The Church of One Man and Two Women #4

We are finding that the church is very much in its infancy here in Douala, Cameroon.  Our former Branch President, Brother Bongongui  is the first member of the church in Douala.  He joined the church in Paris, France in the early 1980’s.  In 1990 he moved back to Cameroon, where he found and converted his wife.  At this time there was a small group of Saints in the city of Yaounde and there is where Sister Bongongui was Baptized.  Back in Douala the Bongongui’s were the only members, faithfully meeting in their home each Sunday.  A mother of a missionary from Yaounde  came to Douala making the church membership  three people.  Brother Bongongui began doing missionary work, inviting those interested to meet with them in their home.  Soon the neighbors and investigators began to call the church “The Church of One Man and Two Women”.

 

Twelve years passed before there were enough members, (about 15) to get a small meeting house (which is still used today.)  Everyone is a first generation member with exception of their children who have been baptized.  The country of Cameroon has not yet been dedicated for the preaching of the Gospel.  We are hoping that sometime this year that this will happen.  We have heard that Elder Holland may be the one to come and dedicate Cameroon.  Wouldn’t that be wonderful!  

At this time there are two Branches in Yaounde, soon to be split into three and one branch in Douala with a small group in Bonaberi that operates under the Douala Branch Presidency.   The Elders are teaching many people. During the two months we have been here they have baptized eight new members.  The many problems that face the Church in Cameroon are the break down of the family unit, alcohol, and terrible poverty.  Many live together because the man can’t afford the bride price demanded by the woman’s village.  The unemployment is very high, no industry to speak of.  It seems as though all are just scrambling to earn enough for a roof and bread.  The  Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of Africa.  But as you can see we are no longer “The Church of One Man and Two Women”.

A Brother Zenga from Temporal Affairs was in Douala on church business last week.  We took him into downtown to buy an airline ticket at the airline office.  We were having a hard time finding it so our Branch President was on his phone asking directions.  The horrible traffic kept us at a snails pace for a block or two and then a mad rush to the next intersection as the traffic cleared.  During one of our slowdowns a man came to our car window trying to sell us a nice  map of Cameroon.  Actually we wanted to buy one to take home with us but suddenly the traffic moved on.  A ways up the road we slowed and once again our vender appeared, calling out a price.  We shook our heads no,  too much.  We raced ahead, the Branch president saying turn left.  The vender ran on, stumbling over the piles of road construction rocks on the road.  He called to us in pretty good English, "You are in Cameroon and you need to know where you are."  We turned, circling the block looking for the ticket office and failing to find it, we parked to ask for directions.  A tap on the window, and the map salesman (smiling big) held up the map again, this time calling out a lower price.  He had chased us up and down the streets until he was drenched in sweat.  We offered an even lower price. No no the salesman said, I must eat, so we paid the 3000CFA (about 6 US dollars). Our Branch President asked him if he knew where we needed to go, and the map salesman spoke to a Moto driver and told us to follow the Moto.  Four blocks further we arrived at our destination.  Elder Willis and I sat in the car while Brother Zenga and President Njampou bought the ticket.  We sat and looked at our map.  Tap tap on the window.  The salesman had found us . Once again he had run through the streets to catch us.  His new sales pitch was (as he held up a map of the World) since we had a map of Cameroon we needed a map of the World so we would know where Cameroon was.  We now have a World map to go with our Cameroon map. As I paid him his money I said, you have worked hard to sell these maps.  His reply, you have to work very hard to eat in Africa.  Life is very hard here.

Five new Elders will arrive from the MTC next week.  Our Elder Thompson is being transferred to Pointe Noire, Congo (we will miss him) and two Elders go home.  The work goes forward; read 2 Nephi 26:24-28.  Our Elders are the best we think.  How hard they work.  We paid the rent out in Bonaberi today and the landlords said how clean the apartment was and  what nice young men they were for being so young.  They are their best tenants.   We are so proud of them.

From Missionaries in New Bell

We are working towards the Temple trip in July,  The members love to go and they have to sacrifice and struggle to go.  The Temple can only accommodate 70 because of housing, so not everyone will be able to go.  They know this, and are very sad. 

Be Grateful,

Elder and Sister Willis