What's Up In Bamenda

As we are “winding down” the school year, things seem like they are in fast pace. Here are a few pics of the month.

Emily receives her first Communion

Joy gets to hold a chimpanzee

Josh has three stitches in his knee

Joy starts a sing along and story time in one of the nearby quarters (neighborhoods)

Tiffany visits from California

Josh graduates from Primary 6

We celebrate the Centenary of Missionaries in Cameroon, culminating with a Mass at the Cathedral.

-Joy

Centenary Celebration and Priestly Ordinations

It’s been quite a week for us!  The kids finished school, each one performing wonderfully during the end-of-the-year performance and graduation.  They all did very well in school.  The delegate for education in the Northwest region commented on how “completely integrated” our children are.  Josh was featured prominently in his role as school prefect and the #1 student in the school.  We are all looking forward to our summer!

I’ve been busily grading papers and final exams this week in order to submit the grades to the seminary.  In addition to teaching two classes on the Church Fathers, Joy and I together taught a Pastoral Counseling course to the final year seminarians.  It went very well, although we wish we had more time to prepare them (if anyone in this country is going to seek counseling, most likely they will go to the priest).

The big event was the centenary celebration, the crowning event after two years of preparation.  There were two cardinals, over 25 bishops, and about 200 priests.  I was privileged to offer “color commentary” during the Mass for the live broadcast on the Catholic radio station.  In addition to marking 100 years since the first missionaries came to Cameroon, it was also the ordination ceremony for nine priests and seven deacons for the Archdiocese of Bamenda.  I was quite moved to see the culmination of a long journey for these men, knowing that I had a part in their formation.

In his homily, the Cardinal Prefect for Evangelization (from Rome), whom I would say is in the top three in terms of the most important positions in the Church, asked us to renew our commitment to be “fellow workers with God” (the theme verse for the centenary and also for Lay Mission Helpers).  It is an honor and privilege for us to be here in the transition into the next 100 years of the faith here in Cameroon.  May each one of us renew our commitment to live and proclaim the Good News!

-Pete

We Are Fellow-Workers With God

May 1st is Labor Day in most countries in the world.  It is a national holiday here in Cameroon.  It is also the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.  I’ve been reflecting on how God is a “worker,” and how the work we do, whatever vocation we have, is a co-operation with God’s work.  When God created the world, the sun and the stars, all the animals and plants, the pinnacle of His work was to create us in His image and likeness.  He gave us the work of “having dominion” over the earth and all its creatures (Genesis 1:26).  We are stewards of creation.  We participate in God’s work.

Here in NW Cameroon, we are celebrating exactly 100 years since the first missionaries came to share the Good News with people who had never heard of Jesus Christ.  The theme verse for Lay Mission Helpers is: “we are God’s helpers” (1 Cor. 3:9).  This verse is also the theme verse for this year’s centenary celebrations here in the Archdiocese of Bamenda—“we are fellow workers with God.”   

As for my family and I, we feel so very privileged to serve with LMH at this special moment in the history of Cameroon.  I truly believe the work we are doing here, even just being here, just enjoying time together as a family, is a participation in God’s work.

May this be true for all of us!  In our jobs, in our work at home, in all that we do throughout each day, may we be conscious that God is with us, and that we are doing what God has called to do, that we are participating in the work of God.

The peak commemoration Mass for the centenary is coming up at the end of this month.  Stay tuned for news about it.  For almost two years now, in preparation for this celebration, we have been praying the following prayer whenever we attend Mass.  It has become so very meaningful to me.  I pray that it will be meaningful to you as you pray it with us…

Loving Father,

You have made us good and beautiful in your own image.

We praise and thank you for calling us to be your children

and to share in your life and love through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Gentle Savior,

You are the vine, and we are the branches.

May we be one with you as you are one with the Father.

Renew in us your call to be witnesses to you

as we celebrate the centenary of the proclamation of your Good News in our Archdiocese.

Holy Spirit,

Come to us.  Strengthen us in our response to our call.

Make us new in mind, heart and spirit.

Lead us to the fullness of truth and in the paths of the New Evangelization.

Empower us and let us be gentle instruments to renew the face of the earth.

Make us fellow workers with God by building up communities of faith and love.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, pray for us.

St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us.  Amen.

-Pete

(2 May 2014)

Plastic (Part I)

About two months ago I started hearing murmurings in the market that they would no longer have “paper” for food items.  By paper they are referring to the thin quality plastic bags that we purchase everything in---sugar, flour, vegetables, peanuts, foo foo corn and use as grocery bags.  I was concerned and asked many people what the plan would be for replacing these bags.  The answer was always the same. “We will use something else.”

Non biodegradable plastic bags were officially banned April 25, but as yet we have seen no replacement bags (though we hear that biodegradable bags will be available soon).  People are using newspaper or banana leaves or just handing you your groceries without a bag. Shopping is now quite difficult unless you bring your own bags from home.

Plastic has become quite a problem here. Below are some cited effects of plastic:

• Plastic bags constitute 10% of the 6,000,000 tons of municipal waste generated in Cameroon annually.
• Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
• The United Nations Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of the ocean.
• Plastic bags are often mistakenly ingested by animals, clogging their intestines which results in the death by starvation. 
• Greenpeace says at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered.

The pictures show a promotional hat to encourage people to take care of the environment, by not using plastic.

The bags you see in one picture have soap in them.

The paper cone in one picture is how I now buy my egussi (pumpkin seeds—used in many sauces here).

I am not the greatest environmentalist, but here it is easier to see the effects of plastic.  In our house, we have three trash bins----one for compost, one to burn, and one to take to the dumpster (downtown).  I am surprised to see what people try and burn here - coke bottles, coffee cans, glass. There is no recycling that I know of (though people us liquor bottles to sell peanuts in).  I am glad that Cameroon is taking these steps to improve the environment of this beautiful country.  I hope that recycling will be the next step and that new bags come SOON.

-Joy