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Making a Difference
from the Bottom Up &
the Inside Out
Torchbearer
Foundation is a ministry to the people of Africa, which seeks to
make a difference in lives from the bottom up and from the
inside out. This was visibly demonstrated to my husband, Jerry,
me, and the rest of our mission team during our recent trip to
Cameroon.
As we traveled
through the country, we could not get over the deplorable
condition of the main roads. On the maps these roads are paved,
but in reality they are red clay dirt, or mud in rainy season,
with numerous potholes and ruts. Martin told us that other
agencies or even countries had given the money to pave these
roads, but the government might pave a mile and then corrupt
government officials would pocket the rest. This is an example
of economic aid from the top down and the outside in, and in
Africa, this does not work.
Torchbearers has
started four modest computer training institutes in Cameroon,
and training has been provided for the last two years by College
of the Ozarks business students. When we were in Ndu, we got a
chance to witness a graduation ceremony for the first twenty or
so computer institute students. They marched, or rather danced,
down the aisle of the chapel in borrowed green choir robes, gold
graduation caps, and purple tassels. As each name was called and
the student received his/her certificate, relatives ran forward
with flowers and hugs as pictures were made. You would have
thought these kids were getting a college degree, but they were
completing a nine-month basic computer skills training course.
Now these students can go out and train others, and perhaps have
the hope of employment opportunities other than selling mangoes
on the side of the road. This is economic development from the
bottom up!
Not only did these
students graduate, but they also composed a song that they sang
at their graduation. This song was praise to God for the
Torchbearer Foundation and for their computer education. They
were giving God the glory. Martin encouraged all who were
present to be “mighty warriors” in their communities, as they
prayed for their communities and sought to meet their problems
with God’s help at the local grassroots level. This is
development from the inside out---not the outside in. When God
works in the lives of people to see each other’s needs and help
each other, things are accomplished that could never be
accomplished by a big government program.
I had the privilege
of seeing with my own eyes the grateful and gracious people of
Cameroon. God planted them in my heart, and I will never be the
same. I asked God, “Why was I born in the USA with all its
bounty and privilege, while a child born in Cameroon may have to
sell firewood along the roadside in dirty clothes just to
survive?” I know people who live to be one hundred in the USA;
life expectancy for an African child may be 45 to 50 years, if
he/she does not succumb to an untreated disease. God’s answer to
me was to use whatever resources with which He has blessed me to
be a blessing to that child in Cameroon. I invite you to join
me....
Do you have a skill
that you could teach to young people who are hungry to learn?
Would you be willing to go to Cameroon to train others? Would
you help financially to help build a Torch bearer Community
Center? Would you commit to be a prayer warrior for Torchbearer
missionaries and the people of Cameroon?
We serve a great and
awesome God, who has called us out to be “mighty warriors”. May
our torches burn brightly for His glory!
This article was
written by Shirley Davis, wife of Dr. Jerry Davis, President of
the College of the Ozarks. Shirley has served on the TBF board
of Directors since it began in 2002.
Now he
who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also
supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the
harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every
way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through
us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This
service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of
God’s people but is also over-flowing in many expressions of
thanks to God, because of the ser- vice by which you have proved
yourselves men will praise God for the obedience that
accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ…. II Cor.
9:10-13
Jesus Film Project Mangu
More than 500 Mangu villagers
gathered on a July evening to watch the “Jesus Film” in their
Limbum language. Rene Njamnshi, TBF missionary, hoped that
seeing the portrayal of Jesus’ ministry, culminating in His
suffering on the cross and His resurrection, would touch hearts
in a way that words alone could not. He was not disappointed, as
Muslims, Christians, and unbelievers watched with wonder the
story unfold before their eyes in their own native tongue. An
altar call followed the conclusion of the film, and forty-eight
people came forward to confess Christ as their Savior. TBF team
members began counseling the new converts. Pastor Vitalis, a
local pastor along with others, will be meeting with them for
future follow-up.
Rene hopes to try to team up with
Campus Crusade for Christ in Yaounde to obtain the equipment for
TBF to show the film in thirty different locations in the next
year.
Baby Boy
Born June 13, 2008 to
Rene & Adeline Njamnshi
Baby Laye Njamnshi with his brothers
(left) and with John Washam (right), mission team member from
Branson, Missouri. The baby arrived
the day before John
arrived. Rene, the proud father,
was in Yaounde to transport the
arriving
mission team to Ndu, when baby Laye
was born.
What a blessing!
Kits for
Cameroon Kids
The Nelda Gann Women
on Mission (WOM) from First Baptist Church, Forsyth, Missouri,
are putting together kits for children halfway around the world.
They have gathered
hygiene supplies, school supplies to make sure that the children
have the proper tools to have a successful school year. The kits
will be shipped on the container eventually headed to Cameroon.
Caroline Niboh spoke to the WOM group communicating to them the
needs of the village children, many who lack the essential
equipment, or fees to even attend school. The women have such a
heart for joining God in His work that they have several mission
projects going on throughout the year. Thank you, Forsyth WOM,
for your heart for the
children of Cameroon.
Container on Hold
If you still have
items that you would like to have shipped to TBF Cameroon, it is
not too late! Theshipment that we had hoped to send last May is
still on hold waiting for approval from the Cameroon authorities
to release the cargo once it arrives in port. The items
collected thus far are stored in Charlie Engram’s warehouse in
Hollister ready to be shipped. Cameroon is one of the most
difficult places in which to do mission work, as testified by
other NGO’s. We are trusting the Lord for His timing and pray
that it will be soon. We are blessed with a truck, computers,
Bibles, books, bicycles from KAA, a motorbike, loads of medical
equipment, some from Skaggs Medical Center and a huge amount
from Mike Sitzman with CROSS Ministries in Oseola, Iowa. God
bless all of you for your giving! Pray for approval for
shipment!
TBF President’s Report
You might wonder from
time to time, “What is God doing in Africa? How can I become a
part of it?” God is doing what He promised He would do and
charging His followers to lead in such an effort. God is
developing Africa through Christian discipleship.
God has ways of
getting our attention. During our recent trip to Cameroon, He
seemed to be doing exactly that! Our mission team and I had
driven about 6 hours away from the city into a rural village. As
we were departing the following day to our great surprise and
dismay, the left rear wheel of our truck fell off. The rear axle
actually broke, and the wheel separated itself from the rest of
the vehicle. This situation brought into focus an obvious need
and discipleship opportunity in Africa…the need for quality
craftsmanship.
We had a tight
schedule to travel through many villages, and here we were stuck
in our first village. Our only option was to send someone
walking back to the city to buy car parts, hire a mechanic, and
also hire a car. We estimated that all of this might take a
week. By God’s grace, three days later, our truck was on the
road again!
Although it took only
three days, such a setback would have paralyzed the average
rural African for weeks, if not months. We had the resources to
entice both the mechanic and the driver of the newly hired car
to travel to the village. The average African would lack the
means to do this. This is one of the many reasons businesses and
other development efforts fail in Africa.
We went on to
encourage more than 1,300 people in seven villages to accept
God’s love and His forgiveness for their sin, to love their
neighbors, as they love themselves, and trust Him to make them
“mighty warriors” in solving their own problems, in much the
same way He had used Gideon to solve the problems of Israel.
God has called
Torchbearers to be a visible demonstration of the power of the
gospel to transform individuals from the inside out and develop
the community from the bottom up. In order to accomplish this,
we intend to keep prayer as our highest priority. As we keep our
emphasis on prayer, we must also increase our investment in
people by providing even more training for our missionaries to
help them lead in discipleship projects. Please pray with us, as
we plan for a much-needed Technical Institute and for the 2009
Leadership Development Institute. These are the instruments
needed to accomplish TBF’s goals of making disciples for Jesus
Christ and developing godly leadership in our
communities.
Some day you may go
to Cameroon and see the results of your investment in this
ministry, but even if you cannot go, one day when you get to
heaven countless Cameroonians will walk up to you and thank you
for enabling them to be with you in heaven. A priceless
investment in the Kingdom!
God can use you as a
missionary in Cameroon for 2 weeks, or 2 months, or 2 years, or
even 2 decades, if you are willing to share your gifts with its
people. If you are gifted and have a skill in mentoring,
teaching, training, management, entrepreneurship, computers,
mechanics, farming, nursing, cooking, canning, medicine, etc.,
you are needed and can contribute to the building of His Kingdom
in Africa!
Just let us at
Torchbearers know that you are willing, and we will work with
you to make it happen. Your life will be enriched by the
experience! We look forward to hearing from you!
_
Martin Niboh, Ph.D.
TBF Founder &
President
You will soon be getting
an invitation to the annual
Torchbearer Foundation
“African Experience”.
Keeter Center
Saturday, September 13th
6:00 pm.
African Cuisine
African Music
African Costume
Look for your Nvitation N the mail
& make your reservations by calling 334-6308
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The
latter part of the conference witnessed a colorful graduation of
the first batch of computer students from the Torchbearer
Computer Technology Institute. Parents and family members
gathered to see their sons and daughters receive their
much-deserved diploma. There was great joy expressed in singing
and dancing! Thirty pioneer students including twenty-three from
the regular program and seven from the Computers for Kids made
up the graduating class. Four orphans who had received special
scholarships were among the graduates. 