the Church of the Nazarene is only
about a year and a half old there. As we
traveled through one small area, we got to see a network of people coming
together for worship and training. Our
local leader has worked with the Church of the Nazarene in several countries
and has developed a true skill in connecting with people and touching their
hearts with the Gospel message. More
than fifty people showed up for the three day conference.
One thing that stood out to me
right away was that some smelled of alcohol or stepped out for regular smoke
breaks. Others were seasoned, matured
Christians who led worship and prayer times with a genuine connection to their
Heavenly Father. It was exciting to see
a church on all levels, devoted to ministry and fellowship. God will convict his people through the Holy
Spirit in a way that will not destroy those who are still weak in their
faith. My short stay in Cameroon seemed
to be a reminder to me on the most basic level that God is in control of His
Church and His Kingdom. I have many jobs
on the mission field, but I am so relieved that the role of convicting others
of sin rests with the Holy Spirit. Not
that the Lord can’t or wouldn’t use me as an instrument in convicting believers
or even non-believers of sin, but I’m glad that it’s ultimately the Lord who
has control over this domain.
I am almost
over my bout with malaria, my bat friend pictures have already made their
rounds on the Facebook circuit, and if I’m totally honest, I have no real
future as a trilingual translator. So,
after witnessing the Holy Spirit at work in Cameroon I can say that will be
what stays with me most from my short trip.
Only God could bring people together from all different parts of the
country and from all different levels of Christian maturity and development as
I witnessed with this new work. I hope I
can be faithful in my task here to preach the Gospel and allow the Holy Spirit
to work through me and in the hearts of others as well.
“What then is Apollos?
And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave
opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the
growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but God who causes the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:5-7
