Missions Launch

Dear Melissa,

I can’t explain why – maybe it’s because it’s Africa and there are no spare parts and no Best Buys around the corner, but every film showing comes extremely close to never happening. I remember this from when I spent 3 months in Kenya doing this also.

So tonight, our group lost an adapter so that the generator was African voltage and the projector was American voltage – so they didn’t connect. Finally, one of the Cameroon team members cut the chord in half, stripped it and rewired it. Someone forgot the stakes to stake the screen into the ground so we found some government building to show the film on. Then, there was no audio chord to the speakers, so we had to take turns holding the mic next to the computer audio for the whole movie. Then they realized they had forgotten the gas for the generator, so a kindly African volunteer hopped on his moped to go find some. His motorcycle broke down on the way, so some other volunteer took over from there while he got help.

Eventually, and miraculously, with lots of prayer, it almost always seems to work out. Really I think it is because these Cameroon Christians just never give up no matter how long it takes. They believe there is a solution and they don’t quit until they find it. Also, it shows how important this film showing is to them.

When we asked our Cameroon leader what we were going to do after he had cut and stripped that chord in case we needed that chord tomorrow, he said “But we need to deal with today.” Then he quoted us this scripture “Don’t worry about tomorrow for today has enough troubles of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)

I have a lot to learn from these guys.

This is a video taken at a Jesus film showing in Murdoch, Cameroon.  It was the premiere in Murdoch of the film in the Gizega language.  If you want to find out more information on Jesus Film Mission Trips, visit www.JesusFilm.org.  Trips are usually 2 weeks long and are available in a wide variety of countries.

How can I even describe a film showing? I mean, we have only done the film showings for 2 nights to about 7,000 people & over 850 people have come forward publically to follow Jesus. On the other hand instead of being elated, we are all beaten down & struggling to survive physically. Our team members are dropping like flies. First 1 person, then another, then 3 more, then 5 more. Severe vomiting & dehydration. ½ the team got to stay back & rest today while the other ½ went to preach at church. mostly we are all a little scared & trying to just get back our energy so we can do this. But in the meantime, amazing things are happening.

Our 1st night, we all piled into the van with our Cameroon partners. We piled the bus high with 10 mm reels of film, generators, speakers, projectors, gasoline & wiring. The Cameroon partners have planned everything ahead of time & know exactly where we are going – but we never know what is going to happen next. We drove for awhile on dust roads, past shrubs, rocks & boulders, & heads of cattle, goats & pigs – and many, many thatched roof huts. A few times the road was covered in deep mud holes & I imagined we would all be out pushing, but we managed to navigate through. At times we would see a lone child in the distance who would wave as we passed.

Finally we drove into a clearing & there ahead of us we saw the people. Hundreds of people. Drums were playing. People were singing. As they caught sight of the van, they let out a shout of excitement & began letting out their shrill tongue trilling of celebration.

As we piled out, and began unloading, the crowd got more excited. Several men with bows and arrows jumped out from the crowd signing and acting out shooting the weapons. Then several rows of women in matching fabric came forth singing and changing in procession. On their heads they carried handmade bowls full with sand, representing a bountiful harvest. The head drummer stepped up on a stool to reach the top of his very large drum & began beating out a rhythm for the singers. It was quite a welcome & display of celebration knowing that their home language would now be memorialized forever.

They provide school benches for the whole team and had seated everyone in the audience in a very organized manner, children on the side, teenagers next to them, then the women, then the men. Behind us & the projector, in several seats of honor, sat about 5 rows of village leaders, Muslim leaders & government officials.

Everyone was ready & waiting. Now we just had to get the thing to work.