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November 1999
Dear Friends,
Advent—the arrival of something momentous. A time of waiting
with anticipation. As you read this letter people around the world
will be celebrating the Advent of Jesus Christ. The preparation
for and celebration of Christmas is wonderfully varied from place
to place. Having experienced Christmas in numerous countries we
already look forward to the new insights we’ll gain from
our brothers and sisters here in Cameroon.
Advent for the EPC
The Eglise Presbyterienne Camerounaise (EPC), the partner church
with whom we serve, is experiencing an advent called the Etat
Generaux, a year long process of self-examination at every level
in the church community for the revitalization of the church.
The past has not been all smooth, and many are not content with
the present situation in the church. There is anticipation. Some
see the good that can come with change; others see destruction.
Soon a forum with more than 200 EPC delegates will meet to bring
closure to this stage of reflection.
School visits
The highlight of Jeff’s work so far has been school visits.
With the Education Secretary of the EPC and some of his staff,
Jeff has visited and evaluated nine schools. There were similarities
noticed in the visits: many teachers are trying to do their best
despite receiving only about 20 to 40 percent of their salary;
staffing levels are disproportionally high considering the declining
number of students and the courses offered; students share textbooks
so that most students have access to French and math books; schools
are suffering from theft, vandalism and inadequate maintenance;
unused classrooms are being turned into homes for teachers. The
first two observations seem to suggest an obvious plan of action—reduce
staff levels in order to increase percentages of salaries received
by those staying. The problem lies in the inability to lay off
workers as there remains an enormous debt of unpaid salaries.
Meanwhile, the debts continue to rise, making the problem harder
to resolve each year. Catch-22.
New text books for religious education
Those interested in the school chaplaincy program look forward
to the arrival of printed text books for religion courses here
in Cameroon. A final editing seminar was organized in November
by FEMEC, the national coalition of Protestant churches. Participants
edited three books to be used in elementary and high schools.
From the parts we read we’re impressed with how thoughtfully
the material was handled.
Kinshasa
In July, before Christi and the kids arrived in Yaounde, Jeff
made a short trip to Kinshasa. It was good to see our Congolese
friends and co-workers within the Presbyterian Communities of
Congo. Together we reworked plans for the Church in Kinshasa to
repair school buildings, build new schools, provide teachers with
a good stock of teaching aids and continue their work of training
pastors. Difficult times continue for the Presbyterian communities
and the country as a whole. The peace accord signed in Lusaka
shows signs of unraveling. Barring renewed efforts to move toward
peace, instability and suffering are likely to continue.
Family life
As always, our children love school and are making many friends.
Settling into a new place always takes time and energy. Christi
is taking charge of that, with repairs to the house and catching
rain water during the two-month water cut. Numerous incidences
of theft and break-ins, around us as well as in our home, have
made us more conscious of security issues, perhaps even more so
than in Kinshasa. We have chosen to live on the church "hill"
where there is a chapel, a hospital, schools, several offices,
church houses, a seminary, and space for our kids to play. We
hope it will provide a community to which our family can belong.
Jeff’s office is less than five minutes walk from home.
Silver lining
Matthias, Salome and Naomi had been talking about Linda since
we evacuated from Kinshasa last year. She is the dog our family
received on Matthias’ birthday. They longed to see her again.
Bringing her to Yaounde was one thing that we wanted to do for
our children, who had been suddenly torn away from their friends,
school, and pets. Since we were uncertain we could actually bring
her from Congo to Cameroon we decided to promise nothing. Although
Christi and the kids were not yet in Cameroon when Linda arrived
they were elated with the news. Imagine Jeff’s dismay when
just five days later she disappeared. He spent the whole afternoon
walking around looking for her, all the time dreading the idea
of having to explain to the kids that she was now gone. As the
search brought him past a primary school he met a young college
student studying mathematics. Christian had not done well in his
first year at the University and was now preparing to retake the
first-year exams. Leaving his books at our house he joined Jeff
in the hunt for Linda. The search was finally successful and,
as Christian came by the house to pick up his books, he and Jeff
started looking over math problems. It was fun for Jeff, as a
mathematician, to again tackle some math—even in French.
He enjoyed the hours he spent talking with his unexpected guest.
It was the silver lining after a day of agony over a runaway dog.
Had it not been for Linda’s escape, Jeff might never have
met Christian, who now comes by from time to time to greet the
family and check on Linda.
We hope that you pray with us
- That in a spirit of love, unity and openness to reform, the
EPC will seize the opportunity provided by the Etat Généraux
to move the church closer to its calling—to be a beacon
of light.
- That security in Cameroon will improve at all levels—from
theft and vandalism to home invasions.
- That renewed serious efforts will be made toward peace in
Central Africa.
Thanks to all of you who support us through prayer, correspondence
or contributions to the mission of the church.
Peace,
Jeff and Christi Boyd
The 1999 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 33
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