March 14, 2008

Dear Friends,

I trust this letter finds you well and in good health. We all have cause to thank God every day for the many blessings bestowed upon us. I am particularly grateful for God’s protection after recent events in Cameroon. You may have heard or read in the news that there was civil unrest in Cameroon a few weeks ago.

Strikers block road during recent civil unrest in Cameroon.

The suffering economy has resulted in price increases across the board. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people to make ends meet. In addition, there is general discontent with the current government administration. So a recent increase in the cost of gas at the fuel pump was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Taxi drivers called for a national strike that began Monday, February 25. Barricades were erected across major roads in strategic cities across the country barring public and private vehicles from passing. Violence erupted in seven of Cameroon’s ten provinces.

I had been in the town of Kumba with the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) for the induction of the new teaching staff at the Presbyterian Seminary, which is located there. After the church service on Sunday, I decided to continue on to Manyemen, which is about 90 minutes northwest of Kumba, to check in with the staff at the PCC hospital there. Manyemen Hospital is a government-approved treatment center for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. They also have a special unit for leprosy patients. The hospital was once one of the premier health facilities in the country, but it fell into some hard times and is now struggling to get back on its feet. The PCC is looking to start a nursing school at Manyemen Hospital as an extension of the new Christian University they will begin constructing in May. I decided to stop in to encourage them and see how things were going.

After devotions on Monday morning, I learned about the strike and made a decision to leave right away. A trip that should have been less than four hours became a 12-hour adventure as we struggled to make our way back home to Buea. We met with multiple barricades that took up to two hours to get past in one case. Our journey came to a sudden halt in Fiango, where violence erupted with the burning and looting of a brasserie (beer distributer). In the distance, I heard the sound of popping and then a boom; it was gunfire and tear gas coming from the police before they were overpowered by the strikers, who set the brasserie on fire. Children in a nearby school ran for safety. Within minutes, shop owners brought in the goods sitting outside and closed their doors. We found ourselves seated in front of closed shops along with the others who were trapped between a barricade and a burning brasserie. We watched as bandits took advantage of the strike to carry off crates of beer and soft drinks, office furniture, and company vehicles. The looting continued until nightfall when we were finally able to make our way through town and on toward home. It was past nine o’clock that night by the time we arrived in Buea. It felt so good to be home.

The president addressed the nation on Wednesday of that week and by Friday taxis were running again. It was a difficult week for many people in the country but especially for those who lost loved ones, property, and business. Please continue to pray for Cameroon.

In spite of the difficulties I experienced that day, my time in Manyemen was fruitful.

If you would like to know more about the work of PCC’s medical institutions such as Manyemen, please drop me a line. I would be happy to tell you about what they are doing, their goals, and their needs.

Peace,

Shirley

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 9