All Nations

In Kumbo, we literally live in the middle of nowhere. We are a second rate city in an ignored region of a forgotten country in the middle of a neglected and abused continent. If you look at a map of Cameroon, the “good roads” end before you reach Kumbo. If you look at a map of the major shipping lanes of the world, you'll noticed that most of them are trying to go AROUND Africa, to link up Asia with the West. We're nobody, we're nothing, we're just trying to scratch out a living from the earth. We're just living life, one day at a time, trying to live long enough to praise the Lord and maybe be remembered by our children's children. Lamnso' is a living but threatened language. There may be problems with our country, as there are problems with all countries, but at least we have peace.

Look around you. In America, there are many Cameroonians. They diagnose your ailments and administer your IV's. They make plays in the NFL. They give homilies and hear confessions. They pray for you while on retreat. They sell you houses and bag your groceries and rent your meeting spaces. They listen to your lectures. They deliver your babies.

We have discovered there is a large population of Cameroonians abroad, and even a large population of diaspora Nso'. They say that in Cameroon there is an Nso' man in every town and city. I wouldn't doubt that is true about every major city in America.

So what's the deal? Why are we living here, in their place? Why are they living there, in our place? What are we doing?

I think there is a value in the global exchange of people, ideas, and culture. There is a beauty to recognizing the universal human experience. But there's an even higher and more important reason. Christ commanded us to preach the good news to all Nations, and so here we are. Living and working and watching and being watched. But Christians here have the same command, so they go out, if they can, and live their lives in other nations. Maybe we can watch and learn from them and other immigrants as they bear witness to Christ and preach the Gospel to us.

God knows we need some Good News.

-Eric