Here are two very interesting updates from the Scott Family in Bekondo, Cameroon, Africa.  MUMC provides sponsorship for the Scott Family through our Missions Team.  The Scott Family is looking forward to returning to Canada for a three month period to celebrate the marriage of a daughter.  I find it fascinating to read about what this family experiences in Cameroon while translating the Bible into the Oroko language.   Becky Scott reports:
March 30, 2015
March is almost done, and in just 2 weeks from today, we fly to Canada.
That is, assuming the kids’ Canadian passports arrive before then – Mike got
his paperwork last week, but not the kids’!  Hopefully the passports will
arrive by Wednesday, so our teammates, the Friesens, can pick them up when
they’re in Yaounde; otherwise it will mean a lot more effort for us to get
them….

The World Team conference is now finished, china deformed steel bar and we slid our way back into the
village on Friday – the “mini rainy-season” is here so there are rains every
day or two, but things should dry up for a while before the real rainy
season hits in June or so.  We didn’t change into mud tires in Kumba but DID
throw the chains in, in case they were needed; we didn’t need them, but did
end up “crab-walking” (driving almost side-ways) the last block to our house
:).  This was after 8+ hours on the road, including 5 police/safety stops,
one of which they were threatening to impound the vehicle as we didn’t have
a “park sticker” on our vehicle – required for taxis to use the “taxi
parks”, and even though we aren’t a taxi, I guess since our vehicle seats
more than 5 people, we are supposed to pay the $40-60 every year for this.
Sigh.  One more piece of paper, one more yearly expense.  Anyway, it’s good
to be back here, one week “off” to catch up on work and then one week of
translation before we leave.  Current plans are to go to the beach for the
last weekend before we fly out – gotta make sure we have that tan to prove
we’ve been in Africa, or something!

When we were in Yaounde, we experienced more bug bites than usual, and for
Mike and I, unusually large bites.  Mike was finally able to prove they were
due to the Tumbu Fly (otherwise known as “skin maggot” – see
http://worldteam.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=73e384986a6cb6ee03c7ff17
4&id=a0c87e8d6b&e=3b060d4515 – common where there are lots of mango trees,
which fits the Yaounde area) – it’s never nice to be able to squeeze little
worms out of your skin, but it feels much better to get them out!  Because
of the timing and because the kids (and Mary) weren’t getting them, the only
conclusion we could reach is that it was because of the bed sheets – our
first ever problem with them in Yaounde.  Hopefully the experience won’t be
repeated…!  We were glad to escape the stomach flu which was slowly
circulating during conference, but I came down with something similar
yesterday, so had an enforced “day of rest”, with today being much better
but still on the slow side.  We are still generally very healthy, which is
never something to take for granted!

The World Team International Director, David Riddell (see
http://worldteam.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=73e384986a6cb6ee03c7ff174
&id=9ac284dc9f&e=3b060d4515), was with us for conference (along with his
wife, Rebecca – always love having her here!), as well as Ray and Paula
Yoder.  Ray has been the “Africa Area Director” for World Team, but they are
transitioning to another position, so David finalized the plans to have an
Africa Area Transition Team to cover the bases until another Africa Area
Director is put into place, which could be 1-3 years down the road; Mike and
2 other men, including our teammate, Dan, are on the Transition Team.  This
probably means less Oroko Team work getting done, so pray for wisdom on
that!

Probably our biggest news is that, through a friend, God has provided a
house for us to rent for our 3 months in Canada!!  A friend is moving across
town and will rent her (large) current house to us for a price we can afford
🙂 .  Thanks to my brother-in-law, Kendall, we will again have use of “our
old van”.  So things are coming together.  Right now the plan is to arrive
in Calgary, take an afternoon trip to set up beds in Three Hills, then head
to Saskatchewan for a few days (including Christy’s grad) before getting
back to Three Hills to live.  We’re also trying to line up activities for
the kids (soccer, swimming, late bday party for Kenneth, etc.) in addition
to Mike’s “speaking” (churches) and travel schedule (WT meetings and
possibly a brief time in California).  Three months is not very long…!

And as we anticipate our time in Canada, we’re also figuring out what to
pack, what to put away (an ethnomusicologist and her husband will be staying
in our house for most of May), and Mary is helping the kids finish up their
last bits of schoolwork. Oh, and Kenneth received his official
invitation/acceptance to attend RFIS (the International School in Yaounde)
next year :).

So… deformed steel rebar pray for wisdom for the Oroko team with our travels as well as the
additional work of the Transition Team.  Praise for a house to rent in Three
Hills!!  Praise for safety in traveling back to Bekondo.  Pray that the
kids’ passports arrive in Yaounde SOON!  And pray as we work out the details
of our time in Canada.

Love,

Becky

April 6, 2015

Dear All,

Easter weekend is over – but the good news is that the REASON for Easter is
always there – Christ arose!

One week from today will be Kenneth’s 14th birthday, and the day that we
start our flights to Canada, so I’m not sure if you’ll hear from me or not
:).  We are hoping the kids’ Canadian passports arrive tomorrow in Yaounde
(that’s what the Cdn. High Commission has told us), which means we might be
able to get them (a roundabout way) by Thursday afternoon or Saturday at the
latest.  Without the passports, they would be able to fly on their American
passports, but not have any valid entry documents into Canada, as they can’t
enter as visitors since they are citizens….

Today was a very slow start to translation week.  By 10am there were 3
translators here, so I was able to check the last few things on Ephesians,
and turn things over to the Friesens.  There will be miscellaneous work to
do the rest of the week (including a team meeting and email), but otherwise
we’re making sure the house is ready for our 3 months away.  The translators
will be hard at work all week, and then next week 2 of them (Bea Jacob, and
Pa Aloysius) will go to Bamenda with Dan Friesen to work on the Jesus Film
script – lots of work!!

Kenneth and Laura are DONE with their school work (haven’t received the
official “OK” from the Alberta teacher as she is on Spring break and behind
on grading, but…), and they helped Mary clean the school room today.
Kenneth is reading and enjoying time with his friends (going to Shadrach’s
“farm” and swinging on a vine, etc.; and going for a dip in the river) and
Laura is busy with some craft projects.  They both did a great job sorting
through their clothes so we know what is needed to be purchased in Canada –
and discovered some lost “treasures” in the process :).  Like the box of
Barbies the Christy/Jenny/Rachel used to play with, that was somehow stored
in Kenneth’s room…. :).  They are looking forward to the “end of school”
celebration – spending time at the beach on the weekend right before we fly
out!

I enjoyed a few brief “chats” with Christy & Jenny (and Martin) in recent
days – they spent the weekend up with Martin’s relatives (grandparents etc.
– the same place I went with them for an early Christmas).  Jenny enjoyed
watching/helping Martin’s sister cook some African food :).

Africa’s news this past week has been varied.  The two main items we’ve
noticed have been the elections in Nigera (see
http://worldteam.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=73e384986a6cb6ee03c7ff174
&id=bd29ff0854&e=3b060d4515) and the massacre and retaliation in
Kenya/Somalia (see
http://worldteam.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=73e384986a6cb6ee03c7ff17
4&id=c2d71dd0ee&e=3b060d4515).  Continue to pray for this continent!

So… pray for Africa!  Pray for the translators who are working this week,
and for Bea Jacob and Aloysius as they work on the Jesus Film script in
Bamenda in the weeks following.  Pray that we would get Kenneth’s and
Laura’s passports “in hand” without any further delays.  Praise for a good
end to school for the kids, and for a good weekend “away” for Christy &
Jenny.  And praise for the ability to spend some time unwinding at the beach
before we fly out!

Love,