VISITING the 'KIDS' and their Caregivers

EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CAMEROON  

        

“KIDS HELPING KIDS” 

EELC-HPN/ELCIC MNO-SYNOD ORPHAN PROGRAM

ACTIVITIES FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY 2012

The year started on a good footing with the 70% recovery of Valerie’s neck after spending a Christmas and New Year full of good humor and blessings in many ways. It was just time to say bye to the year gone and to start the New Year in completely changed fashion. Our grand mother did not relent her efforts of making some cookies for the kids.  They also got sweets and Valerie also concluded with individual kids pictures for the picture chart. Mama Valerie also had her autograph book on which all the children were asked to write their names on. This was an exercise that took place for the very first time but the respond was very good as most of the kids anxiously wrote their following the sound for those could not write well.

      The month of January was also very charged and busy with the home-visit program. Despite the difficulties such as perturbations in health, uneasy access to some homes just to name a few, the KHK team made many trips to meet the kids in their various homes thanks to Thomas Zebazé who sacrificed much of his time after school to bring us to the narrow and rough terrains sometimes climbing to the top through stony paths. Nonetheless it was the most interesting part of the whole event and it is evident that all the families were extremely happy to receive us in their homes. Until today most parents still call around and thank the team for taking that initiative and expressing the Love of God to others. These visits continued and extended to the early days of February with all positive results. Only two of the kids were not visited but this will be done in the months ahead and we will love to have our Grandma and Grandpa back the next year. There were also meetings with the Director of the hospital, the coordinator of the Chaplains and Social Workers, and the Project and Programs Manager to make things better and to improve the KHK program.

       For the simple reason that Jack and Val had to get on the train on Sunday 5^th February, we agreed to have the February assembly on the first Saturday 4^th, just to give them more time to pack-up. The days before the meeting were also very busy with the buying, transporting and unloading the food items bought into the container. Making the packages was no easy task in the hot container especially when the sun came up before noon. We sweated in there but hung-on until we were done with the process.

Then came the day of our meeting, it was hard to say good-bye during a celebration and thinking of all the good times spent together within the last few months. This time not only the usual faces were around but other partners of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America also came to share in the same Love of God with these kids. A new song “Oh McDonald had a farm” was introduced to the kids, followed by the “Jingle bells” and Pr Jack giving us one of his “country music” songs. We also acknowledged the presence of Kelly, Lisa and the Pastor Catherine who also came from Canada to work with the young girls and women of the church. The cookies and fuleri local drink were made available for consumption on spot after which we all moved to the container for distributions of food items. This time the milk was put in small pails for better preservation at home. It was emphasized that the pails and the stronger bags come back before the next distribution. In addition *toothpaste and brushes, *New Testament Bibles with crocheted cross bookmarks (made with love by Val) were handed to each child for spiritual fortification which was very necessary in times like this. Finally, all the kids got good-bye sweets from Grandma before difficultly parting.   

*Special gifts from Pastor Jack’s past church, Holy Cross in Midland, Ontario.

A March Update from:   Tabebot William Besem,  Social Worker

                                       Protestant Hospital Ngaoundéré

OUR VISITS...

 

Thomas and his family

Football their favourite sport is played wherever

 dry season mud bricks for walls

 

 'Hello' Canada from Jerusalem

the power lines hang low...

Sewing for her family

 a unique fence out of car doors/parts

one of our mountain top hikes

 a satellite...

  'Thank You' Thomas for guiding us throughout

It was such a wonderful experience visiting all the children and their caregivers, some were in school but we had the opportunity to visit and talk with their 'folk'. The views were amazing from the mountain tops.

Wes Mandico is a Cameroonian singer

We THANK  Mr. William and Mme. Fanta for their dedication to this program and the children. Thank you again Thomas for your knowledge of where all the 'Kids' live - you are a wonderful young man. 

Always in our Prayers... in Christian Love,  Val & Jack