 spent the month of February and March in the USA crisscrossing more than 10 states and several towns – encouraging, connecting, speaking, and mobilizing.
Traveling can be fun, but also arduous, and sometimes, lonesome. The lonely times allow ample time for introspection and reflection, which I get to do a lot, especially while driving or in hotel rooms - alone. A passage that came to mind several times as I traveled recently is, Mark 1:38:
“He said to them, LET’S GO ELSEWHERE INTO THE NEXT TOWNS, THAT I MAY PREACH THERE ALSO, BECAUSE I CAME OUT FOR THIS REASON.”
Jesus did not confine His blessings to single locations. He went around doing good. He sought to reach as many souls as possible. He did not wait for people to come to Him, but He carried the news to them. He also taught us by example that His Gospel is for everyone, and not for any particular place or people. He taught us to make the most of our lives and opportunities, share the blessings of grace as widely as we can, and tell as many people as possible the good news of God’s love. He wants His Church to keep on preaching the gospel to the ‘next towns’ until there is not a town left where the message hasn’t reached.
Part of the purpose of Jesus being in this world was to show us a pattern of a true life. The way He lived His life is, the highest example of what consecrated ministry should be. In Mark 1:38, we have a glimpse of the way Jesus sought to do good: He went around, carrying and sharing the blessings of grace and love. He seems to be eager to get to as many places as possible. He has the look and the movement of a man who knows He doesn’t have long to stay, and has a lot to do before He goes away!
We see so much here that we should model. We are here in this world on an assignment to carry the ‘good news’ of Jesus to others, and to be a blessing to them. We have something to give to the world: a message from the Father to deliver to His children who struggle and are in need. It is a message of hope and encouragement that God loves them and wants to bless and protect them. What we do, we must do quickly. We must go from one person to another and from one town to the next - with the gifts of love, help, and comfort which God has given us to pass on!
What’s the next town? I invite you to join us in Cameroon in the spring of 2020 as we commemorate 25 years of passing on the BREAD with several outreaches and an opportunity to see, touch and feel the impact of your partnership with BFL.
To the next town with you,
Ernest
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 March 22, BFL kick-stated its 25th Anniversary Celebration in Kerrville, TX. We were overjoyed by the large number of guests who showed their support and joined us in celebrating the work God has done. We welcomed more than 300 guests from six supporting churches, from four states, and four countries. We were delighted by a time of fellowship fostered among guests as they shared a meal and listened to several testimonials as well as our keynote speaker, Rick Malm, the founder of our mission agency, Commission To Every Nation.
We were greatly encouraged by the gathering which in many ways is a wonderful affirmation of what God has done in the past and how He is still moving. The celebration served as a reminder that God is always working and always faithful. We look forward to witnessing God’s faithfulness as we continue to serve across the street and from town to town, village to village and communities in the future.
We look forward to celebrating the real anniversary in 2020 in Yaoundé with several outreaches. This will be a great opportunity for friends and supporters to visit Cameroon to see, touch, and feel the effect of their prayers and partnership.
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had the opportunity in February and March to visit more than 10 states and several cities, connect with several friends and partners, and develop new ministry relationships and partnerships with individuals and institutions. I also had the privilege to speak in five churches across the USA. What a blessing it was to challenge and mobilize the church for short and long term mission work. Overall, my time in the USA, although too long, was very productive.  I am hoping to travel with one or more members of my family for six week in July and August this year. Our schedule is wide open. Let us know if you will like to organize a speaking engagement in your area or simply connect us with others.
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 lot happened in our sustainable demonstration and teaching farm in 2018 including the planting of over 50,000 pineapples! This project is gradually moving towards sustainability. We now harvest several hundred pineapples weekly and hope to triple or quadruple that amount in 2019 as we replant.
Without irrigation in the farm, we try to focus on crops that can withstand drought. We will be sharing more about developments at the farm in our June newsletter. We have introduced rabbits, goats and we are looking at starting a poultry soon. The poultry will be used for multiple things: chicken dropping for fertilizers and eggs for community nutrition.
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rubber-band is worthless unless you stretch it. When you do, it can hold things together and keep things in order. God wants to use each of us in greater ways that requires that we be willing to be stretched. When God stretches us, it is always for a purpose.Jesus trained His early followers by stretching them. After they watched him minister to the crowd (LK 8:1), he sent them out in two’s.  First, the twelve, then the seventy two (LK 10:1). They weren’t sent out because of their maturity – but in part, to move them towards maturity.Stretching often happens when we step out of our comfort zone. Has God been nudging you? Have you ever thought about stepping out of your comfort zone - a little? It’s time to be stretched!
Look around you and you will see a field that is ripe for the harvest. Part of our godly assignment is allowing God to stretch us for the greater good of others. The single greatest obstacle to the impact of the Gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out. Join us on a vision or mission trip to Cameroon and see how God can stretch and use you!
We have several opportunities for individuals and groups interested in experiencing the “GO” in the Great Commission. Take the first step; Contact us!
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