Douala Day 1

  Douala, Cameroon
Sunday, April 12, 2009

Today was a full and soggy experience. It's the rainy season in coastal Cameroon and so it's hot like it always is, but also more humid than usual - if that's possible. I broke into a sweat as soon as I stepped out of the air-conditioned hotel and remained in various stages of wet until I stepped back into it again about 10 hours later.
 
Moïse was right on time with a taxi at 8:30. He had been able to collect some conference supplies (pens and notepads) in advance, so we drove right out to the Church hall.

On the streets of Douala

The trip took about an hour, counting a stop in the tropical sun to pick up some photocopies we needed to have done for the seminars. I took in all the sights sounds and smells of Douala as we worked out way out to PK 17 (this is to say: "kilometer point 17" - that distance from the city center - about 10 miles).

Seen alongside the road

The markets and hawkers and taxis and motorcycles and transport-trucks and policemen and children-carrying-water and all the other things one sees here went by in a slow blur.

A very young girl carrying firewood

The taxi driver was a little older than usual and drove well: cautiously, wisely, but not fearfully. The car itself wasn't great, but I hope we use his services more.
 
We arrived at our church hall about 9:30, half an hour before services were scheduled to begin. I chatted with several members and got my laptop and projector set up and ready. Moïse gave a sermonette and trusting God: "Seek the Lord While He May be Found", and then I gave some announcements. There was to have been special music but the singer had fallen ill. We moved right into the sermon. I again spoke on the chronology of the crucifixion week and used the PowerPoint presentation to illustrate it once again.
 
Services lasted about 90 minutes. Right afterwards I showed the video of the African youth camps last summer.

Watching the camp video

Everyone, young and old seemed happy to see it. There was laughter and teasing again which was  pleasant to hear.
 
After the video, those attending the seminars  had a nice meal of chicken, igname (think a tuberous cross between a sweet-potato and a potato) and a slightly-bitter sauce made of greens. I ate sparingly, just enough to be polite and to hold me to dinner. The ladies here do their best in difficult circumstances: no running water and spare hygiene conditions, and I usually don't have a health issues. But I have had here on a few occasions, so I eat lightly. Today one of the ladies who usually prepare the food asked to be anointed for an illness: stomach cramps, a low fever and diarrhea....
 
At 1:30 we started the seminars: I gave PowerPoint presentation for 90 minutes on being aware of our strengths and weaknesses.

Powerpoint with makeshift screen

We took a 20 minute break and then covered Fundamental Beliefs for another 90 minutes. It was around 5:00 when we finished, tired by the exertion of concentrating and discussing important issues in very hot, and even more humid conditions.

The seminars begin

 
We had told the taxi drive to come back at 6:00 and he was right on time. We drove back through the darkening streets of Douala, through traffic jams and honking horns and clouds of exhaust, until I was finally dropped at the hotel a little before 7:00 pm. Tomorrow we should start at 9:00, it's Easter in a former French (so Catholic) country, so there should only be very light traffic. They'll pick me up at 8:00 for a very full day of activity.