Rainy Season

The rainy season has started earlier than in other years. But I have heard that the weather is a little different than normal in several places in the world. Almost every day it is rainy, albeit only briefly. The grass in front of our house has slowly become completely yellow, so it is good that the rainy season has begun. As usual in the tropics, the rain comes with tremendous violence on your roofs and yesterday it was also associated with heavy wind. And yes, then it happened that somewhere a rickety electricity pole falls down and we are out of power again.

Incidentally, the last week we were already rationed with the power because of the drought. So now we are partially without power because of the rain and by the storm!
Just this morning, I thought: "Ah, there is power and enough water pressure. I may put my laundry in the washing machine." Very often we have to wait on that combination! But when I arrived in the laundry room, no power! Tough luck. Later on I have washed a part of the laundry by hand. That worked well. Yeah, there's always something wrong. Neither power, nor water, or no internet or whatever!
But we still survive and are grateful for what we do have!
We are still together! There is still plenty to eat and to drink available. Even wine, sometimes! Often we eat by candlelight, can it be more romantic?

By the way: 26 February - our anniversary! We have been married for 38 years!
Praise God!

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Rainy Season ... Left: The building with the library of RFIS (with classrooms and computer)
Right ... the car that I can borrow this year by Helma .... All alone in the rain on a Saturday morning at school.

School

The annual Retreat Week for RFIS was held a few weeks ago. All the students and teachers went to a nice location somewhere outside Yaoundé. They left on Tuesday and returned on Friday. Besides time for reflection, there was time for sports and games.
  They were also given various workshops. Sinco had two workshops on his behalf, namely non-verbal communication and something very different and special: He taught how to tie various knots with rope.

 It has been a very special week for all of them. Almost all the pupils have had very constructive experiences for their faith. Some of the Cameroonian students are not Christians, but at school they join the Bible Programs, and that certainly has had a positive effect. During this week most guys were willing to think about their life and the way they can choose for a better behavior. At the end of the week many pupils have given heartwarming testimonies.

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Some pictures during the retreat: "Choices" ... and some guys from Sinco's small group (Bible study) after a sports activity

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Sport

At RFIS sports are very important and often the students play matches on Saturday. Other schools are invited and there are often many non-Christians.

The school has a special drama evangelism team and between the matches, or afterwards, the team stages drama pieces. They perform a theme or lesson from the Bible to the public. A passage from the Bible is read and commented on.  Then Bible booklets are too distributed.

Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day a special night was organized on Friday. All the students and their siblings and parents as well as the teachers with their partners were welcome.
The students organized all the preparations and the set up by themselves, with help from a few teachers and parents. They had also prepared a meal. Tables had been arranged along the edges at the large sports field and were nicely covered. There was music and lighting, and there was a real 3-course menu. The students were dressed in style! An opportunity to dance was given after the delicious meal. Sinco and I watched the spectacle and loved to see how young and old were dancing and all had great fun.

Biology

In biology classes sometimes they do lab work. Last week Sinco took a fish as a model. The fish was expertly cut apart to show how beautiful and artfully it is put together. A wonderful creative piece of art by our Creator! In May Sinco hopes to slaughter a pig.
 With a digital camera on the "desk" the whole class could follow the spectacle on the screen very well at the screen behind Sinco.

Automation

Since last week the parents can see the results of their children online. That is especially helpful for parents who work far away.

On the right the director and her husband with an IT assistant were very happy when it all worked: Headmaster online!

Guests

Occasionally we invite guests to our home. One night we have had three Cameroonian girls over for dinner. Lovely girls with spirit and great plans for the future. One of them wants to be a member in the government one day! The Cameroonian children who attend RFIS are mostly of rich families, and some of them are surely very ambitious, and possibly can come in influential positions in the future.

“Elementary School”

The Highschool organizes very nice happenings so the teachers of the Elementary School on our compound decided to organize a fun day for the younger kids. One Friday, one of the days that I keep an eye on the playing children during recess, I discovered that there was a" pot luck "organized. All the parents of the children had come. They gathered on the field in front of our house around tables with food and drinks. Afterwards they played games together, and finally there was ice cream!

Finally

Grandpa Sinco with our little neighbor Fortuna

It's such a funny child, she does not say one word, and not even smiles at us, but loves to be pampered. As soon as she sees us she comes to us.
When she plays with her siblings, I can hear her increasingly comment as normal for a one year old toddler.
 

Married for 38 years!

Sinco got the afternoon off to celebrate our wedding anniversary. First we went by the local yellow taxi to the French club. We had heard many good stories about this place. But once we were there, it seemed to be an old dilapidated place. We took a drink, had a look at the place with sports fields and a swimming pool, and decided not to stay for a meal. We seemed to be the only guests that day. With another taxi we went to Café Yaoundé, a cozy restaurant. We have been there once to celebrate a Birthday party. But this restaurant was closed .... so, by another local "taxi" we went to the Dolce Vita in the center of  Yaounde to take an ice cream anyway. It was actually a nice restaurant and we enjoyed the activity in the street below and stayed there and ordered a wonderful "wedding meal"..

Fascinating lizards

This lizard is very common here. Isn’t it a beauty?

Until next time!

Our postal address in Cameroon:

www.rfis.org

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