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Cameroon Companions

            When I first told my dad that I might be going to Cameroon in January, his response was something like, “Why would you want to go there?”  Perhaps some of you also wondered why any of us were traveling to Cameroon this year.

            There are at least two answers to that question.  First of all, we were invited to come.  The National Bishop of the EELC (Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne du Cameroun) asked for help in supporting women in leadership in Cameroon, and especially those who are serving in ordained ministry.  Thus, letters of invitation were issued to me, Peter Kostiuk, and Rev. Dr. Katharine Bergbusch for this express purpose.

            The second answer to the question “Why go?” is that each of us felt that God had called us to participate in this particular mission.  As such, we commended ourselves into God’s care and sought the direction of the Holy Spirit before, during and after our trip.

            Of course, the most common question upon our return has been, “How was it?”  For me, there are four adjectives that answer this question: hard, good, exhausting, and fulfilling.  Some days were better than others.  Some days were just plain hard work.  And pretty much every day was tiring.  However, we got to do some pretty amazing things.

            We met many committed Christians who are enthusiastic about their faith and who sing and dance in spite of how little they have.  We got to participate in both an ordination service and in the baptism of six children.  We met faithful pastors (both men and women) who serve in conditions that are hard for us to even imagine in Canada.  We met committed lay people who serve both in their own congregations and in the wider church.  And, we got to see part of Africa – by car, by train, and by bus.

            While it is hard to evaluate what kind of an impact our visit will have, we felt as if we accomplished what we had been asked to do.  We met with many different groups of people – both men and women, lay and ordained, young and old.  We shared our experiences in ministry and what it is like for ordained women in Canada. We also listened to the joys and challenges of ordained women in Cameroon. And Peter was able to share his experience as a layperson in a presentation that was greatly appreciated by those who heard it.

            We have been left with some new relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ across the ocean, as well as the impact of this experience on each of our personal faith journeys.  In my case, a few things were lifted up that perhaps don’t always get the emphasis that they should here in Canada.

            For example, do we teach children and youth how to be disciples of Jesus and share their faith?  Do we encourage children and youth to be leaders among their peers?  Do we teach people of all ages how to lead a group in prayer?  I also wondered how many hidden gifts there are in this congregation – how many people have gifts of the Spirit that I’m not even aware of (or even that  they’re not aware of!).

            Sometimes God is working through us in ways that we are not aware of until a brother or sister in Christ points it out.  Hopefully not everybody needs to take a trip to Cameroon in order to be aware of what God is doing – both through us and through others!

                        In Christ,

                        Pastor Lynne Hutchison