Cameroon is an under served, under developed country located on the other side of the globe. Compared to other African countries, Cameroon has a relatively high political and social stability that has permitted for the development of petroleum and timber industries, roads and railways. Nevertheless large numbers of Cameroonians live in poverty as subsistence farmers or have no jobs at all. The quality of healthcare is generally low. Most facilities are dirty, poorly ran and poorly equipped. They bare little or no resemblance to facilities we are accustomed to here in America.
In Cameroon there is no health insurance and those who come to the hospital are very ill. Many have endured unbelievable obstacles in great pain, on 3, 4 and 5 day treks in from the bush with severe burns, babies stuck in the birth canal and other atrocities just to reach medical care. In reality, Cameroonians often seek treatment at the hospital as a last resort. The most common practice is to first seek out whom they call traditional healers. We would most likely call them witch doctors. The traditional healers use roots and herbs to mix up healing ingredients, sometimes rubbed on the skin, other times worn in a pouch around the neck or even drank. Occasionally they will perform some type of minor surgical procedure. Then later, when despite this treatment, the patients’ condition does not improve or worsens further, they will finally take them to the hospital. In some cases these potions given and procedures performed will ultimately be the cause of death, but in the minds of the people, it will be the hospital that killed them, because that is where their loved one died.
Cameroon is a bit larger than the state of California and it is often referred to as “Africa in miniature” for its geographical and cultural diversity. There are beaches along the ocean, tropical rainforests, mountains and plateaus, and to the far north, savannas and deserts. There are many different tribes that live within the borders of this country and although French is the national language, there are over 250 languages spoken within the borders of Cameroon. There are actual teams of missionaries in which their sole purpose is to translate the Bible into these native languages. They truly have not heard the word and do not have the option to believe, when there is not even a Bible for them to read in their own language? This is a mission very different from the one we are on, but in general, just good food for thought.
We will be traveling as representatives of the Cameroon Healthcare Development Program (CHDP), which is affiliated with SMDC, Global Health Missions and the ELCA (to name a few) We are excited about being given the opportunity to help others and to share our journey with all of you. We do not consider ourselves missionaries; in fact some would consider us the exact opposite. However, we feel called by God to reach out to the people of our world especially those who are less fortunate than us, all of whom are God’s people. We are not qualified to judge or instruct them on religion, but as part of our work we will be ministering to their spirit, regardless of their religion or the lack of it.
There is a high level of religious diversity in Cameroon and reportedly 2/3’s of the population practices Christianity. However in the Adamawa province where we are headed 80% of the population is Muslim and practice the faith of Islam.
For sure there is no question that in this land we are headed for, we will be in the minority, perhaps in all ways possible: racially, religiously, economically and linguistically for sure. You have to make sacrifices both personal and financial to embark upon a mission such as this and mostly have a lot of faith that the God who has reached out to you will provide the way. We pray that somehow in the midst of being isolated in this world where nothing will be familiar to us, that he will show us the way and then give us the courage and strength to follow his will.
Time is really running fast now. Less than 6 days to departure. We will be carrying medical equipment being sent by Global missions, CPR dummies, and many supplies donated by CHDP, Mercy Hospital/Ambulance service, The Diabetes Center, Salem Lutheran Church and the community at large. The outpouring of support is nothing short of amazing and our suitcases are overflowing. You start out thinking that you will have everything all neat and organized, but then reality sets in and we have to keep shuffling it all around, trying to make it all fit and still meet the weight requirements. Thanks to everyone who contributed, it will all be put to good use.
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