Kevin in Cameroon
An occasional web diary, in words and pictures, etc.
Why Cameroon?
That’s a question I sometimes get asked. I even ask it myself at times. It wasn’t my first choice. I had always expected to go to China but looking back over the past months and seeing how those plans changed is an object lesson in God’s guidance. I don’t think it would have been possible to do what I wanted to do if I had gone to the place I wanted to go. So, why Cameroon? Well, for some time I have been thinking about how we understand what it means to be a Christian. I wondered how much our beliefs and practices are effected and shaped not simply by Scripture but also by our society and its standards. If we are to be God’s prophetic people, speaking truth and grace into people’s lives we need to be more aware of were are words come from. Are we bringing the Jesus-centred Good News, or simply wrapping up contemporary ideas in religious language? How can we tell the difference?
There are many ways of doing this. One of the most effective is to go outside and look in. This means stepping into a different culture and seeing how they do things, and I couldn’t image a more different culture than China. (Also, I must admit, I quite liked the idea of a long trip to China - it seems to be a fascinating place.) Talking to others, however, it became clear that it would be difficult to see the sort of things I needed in China. Added to that my guide-to-be became pregnant and would not be available at the time I needed. But as one door closes another opens.
I already had an unofficial invite to visit Cameroon. Many of you will remember Nelson and Innocent. Conversations with them about Christian life in their country, and how different it could be from here, turned my thoughts in that direction. Discussions with Nelson and Pastor Samuel of Redeemer Baptist Church, Bamenda, soon led to a more formal invitation to come and join them for two months this spring. So now I am deep in arranging visas, tickets, equipment, accommodation, immunisation, etc, etc. Please pray over the next few weeks (I fly out at the end of March) that the arrangements will go smoothly and that this trip will be a blessing both to me, the church in Bamenda and to you as I return with fresh insight and (hopefully) renew enthusiasm.
