Chicken Head in Chicken Gut - Chicken Butt??

Buying chicken here in Cameroon could be worse and could be better...  It ranges from buying a live chicken on the street for cheap and doing the deadly deed yourself to picking up a boneless/skinless chicken breast in the meat department at the grocery store for a hefty price.  I started somewhere in the middle...

chicken: dead
feathers: off
feet: partially removed (had to finish sawing off)
neck: still there, had to cut off
guts: cut & inside
head: off and in chicken gut/chicken butt

See the picture below - kinda gross - be warned....

August & September Update from Cameroon

Paul Dubois, me, Eric Hagman, Mickey White &
JIm Rotruck attended the dedication to represent WA.

RFIS Director & Cam SIL Director cutting the ribbon

Hello!

Weeks one and two I just didn't have THAT much to say.  The update would have gone something like: "the water heater doesn't work...oh, thanks for fixing that, but now the water is off, and then back on, and off again, and there went the internet, but now its back on, ooopps there went the electricity, oh, but it is now back on”.....repeat, repeat...   It's not that big of a deal most of the time when things go off, but it does make living and working here more interesting.

Weeks 3 through 6 have been a whole       different story.  I have been running circles around myself...  We had a “water team”  arrive yesterday.  They will go to the Northwest tomorrow and work with bio sand    filters and wells .  Another water team is scheduled to come in November, as well.  We have also had other individuals/couples come for various reasons.  We have had teachers,  maintenance/construction workers, and     several people came for the Rain Forest          International School dedication and 25th       anniversary on August 19th.  (see pictures & http://www.rfis.org for more information) 

People here are really great!  One good thing I have found about the "missionaries" is that most of them remember they were new at some point and are such gracious and helpful people...that is a huge blessing!!   I am starting to get to know some of the Cameroonian people here as well, and they are great.  They tend to be pretty formal especially in  business.  They are also the most patient drivers I have ever seen in my life.  Traffic here is the biggest mess I have ever seen, and there is some honking, but.....usually it is a informational honk, more than an “I'm   going to run you over” honk.  :~)

 Bamenda & Mbingo

I had the chance to get away from Yaounde for a couple of days to see the Northwest part of Cameroon.  We stopped at the Bamenda        Regional Office (BRO), and then continued on to Mbingo for a     couple of days.  WA will be starting a construction project in a few month here. They are building the new  Regional Training Center.  Many of the 80+ language projects yet to be started in Cameroon are in the Northwest and Far North.

The next couple of days I spent at the resthouse reading, journaling, walking up (what I call “cardiac mountain”) to a waterfall, and down to Mbingo.  It was a much needed break.

Short Update from Cameroon - Aug 13

Sorry, I was going to send out an update a while ago...  Weeks one and two I just didn't have THAT much to say.  I wasn't very busy, so the update would have gone something like: "the water heater doesn't work...oh, thanks for fixing that but now the water is off, and now back on, and off again, and there went the internet, but now its back on, ooopps there went the electricity, oh, but it is now back on.....repeat, repeat...   It's not that big of a deal most of the time when things go off, but it does make living and working more labor intensive.

Weeks 3 and 4 have been a whole different story.  I have been running circles around myself...  We haven't had any new teams arrive in the last couple of weeks, but several individuals/couples for various reasons.  I have been to the airport more than any other place in Cameroon!  One of the couples moved into the house I am living.  They were the previous volunteer coordinators here in Cameroon and left a year ago pretty quickly, so they are back to go through all of their stuff that has been stored in various places in the house, the latest find (this morning) we found under my bed.  That may sound simple, but the beds here a low to the ground, so first they took off the mattress and all of the slats (about 10-15) then bug bombed it, then took the stuff out, swept up the webs and dirt, then put the bed back together.  Maybe I won't get so many bug and spider bites now.

People here are really great!  One good thing I have found about the "Wycliffe missionaries" is that most of them remember they were new at some point and are such gracious and helpful people...that is a huge blessing!!  I am starting to get to know some of the Cameroonian people here as well, and they are great, as well.  They tend to be pretty formal, and in business, very humble...  They are also the most patient drivers I have ever seen in my life.  Traffic here, is the biggest mess I have ever seen, and there is some honking, but.....usually it is a informational honk, more than an I'm going to run you over honk... :~)  I am not driving this trip, but the next trip they want me to drive, and I am a little worried about my mouth driving in the traffic....I would hate to cuss at the traffic with a van full of missionaries. :~)

Last night I had some people over that are staying in the same area I am staying (CTC Annex).  We had chimichangas (yes, just like in the states - there is a guy here that went to the states and learned to make them and sells them on Fridays) and then watched the Princess Bride.  Tonight I am going to dinner at Mandi and Rachel's place.  They live in a different area.  Several single people live in the area they live in, so they get together a lot.  Sunday's tend to be really busy days.  We go to church (usually the ex-pat church at the Hilton), then the grocery store, then out to eat.  We have been getting home around 3pm.  Then at 5pm the have a SIL bible study where the Admin offices are.  

Next week will be even more busy (please pray for me!!!!).  We have several Wycliffe Associates (WA) people coming in for the Rain Forest International School dedication on Friday. 

I hope you are all doing well!  Thank you for your prayers!

Echo Within

From: Echo Within by Robert Benson p 153-154

"Sometimes what we want is to be allowed to hunker down in the life we are living, or are hoping to live, or are constructing for ourselves. Without any upset, without any change in plans, without any of our ducks being disturbed.

But sometimes when we say yes to some new thing that seems to be calling to us from the echo within, then we may as well be prepared to head for God knows where after that. And to head there with God knows who as well.

Any attempt--no matter how clumsy or cautious, no matter how courageous or clever--to live out what one thinks one hears in the calling voice of God within must be lived out in the face of change.

Our companions will change; our journeys will take us in and out of relationships. Promises will be made, and promises will be broken. And so will our hearts.

The only way to avoid it is to not say yes."

My New Home in Cameroon

Hello!  

I have made it to Yaounde, Cameroon safe and sound (as sound as you can be with jet lag :~).  I appreciate all of your prayers for safe travel; my flights were relatively uneventful.

I thought I would post a couple of pictures.  The first one is the house I am living in....I believe we call that "home."  I am living with my new boss, Peg, so now you know who has to put up with me and who to pray for.  The second picture is the office...it is literally a 30 second walk from home.  

I'll post more later.  THANK YOU!

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June and July 2011 Update...AFRICA!

Hello Friends and Family!

Tomorrow is the day!  My flight leaves Dallas at 10:45am and I will arrive in Yaoundé,

Cameroon Friday at 4:40pm (Cameroon time).  I will get back to Dallas on October 12th.  My bags are packed and I am ready to go!

The last 3 1/2 weeks have been busy, but good!  I stopped in Borger, TX; Loveland, CO; Bozeman, MT; then back to Ft. Collins, CO; and finally to Littleton & Parker, CO.  I had the opportunity to see my friends and ministry partners and to meet new ones. 

My sister’s wedding went smoothly and it was great to get to spend time with my family before leaving for Africa.  We don’t have all of the pictures back, or I would attach one.  While we were all together we took the opportunity to go white water

rafting….that was a first for me, and I loved it!

While I am in Africa, I can still be contacted by email and Skype.  You can also keep up with me on my blog, PaulaOestreich.blogspot.com.  I will try to update it as often as I can with pictures, information, and my “adventures”  (adventures = stories of how I have embarrassed myself.      )

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Thank you for your continued prayer, support and partnership!  This could not be done without you!

Praise & Prayer Requests

· Praise—I get to go back to Africa to support Bible Translation as a volunteer coordinator, doing a job I love.

· Praise—I got to spend quite a bit of time with my family and friends last week before leaving.

· Praise—My financial and prayer partnerships continue to increase.  I am currently at about 74%.

· Please pray for safe travel to Cameroon..

· Please pray that my financial support will continue to increase.

· Please pray that I will acclimate quickly to Africa.  I need to hit the ground running.

· Please pray for Randy and Dana who will be working in the Volunteer Office, in   Dallas, while I am gone.

Palo Duro Canyon in Texas - BEAUTIFUL!!

Its a liiiittle windy outside tonight. :-)