Freedom

I was in the middle of teaching about Evangelism when my phone rang. It was a strange number and I picked up the phone and put it back down without answering. A few seconds later, I decided to answer.

The voice on the other side was a strange one but they kept shouting, Mama Yaya, Mama Yaya and something else that I could not understand. I finally asked, "Who is calling?"

"Mama Yaya, It's Schwartz." I only know one Schwartz in Cameroon and he is one of the juveniles we minister to inside the Prison. My heart started racing because they are not allowed to have phones and I wasn't sure what to think.

"Schwartz?? Are you ok?"

"Mama Yaya, I'm out, I'm out!"

"What do you mean you're out? "

"I have been released, I am no more in Prison!"

Now I started screaming and tears began to flow! My poor students looked at me in confusion and asked, "What is it? Auntie Yaya are you ok?" I told them that Schwartz had been released and they joined in the screaming. All of us began dancing. (literally - these students have been working with me in the Prison and know him.) Schwartz told us where he was and we made a beeline to his location. 
                                                                                 

                                                                                     

Schwartz asked us to come to his home and meet his family. He introduced us and then began to tell us and his family what God has done for him in the last few years. He apologized to his family for what he has taken them through and thanked us for what we have taught him and explained to his family how we impacted his life. He pledged to all of us that he was truly a different person and we would see the "fruit" of not giving up on him. He gave a very powerful testimony. My Mama heart swelled and threatened to burst.

The next day Schwartz came to Bethel Cameroon for our family fellowship and he brought a friend with him. HAPPY does not begin to describe what I felt. I could barely sit still the entire night and it was so difficult to focus. It was hard for me to believe he was actually there. The Lord continues to blow my mind.

Our team will begin spending time with Schwartz and his family weekly on Friday. Our goal is to provide he and his family love and Discipleship just as we did with him when he was incarcerated.


Our next meeting with the Youthful Offenders in Prison was a true celebration. In addition to celebrating Schwartz, 2 others were made aware that they would be released the next afternoon.

We were able to bless the Youthful Offenders Ward with 2 Good and Evil comic book Bibles and an electric shaver. The boys will be establishing a business within the prison. Other inmates will come to them to have hair cut. They will save the money and once a month they will all decide how to spend the profit. They may choose to buy food, soap, toiletries etc. that will benefit all of them. The Cameroon prison provides one meal a day for inmates and that is it. Any other food or necessities must come from your family and friends. Sadly, many inmates are abandoned by their families and friends. Our hope is that they will all learn a new skill that will benefit them when they are out of the prison as well. 

Schwartz desires to finish High School. He is 18 and has a few years of school to complete. Would you be interested in helping to sponsor his next year of education? $250 will help to pay his tuition, purchase uniforms/books and provide a bit of transportation money to get him there.

Thank you all for everything you do to make my life in Cameroon possible. Without you, stories like this would not told. Your prayers, your gifts and sacrifices changes lives around the world on a daily basis.

Flashback Friday (a tad bit late) and Random Facts about Yaya

If you know me at all you know that I'm not your average bear. I used to love to say that I'm FAR FROM NORMAL and quite ok with that. Since the Lord has invaded my life, I find that most Christians don't like to hear these types of things. In fact, they tend to think that people who use language like this are a tiny bit weird!

These days I'm on a journey of self discovery - as in who God says Yaya is and not who people say she is or even the person I may have created. Through this blog, you will get a bit of insight into who  God created when He made me. Buckle your seat belts, this is a chance to see into me, the good, bad and ugly!

I'm grateful to have found a church full of others who are FAR FROM NORMAL as well. My awesome not so normal, Pastor's wife, Missy, has challenged some of her friends to blog for the next 30 days. She has come up with topics that are sure to let you in on the "secret" that I'm not your average Missionary! Since I was so far behind with my normal blog, I accepted her challenge. My blog will take on a different feel for a bit. In an effort to catch up with her timetable, I'm combining Friday and Saturday's topics in one blog post.

Flashback Friday was supposed to talk about our very first celebrity crush... Here we go... No judgement allowed, it was our FIRST crush remember!

The first crush that I remember having was "Leroy" from FAME! Leroy's real name is Gene Anthony Ray.                                                              

        

I was obsessed with his corn rows, muscles, and his dancing ability. I thought it was so cute that a boy would have braids and dance... I can't stand guys with braids today! Interesting how things change! Now that I'm looking at these pictures, I'm wondering where the muscles are that I was so in love with????

Random Facts about Yaya...

1. Since we are talking about crushes... My "dream" guy is 6ft 4, 220 lbs, Dark Chocolate and Bald! Those of you who know me well, saw that coming, didn't you?? I'm not sure he actually exists in Yaya's world because I haven't met him yet... Are you keeping an eye out for me? :-)

2. I love music and dancing. I don't have one particular genre of music that is a favorite, I can fall in love with ALMOST any music. While dancing isn't my greatest skill, I'm sure my love of dance is from my rebellious nature... I grew up in a very strict Pentecostal church where dancing and listening to secular music was forbidden! My friends and I (friends from said church) secretly recorded music from the radio and danced ourselves silly when our parents weren't around! Thank God for FREEDOM and TRUTH! As an adult, I took various dance classes off and on for years.

3. I love, love, love monkeys and would have one as a pet if I could.

4. I once kissed a random salesman during a mission trip when bargaining for one of my kids! Catch your breath, it was a kiss on the cheek!

5. I'm terrible at card games. I can never remember the rules and mix up different games in my head!

6. One of the things I miss the most while living a life overseas, is Live Music and Theater. I would skip 10 movies to pay for one good Broadway Show anytime!

7. Despite what people think, my natural personality is quiet and shy. I'm a serious introvert and I HATE public speaking! In small groups of people that I know well, I can talk your head off!

There's a tiny peek into the not so normal world of Yaya. I would love to hear random facts about YOU!

For those of you that are curious, here's a link to my Pastor's wife's blog. You can see for yourself just how not so normal we all are!  http://www.joyfulnonconformist.com/2014/08/august-insanity-blog-challenge-because.html

Updates and Prayer Requests

Hello Everyone!

It has been so long since my last update but hopefully as you read this you will understand why!

Things have been extremely busy here in Cameroon and one of the biggest reasons is because I have a baby in the house!

Emmanuel aka Moose is 8 months old today and has been with me since April (off and on) He was kidnapped or sold from Nigeria and was placed in the custody of the orphanage pending child trafficking charges. He became ill and the orphanage asked me to keep him so that we can keep him safe and his medical needs would be well taken care of. A few months ago the orphanage asked me to keep him indefinitely while the case is being heard in court because he is thriving while in my care. The orphanage doesn't have the staff to adequately care for him and he would spend all day in a crib. When I took him, at 4 months old, he could not lift his head or turn over etc., he would only lie on his back and cry. Today, he is a healthy, happy boy who is lifting his head, has learned to sit up and loves to "dance." When we have our devotions in the morning he goes crazy for the music! I love him dearly and will seek to adopt him if his parents are not found and he is released for adoption by the Cameroon government. Please keep Emmanuel and everyone involved in his case in your prayers. 

Ministry Updates:

                                                             

Our Ministry name in Cameroon has changed and we are finally registered with the government as a legal ministry in Cameroon. Our new name is Daughters of Destiny International. We have the equivalent of a 501c3 in America. I'm thrilled! We will be changing things in America soon.

                                                                               

We started the restaurant portion of Destiny's Delights in April at a place in our neighboring beach town of Limbe. We began with selling meatballs, scotch eggs, burgers and cake. Unfortunately, the place was robbed shortly after we left one night so for the safety of my girls, I stopped sales there. We have been in negotiations with the Council of Limbe for another location that we will pursue after the rainy season is over.

Cake sales have been good, we were averaging 200 or so a week, but with the arrival of rainy season and the students from the University on break, things have slowed down tremendously. This is NOT a surprise. The rains are so heavy June-Aug that everything in the city slow down. I am sure that we will see a big change when students return to town and the rains have ceased.

The owner of a local ice cream shop that sells our cake is in the process of building the first "Mall" in Buea. She has asked if Destiny's Delights will manage the food court! We are still negotiating prices and space but I am excited about the possibilities. Will you be praying with us?

Our students and I went to the orphanage 3 days a week to help with the children and providing some basic medical help. We did this until June when we needed to prep more for KLA and when the kids finished school. We bathed the kids, fed them, helped prepare additional meals, swept, mopped and cleaned the mattresses in all of the dorms. We also passed out drugs and took many children to the hospital. We are desperately praying for the ability to hire a nurse full time (or 2 part time) to assist with the kids. This would cost about $200 per month. We are also looking for sponsors for vitamins, iron, and de-worm medication for the kids. This is $500 for a 3 month supply of all and transportation for someone to administer the meds.

Our Prison Outreach has changed and we now have permission to provide a non denominational church service for the Juvenile's that are incarcerated and anyone else who wishes to participate. We are working on a plan to minister more to the wardens within the prison as well. They have asked for this and so have our students. Through our partnership with Bethel Cameroon, we have trained students to work within the prison, hospital and orphanage. The fruit we are seeing from this partnership is AMAZING!  Please be praying with us as we begin the new Sunday Fellowship next week!

Our Kingdom Leadership Academy (also in partnership with Bethel Cameroon) started on July 11. 8 Graduates from BC are living in a dorm and we are providing Leadership training 10-4 Monday - Friday. This is true Discipleship. We are teaching them how to lead in the areas of Teaching/Administration, Worship and Outreach(Missions)/Community Development. In addition, all participants are being coached for their personal goals and receive counseling for their inner healing. The students have to "work" to pay for their training and they are providing the weekly baking for Destiny's Delights as part of their work. When they graduate in Sept. they will be eligible to work for Bethel and/or Daughters of Destiny in various capacities. We are excited to be part of raising up the next generation of leaders. I am teaching 2-3 days a week, it's challenging but good.

Personal updates and prayer requests:
My health is so much better. I am not experiencing the high levels of pain and fatigue and I am almost functioning at 100%. I still need more sleep than I used to but that may just be a part of getting older.

My father has been hospitalized a few times in a few weeks and I am a bit concerned about him. My family and I are trying to make plans for his future because he is not currently in a safe place. I would like to make an unexpected trip home to help care for him and decide what to do. The flight is about $3,000, would you be willing to help with financial assistance or airline miles? My church has raised about $1100 to help with this. I would plan to be in the US about a month unless his health dictates me being there longer and I would like to leave mid August. If you can donate, hit the donate button in the upper left hand corner of the blog or message me for where you can send a check.



Thanks as always for all of your prayers and support! I love and appreciate you!