February 2009
Dear friends all over the world, We pray your Christmas season was worshipful and afforded many opportunities to see family and friends. Our boys were home from boarding school, and we had a great time at home together. Ben watched many an old favorite movie with Mom. Sam cut a guitar CD with Dad. Anna picked on her brothers to her heart's content, and received just retribution for her efforts. Together we attended our annual missionary conference in Bamenda, then split in three directions: Ben and Sam back to school in Yaounde, Linda and Anna back home to Ndu, and Philemon to Kumba to teach a two week J-term course in Systematic Theology.
Our sister Baptist seminary in Kumba is a much smaller school, has fewer resources, and a shortage of staff. Philemon has committed himself to teaching a core course there as often as possible, and the rewards have been great. The natural competition between the two schools is reduced when we help them, the students are very grateful, and Philemon is able to get a more complete picture of the overall state of theological education in Cameroon.
Good news on the family front! Ben is officially admitted to Wheaton College. Now we wade through all the financial stuff, which we unfortunately remember all too well since it isn't all that long ago that Philemon finished. It is a great relief to Ben to know where he will be settled for the next four years, Lord willing. He has a longing to be in one place for awhile, a result of being shuttled around the US and indeed around the world for his entire childhood. I just counted them, and he's lived in 10 different houses and attended 7 different schools of four different types (public, christian, home school, and international boarding.) Pray for all the MK's you know. Their life experiences give them many advantages and not a few challenges. But before he gets to college, he has plenty to do (three AP classes and the school play.)
With HIV/AIDS class complete, Linda is more free to teach Anna, and to teach at the primary school on campus. Anna is going to help organize reading groups there. We'll divide the kids by ability. Linda will take the ones who are struggling, Anna and some of her MK friends will take the middle groups, and we'll give the classroom teacher a break by giving her the students who are surging ahead. Philemon will teach Greek, Hermeneutics, Pauline Theology, and Systematic Theology here at CBTS for second semester. He is also supervising a number of theses and doctrinal statements. Curriculum revision is also an ongoing work.
Prayer points for this month:
- Pray for Philemon in this next week as he is away from home and teaching many hours a day.
- Pray for his students at both seminaries that they would be able to understand and accept the beauty and authority of Scripture in their lives and churches.
- Pray for Linda in her work as school nurse, and teaching Anna and primary students.
- For our kids: Ben in his transition to college and finishing high school well; Sam as he balances academics, school play, and worship team; and Anna as she helps teach reading and finishes up her own fifth grade work.
Thanks for all you do, especially for the prayer and support. We say it often, but it bears repeating: we could not be here without you!
You are truly our partners in ministry.
Much love,
Philemon and Linda