Visiting the dentist

I spent Friday morning at the dentist with 5 kids from HHCH plus Ma (and Jordan of course). Someone has paid for all the kids to go and get a cleaning and any other work that needs to be done, PTL! It was a first time for all the kids to go (besides Godwill, who had the cancer in his cheek). Sara had already taken 11 children last week. Hardly any of the kids owned a toothbrush before coming to the home, amazingly their teeth are pretty good (they've never had a lot of sugar). They have all been very brave and Sandrine was the only one that didn't want to open her mouth. Tim is taking the last batch tomorrow.


I have been running three times a week. It is going great and I am really enjoying it. It's nice to have a little alone time and give my lungs a work out. My stamina is a lot better already. I've also lost 7 lbs this month, 9 more and I will be back to my pre Jordan weight (yay!). When I go out early in the morning there is a lot of people out running, walking,  and exercising. I love seeing the Cameroonian women in the shell suits and trainers with their african head wrappers on, awesome! I have decided that I am more like I horse than I would like to admit. If you've ever seen the movie, Sea Biscuit, he would only run fast if there was a horse for him to compete with. When someone is ahead of me I push myself a lot harder to catch up... nothing like a bit of healthy competition!


Next month we have an intern from Florida coming to stay with us. She'll be here for 2 months, we are really looking forward to it. Delanee will be working with the three little ones at HHCH in the morning and then helping out with Kids Club, library, tutoring, etc. in the afternoons. We praise the Lord for an extra pair of hands, we can sure use them! Some days I seriously wish there was more hours in a day.

Church and the New Year so far

Church went really well today, we had over 50 people, the most so far. It's great to see the new church plant growing and becoming a family. Jake preached last week and 2 people got saved, praise the Lord. This week he taught in the evening service, Josh always goes with him (too late for the little ones so I stay home). It was really cool, Josh told me everything he learnt and even the scripture verse the lesson was from. He is really growing up. Josh is doing a personal devotion every morning too, he sure knows his bible! We're so proud of him. Next weekend we have a church outreach, Jake will be speaking on Friday night, please keep it in your prayers.

Church this morning 

 Some little girls at church

We just completed week 18 of school on Friday, that means we are exactly half way! So far, so good, we are all having a lot of fun and learning lots. Next week we start on a book about the World Wars, really looking forward to that one. Jude has just started playing some educational games on the computer, so that should help keep him a bit more occupied in the mornings.

It hasn't rained here for over 2 months now, everything is parched and dusty. I cannot keep my floor clean! My flower garden is looking kind of sad, I need a sprinkler system, my hose just isn't cutting it. We usually get some light rains at Christmas but not this past year. I am so ready for the raining season to come! It is super cold here in the mornings though, about 55 degrees. I would have my heating on in the States! We just bundle up and enjoy it, once the rains come it won't be so cool. 

Jordan doing her eagle impression. She says "ahhhhg" and flaps her arms, too cute!

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!! It has been over a month since my last post. On January 3rd I started getting back into a schedule and have been focusing on that before getting on the web. It seemed to take a bit, especially to get back into the swing of things for homeschooling after a three week Christmas break. But I think we are back into a rhythm again. I have also been running/exercising for an hour three times a week. I've been getting up at 5:30 to feed the baby and then get out of the door by 6. It has been a fight but I think I am finally winning! It does feel great to be working out again and finally getting rid of those baby pounds (you're so worth it though Jordan :). I have also been making sure I get personal devos in everyday and not skip when things get hectic. So the year is starting out great, praise the Lord.

Here are some photos from December. My folks were here for Christmas, it was so nice. We had a lovely time together (it had been almost two years!).

Our Seth turned 8 on December 20th. He wanted a rocket cake (phew, not too hard).

Seth was poorly for his birthday. We were planning on going to the nice hotel in town to go swimming but he just wasn't up to it. At least he was all better for Christmas.

It turned out pretty good. Notice the little blemish in the sky on the left side. I balanced it on cups in a cookie sheet full of water so the ants and roaches wouldn't get to it in the night. But that was no problem for the mouse that had a little nibble on the icing. Oh well, it still tasted good :D.

We found Seth a nice bike for his birthday. He can keep up with Josh now.

We had a great Christmas party at church, it was a lot of fun and three children asked Jesus into their hearts. It was our first children's outreach at the church.

Seth was a wise man and Jude was a shepherd (the other white boy is Noah, one of our missionary friends). I was amazed that Jude went up front as he is usually really shy.

Our little shepherd!

We have a tradition of giving our kids new PJs Christmas Eve. It's lovely for them to go to bed all cosy and feeling special.

Christmas morning around the tree (lots of presents from the grandparents!). We spent the morning at the Children's Home. We waited to open presents till we got back, the boys did so well not complaining, I'm very proud of them.  

We cooked breakfast for all the kids and staff. We all had plenty to eat.

Aruna taking a mouthful

My parents bought the blow up penguin with them. The kids loved it!

All the children got a present and some new shades! It was a lovely morning.

We had our co-workers, the Borns, over for Christmas dinner. We also had another missionary family, the Hams. We all ate way too much!

We had a staff dinner at a nice hotel in town. It was great just to hang out and enjoy good food. 

And of course I had to sneak one in of Jordan. She just turned 7 months and is crawling and is into everything! She is starting to pull herself up on furniture now. She is such a sweety!

Grasshoppers and airplanes

Jordan can sit up now so I can bathe her in the sink (a lot more easier on my back!). She loved it even though I don't think she is going to fit in there for very long. I'll guess we'll upgrade to the big bath next.

It is mangwin (type of grasshopper) season here right now. They always come as dry season starts. People attach fluorescent lights to high poles with a sheet on metal behind them and a bucket underneath. At night the grasshoppers fly into the light, hit the metal, and fall into the bucket. Then for a reason I don't understand they can't get out.  They are an expensive delicacy for $10 a bucket. They fly into the house ever so often and the boys have fun catching them. A couple of days ago I told Seth to take one out and he said he wanted to eat it (he eats them at his friends). So when our friend offered us some yesterday, Jake took a handful. I got my friend to cook them (I have no idea). They boil them first, them fry them. Jake and Seth enjoyed them but Josh and I were too chicken (the little eyes bug me!). I'm sure they are great protein though.

So the President still has not come to Bamenda. He was meant to be here this week but it is now postponed to the 9th. It makes life a little more complicated as there is a curfew at night and lots of police check points set up. I'll be glad when he has come and gone! They are going to do an air show when he is here and 3 jets and 3 helicopters have been flying over often. I remember Jake's Great Grandma telling me that when she was a girl the teacher used to let them out of the classroom if a plane was flying over so they could see it. Well, I'm doing that too, the boys go crazy over it! They usually never get to see planes flying over. Then when I was down at the meat market yesterday and the jets flew over and the whole place erupted, people were cheering, shouting, and dancing. It was like Cameroon had scored a goal in the world cup or something. It was cool to experience, enjoying the simpler things of life. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Our good friends, the Youngs, came up from Yaounde to visit for a few days. They are missionaries with Jaars/Wycliff, Darrel is a pilot. We've missed them a lot since moving to Bamenda so it was great to get some quality time to catch up (our kids had a blast seeing their kids too). 

Thanksgiving Dinner with the Youngs. Also our good missionary friends the Dibbits were there (plus Simon). We all ate way too much!

We went for a picnic by a waterfall

Jake hiked to the top of the waterfall with the kids

The first term of Faith Bible College ends this week. We praise the Lord it has been a great semester. Registration starts this week for term two, please pray that we have good attendance; we are believing that we will see at least another 10 people join. We did hold a Pastor's breakfast to help promote it, it went very well.

Tim sharing at the Pastor's breakfast held at a restaurant in town

Also the last few weeks I have been busy painting my kitchen whenever I've had an evening free. We've been in this house over two years and the kitchen has been very neglected. It badly needed painting when we moved in! We also have started to make cabinets for it. We are making a section every month or so.

Sweeping the cobwebs down before painting the ceiling.

I chose a sunny yellow, it seems so bright in there now! And here is the first cabinet we made, Jake designed it. It is so nice not to have to bend down to get my plates and cups out anymore. And this is made out of solid Mahogany! I love living in Africa where this stuff is so easy to get.

I also celebrated my birthday last week, 31! It was a lot more easier than 30, that's for sure. One of my close missionary friends, Val Ham, made me a lovely cake and we all sat out in the garden and ate it so that was very special. I can't remember the last time I had a cake for my birthday. 

Val with my cake, yum!

Jo Jo helping me to blow the candles out

And of course I had to get one in of our little Jordan, who is now practically crawling! She is just ready to go!

I'm still alive!

I know it has been for-ev-er since I posted, as usual life has been crazy busy, but good busy. Here is a little update of the last few weeks.  We finished week twelve of school on Friday, we are a third of the way through already even though it seems like we just got started! It is going really well though and I'm even a little ahead on my read-a-louds, a miracle! We have a miniature zoo in our schoolroom right now as we are studying bugs in science. There are caterpillars, crickets, grasshoppers, and earthworms in jars all over the place, a boy's paradise!

All is going well at the children's home, I will blog about it more in the next week or two, but there are some changes coming up this month (good changes). We received three big boxes in the mail from the church Jake grew up in, First Baptist Church of Clarinda, Iowa. They were full of shirts and shoes for the kids, what a huge blessing! Their VBS helped bring them all in, it is wonderful to see how the children's home is continually being blessed, God is good. All the children did great on their mid-term exams. We also might be getting another orphaned girl this month, please keep that in your prayers.

Sandrine continues to improve and is really zipping around with her walker now. She is such a sweetie!

The new church plant is growing, I already have two helpers with the children's church,  they are doing awesome. I am starting to feel we are a team. It's great to be making so many more Cameroonian friends. I'm still helping with the praise and worship. Last week the leader called me on Saturday saying she wasn't well and if I could do it by myself. Praise the Lord is went well, even if my voice was almost gone at the end (there is no mic). The Lord is always stretching me (and I'm finally playing my guitar again)! 

There is a little bit of unrest in the air right now. The President, Paul Biya, will be visiting Bamenda at the end of the month. He has only visited here one other time, in '88, so it has been a while! We are in the English zone and there is always turmoil between them and the French zone. There are many people that do not particularly like the president here. So there is a 8 o'clock curfew in town, and they are taking anyone out past that time to jail for the night (and making them register to vote for the next elections!). The Bible school is having to close a lot earlier. There are a lot more police and soldiers out and about, so we alway make sure we have our paperwork with us. Never a dull moment on the mission field!

My folks are defiantly coming for Christmas, can't wait! They will be here for almost three weeks so it will be great. Of course they will be spending all their time ohhhing and ahhhing over Jordan :D. Jordan will be five months next week. She already has two teeth and is the most adorable little girl in the whole world! I just couldn't love her anymore! 

 The three big boxes that came

 Sakina and Tahirih in their new shoes and shirts

The kids looking very smart in their new clothes

Sandrine update

Sandrine is doing so well and fitting right in at the Children's Home. She went to the hospital for a check-up this week. The doctor reexamined her feet  (this time she wasn't screaming her head off). The doctor said that there is no reason why she shouldn't walk, we just need to keep stretching out those muscles. Tim managed to find her a small walker in town, such an answer to prayer! Sandrine has been using it and really getting around fast. As you can see from her knees in the photos she still likes to crawl but we are being pretty strict with Sandrine to use her walker when she is outside. It is wonderful to see her so happy and full of life. We have noticed that she likes to whack the other kids if they do something to upset her, or touch her when she doesn't want them too. I'm guessing she had to be pretty tough to look after herself in the village! So we are working with her to stop that. She is already picking up a lot of English and when I gave her a book from the library today she said thank you with no one prompting her. She's a quick learner!

 Using the walker

Standing by herself

 Taking a couple of steps by herself

 Big smiles

Laughing at the dog that was running around :D

I have been spending Thursday afternoons up at HHCH to help any of the children with their homework. I have really been enjoying the time I spend with them, where we can just sit, chat, and laugh. I'm there on Monday's and Wednesday's afternoons too but I'm teaching Bible class, running the library, checking on the kitchen, etc. so I don't have a lot of time to just sit and chat with the kids (especially since Jordan was born). 

Some things I saw at HHCH this week that made my heart happy. Ma returning from the market and Tahirih running up to meet her and giving her the biggest hug. Cidoni telling me that Helping Hand's is the best orphanage. All the kid's clapping and cheering as Sandrine walked around the table by herself.

Good News for Micah

I don't know if you remember but back in May I posted about when we went and visited our missionary friends who live out in the village of Bafangi. They are bible translators there. I mentioned a little boy from that village, Micah, who had a cleft palette and could not talk. Well, our friends told us that he had his operation a couple of weeks ago and is doing really well. The hardest part was that he wasn't able to eat for about three days after the surgery, poor little thing! There is still a slight gap in his palette as there wasn't enough skin to close the hole completely but the doctors are hoping it will grow over by itself. So that is a big praise. Now Micah will have to learn to talk, please keep him in your prayers, thanks!

A morning at the dentist

I spent all Friday morning at the dentist's. We actually have a wonderful dentist here, Florence. She was trained in England and is married to a Canadian missionary so she knows how to be a little more gentler with us wimpy westerners :D. I had a filling fall out about two months ago but I just haven't had time to get it taken care of. So when Kingsly at the Children's Home started complaining of toothache I decided to finally make time. I also took along Seth and Josh as the needed some things done too. My friend Joy also came so she could hold the baby while I was being worked on. 

Florence found that I have three cavities besides the filling that fell out, yikes! She fixed two and will do the other two this week. For some reason she doesn't like the white filling and always goes on about how the metal ones are so much better and more durable. I literally had to argue with her to give me the white ones. She said, "Why does it matter, you already have a husband?" Too funny! Anyway I managed to convince her to give me the white fillings even though she was shaking her head at me (made me feel very vain). I did have to the nurse Jordan halfway through as she was screaming her head off. I felt wierd with cotton balls in my mouth and the little bib thing on :). Anyway Josh had to have a tooth removed as his permanent one was coming in on the side of it. Seth had two teeth removed as one was rotten and the other was in the way on his permanent tooth. And little Kingsly had two teeth removed too as they were in a bad state. Poor little Kingsly, it was his first time to visit a dentist but he was very brave and did great. And the damage for three hours of work of two fillings and a total of five teeth being removed; $100! Sometimes I love living in Africa (okay, all the time)!

Most of the kids at the children's home never brushed their teeth before coming to HHCH (but they also never had much sugar either). Their biggest problem is plaque. I talked with Florence and she is going to come out the orpahange next saturday to check all the kid's teeth and see who needs what done. Then we can work at getting them to the dentist in order of greatest need as funds come available.

A Good Week

It’s been busy week, especially for Jake. Besides all he’s normal daily work, he has been at the Bible school Monday through Thursday, teaching the last night. Friday he taught at a Bible study at our house and today he preached at church in the morning and the evening! He’s amazing! Next week shouldn’t be quite so packed.

We celebrated our 11^th wedding anniversary on Saturday. A good friend looked after all 3 boys for us. In the afternoon we went looking around second hand/import shops in town, I haven’t done that forever! It’s hard to do with all the kids as you really have to rummage and then barter for everything but you can usually find some good deals. I found hair conditioner, non-stick cooking spray, and even Martha Stewart measuring spoons!  We ate dinner at a new hotel in town that makes pizza! They were soooooo good, much better than my homemade ones that’s for sure! I had a curried chicken pizza with a fresh cream sauce (instead of tomato), sounds weird, I know, but amazing! Then we came home and watch Slumdog Millionaire, incrediable movie! So it was a great day. Hard to believe I have been married for 11 years already!

Sandrine, the little girl I mentioned a few weeks back is now at HHCH. She spent four days in the hospital where they removed 60 plus jiggers from her hands, feet, and knees. She is doing great. They first few days she was very weepy but she has really settled in now. Every time I go to HHCH she has the brightest smile on her face and gives me a great big hug, she is so precious. We are doing some stretches with her to help loosen up her legs. We are going to keep working on the muscles until she is walking, we’re believing it won’t be too long. Sandrine speaks no English but we do have four children who speak her language so that is a blessing. Before you know it she’ll be understanding and speaking English. Please keep her in your prayers!

Jake with Jordan before church this morning (awww!)

 Sandrine and Jake

Sandrine's much improved hands but they still have some swelling

Her feet are looking a lot better too