 has been a year of incredible milestones. We started the year with a sense that it was going to be “A Year of Acceleration.” It sure has: Pastors Conferences and training on Expository preaching in four regions of Cameroon; Seven teams from different parts of the USA & Europe joined us in Cameroon; we assisted in a new church plant in Yaoundé; worked with Samaritan’s Feet to distribute over 300 pairs of new shoes to the “least of these” and at the same time presented the message of hope in several villages; one of our sponsored students graduated from a Lands & Surveys school and we added another student in the list to attend the university of Buea; we experienced tremendous growth at the farm with the planting of over 40,000 pineapples and experimented with other new crops; we built two staff and team houses in the farm, built a water tower; we consulted almost 1,000 with eye problems in three villages and gave out glasses, too; Ministry was conducted in several prisons across Cameroon; more than 4,000 decisions for Christ through various outreaches; 5,000 books dealing with the heresies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses were donated to us by Missionary Crusader as well as the cost of shipping!
Two visits were made to the USA with stops in Europe where we developed a partnership with a major agricultural university in the city of Den Bosch in the Netherlands. A visit was made to neighboring Nigeria to assess the Cameroonian refugee situation and to find practical and sustainable ways to help. I was privileged to speak at the Federal University of Lokoja in Kogi state where we adopted a 23 year old student into our scholarship program. This student had converted to Christianity and was ostracized by his family with all kinds of threats (a powerful testimony of what is happening among young Muslim converts). Four containers were shipped out of Dallas and Atlanta with donated items for various ministries. Although monthly receipts were still under 50 percent, one-time giving doubled our monthly receipts. I can go on and on about the faithfulness of God and His provision through His people in 2018!
|
|
I’m filled with deep gratitude for your faithfulness to the work of BFL. I have truly felt the warmth of your concern, seen the effect of your prayers and been moved to give thanks to God for the positive impact your partnership is making as thousands of struggling people across a region plagued with unemployment, uncertainty and confusion are offered hope. Hope and promise that no leader, no nation, no movement could ever equal. Many are responding to that promise and seeing their lives transformed.
As we approach a new year, would you consider praying for our “Gideon 300” goal of being fully funded? We will need about 250 people giving $25 monthly for this to happen. At the moment, we are blessed with nine churches and 30 individuals who give faithfully monthly. This accounts for about 50 percent of what we need to cover our operations. A typical ministry doing what we do and with the same number of staff that we have would operate on more than ten times our present budget. “Gideon 300” are those who commit to make a gift of $25 or more monthly to cover the monthly operational needs of BFL. A recurring gift provides sustainable income, enabling our team to plan and implement their work with confidence and certainty.
Thank you for allowing God to use you and your sphere of influence in His work through BFL. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Ernest
|
|
|
So much happened in 2018. It will be impossible to highlight all of it at once. All of it was possible because of your prayers and generosity. For the sake of space, we will only highlight the work in Prison, led by Emmanuel Chongwan and the Agricultural & Community Nutrition led by Dr. Michael Tita and Caleb Tata.
|
|
|
Our vision to develop a multi-purpose base for use as a launching pad for several community outreaches is becoming a reality! In 2018, we experienced real acceleration at the farm as two full time senior staff were added. Caleb Tata, who has worked part time since completing a Master’s in Nutrition from the University of Ghana joined us full-time to focus on addressing malnutrition in communities around the farm. Dr. Michael Tita, a veterinary doctor, took over the leadership of our agricultural arm and our goal of developing a fully integrated farm with plants, birds, animals and aquaculture is gradually becoming a reality.
More than 40,000 pineapples were planted in about 2 acres of land. Two temporary houses were built for staff and teams with some local materials. A water tank was built. We are presently constructing a poultry house for 2,500 layers to produce eggs to use in sustainably addressing the prevalent malnourishment among the Baka Pygmy community and also using the droppings for manure!
|
|
 BFL continues to serve as a catalyst for outreaches to prisons across Cameroon. It’s been our firm believe that no life is beyond the reach of God’s power. We envision a future in which countless prisoners and their families are redeemed, restored and reconciled through the love of Jesus Christ. Although our primary focus has been in the main prison in Yaoundé, where a facility built for 800 inmates now houses almost 5,000 inmates, Emmanuel Chongwa and his team also traveled across the country ministering in several prisons. More than 3,500 made decisions for Christ in Prisons across the nation in 2018. More than 200 prisoners identified with Christ through water baptism.
So grateful to a retired pastor in Texas who faithfully supports the prison ministry with $500 monthly. One hundred percent of what he gives goes to further our ministry in prisons.
|
|
Joachim Simekok like most Baka Pygmies is smallish in stature and unassuming. However, he is a man with a big heart, a burden and a vision to reach his people. He had the opportunity to live outside his impoverished village of Loussou and married a woman from a more “civilized tribe.” His brother is the chief of Loussou, a Baka Pygmy community. The chief like others in this community literally stay drunk with whiskey that is sold in small sachets for about 20 cent or with local concoctions. The afflictions marasmus and kwashiorkor are prevalent and noticeable among children. The absence of protein in their diet is further compounded by other disease epidemics. There seems to be no hope.
Timber exploiters encroached their natural habitation with the promise of giving them a “better life.” However, when timber is all gone, they are left only with a drinking culture.
Joachim married Janet Mayele when they were both very young and they are blessed with six children ranging in age from 2 to 20. They both became Christians and felt a burden to move back to their community in Loussou to pioneer a church (a daunting task) with absolutely no resources.
Joachim heard about the work of Bread For Life several years ago and wrote us a long letter asking us to come over and help. We responded. We initiated a sustainable project (Beulahland Farms which we hope will eventually help solve the challenges of poverty and malnourishment. We also brought a staff on full time to address nutritional issues.
About two years ago Joachim received three weeks of bible and leadership training from Mark Waite, a ministry friend. Last year a short term team with BFL helped baptized over 10 new believers in his church. We also started molding blocks to eventually build a place of worship for this community. We are trusting the Lord to mold at least 10,000 blocks during this coming dry season and by the end of 2019 help erect a place of worship for this community. We are hoping as we develop our sustainable farm base that it will provide a base for work and other resources for this community as we join Joachim and Janet in bringing the light and life of Christ among the Baka Community of Loussou.
|
|
Our recent eye clinic mission began with visiting the difficult-to-reach Baka Pygmy tribe in East Cameroon. Although our team regularly does mission work in third world countries, this village was one of the poorest we’ve ever seen and we were particularly struck by the evidence of severe malnutrition among the children with their distended bellies and fungal skin infections. Bread for Life has made significant progress in reaching this distant village and we were able to worship together in their tiny stick frame church.
In our first eye clinic in Doume, we examined 450 patients in two days, among whom were a surprising number of albino children whose severe vision problems were dramatically helped by strong prescription eyewear. One child walked 26 kilometers with his mother to reach our clinic that day. Other patients, such as this 78 year old woman, were also dramatically helped and were so excited to see that they jumped up and began to shout and praise God. Many tried to rush out of the building, clutching their precious treasure their hands, obviously afraid we might change our minds and take them away.
We wish everyone could see how their outdated prescription glasses bring such joy to others and often keep them able to do productive work for their families. These prescription glasses we used were collected by the Lions Club from donations all over the USA. It was a privilege to be able to distribute these glasses to such needy and grateful people.
Dr. Steve & Nicole are from a supporting church in Cameroon.
|
|
Although our official 25th Anniversary will be in 2020 in Cameroon, we want to kick start the celebration in the USA in 2019 with a Banquet in Kerrville, TX on March 22nd 2019. We will like to invite everyone who God has used to support this work in any form to join us in Kerrville. Please RSVP @ ernest@breadforlife.org
|
|
|
|
