Four pretty much uneventful hours on the road and we’re here in the village of Ndjibot, east of Abong Mbang (just past Ntimbé on P6, if you’re scoring at home), east of Yaounde.
We have been warmly received. The women who have volunteered to help this week cooked us a dinner of rice and local green vegetables and pepper sauce that gives Indian peppers a run for their money. The dinner itself was a learning experience on several counts. We were surprised that the cooks were teenage girls and that they called our interns up to pass out the dishes that the girls had served. They were to serve the local adults first, then Kenny and me, and by the time they were finished, there was no food for the expat women. So they’re learning how to measure.
Then we spent two hours recording local stories, which always include music. Some folks came from the village of Mayos, where we held a workshop in 2019, and they shared songs they had composed afterwards, which were sung enthusiastically by most of those present. Unfortunately, I hadn’t mastered the science of turning the recorder on, so I missed the first (and most interesting) story. But they said they were happy to do it again later on, so (hopefully) we’ll have it eventually.
Tomorrow the teaching and discussion begin in earnest. Meantime, I’d like the interns to say hi:
Maryssa: I recently graduated from Cedarville University with a degree in music composition. I’m excited to engage with different cultures and let my composition skills be used and stretched by the Lord.
Hannah: I am the K-8 music teacher at a charter school in Philadelphia. I graduated from Cairn University and was on this trip the last time in 2018! I am so thankful to be back in Cameroon and am excited to see how the Lord will use this trip!
Torri: I am a kids’ piano instructor and tutor English students in the Dominican Republic. I am so thankful to be on this trip in Cameroon to learn about their music and culture!
Kenny: I am a music education major from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. I had an unforgettable experience with Jesus Christ sophomore year that ignited my soul. Since then, I’ve just been “Jesus guy.”
They all thank you for your prayers, as do we.
Vernacular Discipleship through Music 