Dear friends,

It's nearly Christmas again. Sure feels like it too. The skies are nearly continually blue, temps are warm in the day and cool at night. The roads are beginning to get dusty. All the signs of early dry season.

Carol, Jessica, and Kimberly have one more week of school before Christmas break. Perhaps they are more excited about the break than the kids are!

Jess and Kim are planning a guided expedition to visit some of the beautiful and interesting areas of Cameroon. The schedule is not firm, but will keep you posted. It may include a trip to the capitol city of Yaounde, then a train ride toward the Northeast to see a game park where elephants roam.
Then to the coast and Mt. Cameroon. Sounds nice. I'll stay home and eat pineapple with Carol.

Lesson 12 of the 'New Beginnings' Bible studies is done. It was finished in record time; Sunday evening recording, Monday sound editing, Monday evening recording completed, Tuesday the video was completed. I continue to learn about the recording and video editing software that makes the process more efficient. This is an amazing lesson. I can hardly wait to begin showing it. Keep keeping us in your prayers.

Speaking of prayers, it is probably time to mention a big need here.

Carol and I came to Cameroon to pursue the dual goal of 'mission pilot', and 'mission school'. Well, it became apparent last year that 'mission pilot'
was not going to be realized here. The roads are very exciting, but are functional. A plane is not required here. It is so expensive to purchase, transport, register, and operate a plane here; the cost / benefit ratio is disproportionate. On the other hand, the school idea was great. The school has grown from one class to four, grades 1 to 5. After trying to keep the kind folks at the local office of Basic Education happy, it is apparent that some school operations savvy is also required.

After spending one year here, I gave a one year notice of resignation to this project. We are spending the second year here to continue to develop the program in anticipation of handing it over to new leadership. So far, there have not been any volunteers to take the project. If you can help locate someone or be that someone, we would appreciate it. The potential is fantastic.

We would love to hear from you regarding this need. Use Iridium.com, 'free text message' feature (top center of home page), and send to our phone 881631672129; note 8816 is already entered for you.

Steve & Carol Rose

The weeks are going by so quickly. We are making progress at the school and with the Bible Study translations. We are actually right on track; thanks to God's help and a wonderful translator. Naphtali is also very excited about the progress and is happy to be a part of both the school and the translation.

Now that dry season is here, we are making steps to begin the work on the concrete floors at the school. Special thanks to a very sweet lady in Porterville! It just dawned on us that once we have the new floors, we won't have to pour water on the floors every week or so! (That's how you keep a dirt floor under control.) It will be so nice to have concrete floors especially at the end of the dry season when everything is so very dusty.
Gregory is our main man for the floor project. He is still studying with Steve about twice a week and is planning to leave his Baptist church pulpit at the end of this year and join our church! What amazing things God has done!

Today and yesterday all of us teachers attended a Teacher Workshop in Nkor, a small town about 30 min. drive away. Nkor is the headquarters of the Noni subdivision. The District Officer (otherwise known as the D.O. or the "Dew") and the IBE (Inspector of Basic Education) have offices there. It was a change of pace for us as we had to close school for the two days. The point of the seminar was to teach teachers how to write test questions. It sounds like the IBE will be asking us to submit test questions to accumulate in a test question bank at the national level in order to formulate standardized tests. It was mostly interesting. We were "invited" (required) to be in Nkor yesterday by "8 am (prompt)." I was a bit nervous as we arrived at
8:35 am. Anyway, the meeting did not begin until 12:45 pm! We heard that the administrators/teachers who were giving the workshop did not arrive until about noon, instead of the previous day as planned. Oh, well! Delays can and do happen. We actually had a nice time hanging out at the Nkor Literacy Center (similar to a library) and reading books for hours! It was quite funny-all of us Americans must be starving for books, because within a few minutes all five of us were deep into one book or another! One really neat thing at the workshop was when the teachers sang the national anthem-it was really beautiful! There was some wonderful bass harmony, etc. I wish I had a recording of it!

Well, bye for now. Love to all. We are missing you!
Carol (and Steve)

Greetings from Lassin! We're all alive and well.

Dear friends and family,


Here's the news from Steve's perspective. Producing "It Is Written, New Beginnings" Bible videos in the Noone language for the Noni people is going great. Today, 'we' completed number 9 on 'facing the judgment'. The other lessons have been on the soon coming of Jesus, creation, the validity of the Bible, the origin of sin, Jesus as our savior, salvation through Jesus, and now the good news that Jesus is our defense attorney at the judgment.

I still need to prepare tomorrow's sermon, but the house is clean, and have taken a HOT shower!!

Yup, a hot shower. Not hot water from a bucket. No sir-ee. Ya see, we (ALL of us- story to follow) went to Kumbo last Tuesday. While in the big city, I just couldn't resist the desire to buy 36 meters of 25mm PVC pipe, and 40 elbows (a bit more than 100 feet of ¾ inch pipe). Wednesday, I assembled it into a series of 'U' turns that resemble the road to Kumbo, and put it up in our rafters above the bathroom. After a small modification so that the water could actually flow through the thing, we are now taking hot showers! Being a missionary in the remote mountains of Cameroon is now a luxury experience.

"ALL of us". If the news gets out that we're going to be driving to Kumbo, the car fills to capacity in no time. Now "capacity" is a matter of opinion. If you are from Cameroon, then 8 adults and 1 youngster was nearing capacity; room for 2 more. But if you are from 'the states', then sitting in the back of the little red station wagon for 2 hours while riding over roads that bring back memories of roller coasters may be a push; never mind the scenery is absolutely beautiful. Coming home, we sat aside 18, 2 meter pipes, 3 jugs of gasoline (for cooking or driving), several boxes of supermarket treasures like 'noodles', a few pineapple (season's about over),
5 back-packs, and each other. No break-downs, no flats, and only light rain. Would we do it again? Sure, but we may be more quiet about 'when'
(December 20).

Speaking of dates, Carol is about to turn a year older and enter a new decade on November 25.
So. Remember how so many of you sent her 'Birthday text messages' last year? I'm sure that she would love it again! By November 24, use Iridium.com, 'send free text message' (top center of the home page), and send to 8816 (filled in already) 31672129. Put your name in the 'return email' box, type in a greeting or condolence, and make her day! Thanks!

Again, thanks for keeping us in your prayers. We love occasional text messages too.

Steve & Carol Rose

Lassin Update - Rated B (for bugs)

Tonight seems to be the night for critters in the house! First of all, Jessica was washing dishes, put her hand in the pre-rinse bucket,
and almost pulled out a HUGE drowned cockroach! Did I mention Huge?
It’s the size of cockroach that Shey John at the store in Lassin says will wake you up when it runs across your face in the night!
Aaargh!!! That’s also what Jessica said! (or something to that
effect!) Then a rat / mouse ran over my toes this evening as I was sitting doing more dishes! Yikes! Kataya thought it was so funny that she tried to trick me into thinking the mouse was close by again!
It was funny! Anyway, I got her good and she jumped at least 2 inches! So that was even funnier! Then Kataya discovered about a
million baby spiders on the bench/couch. They must have just
hatched! A little later we found a tiny frog on the floor not far from the door. Now he was cute. Where was Steve? Well, he ducked out of the house when the mouse was running about—something about a Bible study with Franklin—yeah, right!

Anyway, we’re having fun with the gang. School is going well. 78 students at my last count. I had to ask two students to stay home from Class 1; too young/ immature / just not ready for school I had a cool experience with one of my students lately. Julius is repeating Class 1 again, and this year he is doing so well. I don’t regret holding him back for a moment. Anyway, we were inspecting students for jiggers on their feet, and I noticed that Julius had a terrible case of athlete’s foot fungus between almost every toe! -- in addition to a few jiggers. Last year we found 10 jiggers on just one of his toes! Poor kid! No wonder he walks so slowly! So I brought some anti-fungal cream to school and began treating his toes. It was a bit painful for him to have me wash and dry his feet and then apply the cream, but he was a good sport. I also went to his house three times on weekends to continue the treatment. Now it has been two weeks tomorrow, and his fee t look sooo much better! What was so touching was that a few days into the treatment, Julius was carrying a picture poster of Jesus to my room to hang up (Up until a day ago I have had to remove all items from my room at the end of the day to store in the only lockable room.

The carpenter Franklin recently came and installed the window latches on the insides and with one of Eric’s old combo locks, I now have a lockable classroom!) As Julius was carrying the poster, he kissed the poster and started singing “Jesus loves me!” Wow, I don’t know if it had anything to do with the extra attention and care he was getting, but I like to think that it solidified in his mind what Jesus’ love looks like! Today Julius was running home like he had wings on his feet! I think he is enjoying more comfortable feet.

Love, Carol

The Shepherd and Juliana
About a week ago as I was walking with Juliana to school, we saw a sheep standing in the river where Divine was baptized. The shepherd was scrubbing the sheep with soap. I had never seen this before. I asked Juliana why the shepherd did this. She simply answered "to clean it." That day in school assembly Juliana gave a worship talk about the sheep hearing the shepherd.
She even sang a song about the shepherd's voice.
Talk about deep symbolism! I, like the sheep, need to stand patiently by the Shepherd and allow Him to scrub me clean. The washing may be uncomfortable, it may pull my dirty wool, but if I stick around and not run away, I will end up clean. Perhaps the shepherd even calmed the sheep with his voice as he washed. We all need to spend time listening to the Shepherd 's voice and follow wherever He leads. The Shepherd has left us his voice/message in His word.
Juliana is Naphtali's wife, and she has been assisting me this year with the Class 1 students. She is doing a marvelous job translating and relating to and enjoying the children. We have been praying since last year that Juliana will hear the Shepherd's voice and follow Him. I can tell from different things she says and how she acts that she loves God very much.
Yesterday she even attended church with us. Please pray with us that she, as well as each one of us, will continue to be led by the Good Shepherd.
This past week in school was busy. We had a PTA meeting and a visit by the Inspector of Basic Education. There was much preparation needed for these events-clearing and cleaning the school grounds, rebuilding of the "outhouse," and food preparation since we fed the visitors. We even showed a New Beginnings Film about Jesus' Second Coming at the PTA meeting.
This week the teachers will be compiling midterm grades. That should keep us very busy.
Divine has been sharing the New Beginnings in the Noone language to several families, including the Fon's compound! Steve continues to take it to Naphtali's father and Franklin every week after the translation is completed. He and Naphtali have been very busy translating and editing the NB programs; they complete one a week. Steve has also been working on the translation of a whole series of health topic programs into the Noone language. Shey John and Divine are assisting with this.

Thank you to all who have sent Sabbath School quarterlies and children's papers. Most of the adult church members can read English well enough to enjoy this literature and translate for the children. Thank you, also, those who are supporting us. Keep on working for the eternal reward! It's
going to be great! We love you all!

Carol

Oct 8, 2010

Dear family & friends!

Here's what's up in Lassin for the last couple weeks.

The school is going really well. There are 18 or 19 first graders, 15 fifth graders, 22 second graders, and about 20 in the 3rd - 4th grade combination class. The teachers seem to be doing a great job of maintaining order and communicating. Last Wednesday I saw Jessica get her 2nd grade class seated after lunch and working quietly on a project by herself. Her assistant, Naphtali, had gone to teach the Noone language at the government high school. Nice work Jess!

Kimberly has the desks in her room arranged very neatly with colored name papers on each. She uses chalk board and iPad to teach her kids.

Carol provides her little 1st graders with personal size chalk boards, as well as the big board up front.

Sometime during the day, each class takes turns using the Bible in felts as they listen to a story- they all love it.

Our neighbor, Divine, who lives across the street and translates for Kimberly's 5th graders sends a bucket down the well to get fresh water for the children to wash their hands and to moisten the dirt floors. The little house that Gregory built over the well has a solid eucalyptus door and sturdy lock; so far we have not lost any children.

Next Monday, Franklin and his boys will ride to the school with me. We'll haul his new window shutters, storage room door, and teacher's desk doors so that he can install them over the course of the week. It'll be nice to be able to really lock up. Then we can take more of the supplies to school that we / you shipped here last August.

I can hardly wait to tell you about my Bible study project. Naphtali and I have recorded and produced 3 of the New Beginnings Bible studies in the Noone language. I'm learning a bunch about video production and having a good time doing it. The next phase involves 'post production' editing, where the 45+ minute full length version and cut it to about 15 - 25 minutes for showing at the school. Each Wednesday at about 12 PM, I show the cut version to the school children. They have the typical response- curious, and restless. But it is amazing to see how many really pay close attention throughout the whole program.

We have resumed showing these Bible studies in individual homes, but the response is different this time. Last night, Thursday @ 7PM, I showed the new Noone version in Franklin's home. He was there with his junior brother, his children and 2 of Naphtali's kids; about 8 in all. They sat silently glued to the laptop; the only source of light in the home, except for the small cooking fire in the kitchen next door. After the lesson, Franklin commented on the different countries that came to world power status as predicted in the dream recorded in Daniel 2. I decided to have some fun, "So. What is the next kingdom that will come?" "Jesus' second coming." He got it! Of course he did. Every word was in his 'mother tongue'. They all got it, from oldest to youngest!

We're giving these lessons in Naphtali's father and two mother's compound- they are so proud of their son's new 'film' career! They invite their neighbors to view the new film each Saturday night. Our neighbor 'boy', a high-school senior who made our garden fence last year has invited us to show the 'films' in his father's compound each Sunday evening. Moses' wife has invited us to show the films in her house again this year; we have not established a night yet. You may recall that Moses is a tailor and has made several of the new school uniforms again this year; 2 of his kids attend again.

Okay, how about a Cameroonian rainy road trip story? "The road seems better this year. The worst hill has gravel on it now. I believe the little red Toyota could climb it in the rain. I'm sure we can get to Kumbo now." I was confident and Jessica was a willing passenger. Kumbo is home to many internet cafés, an international calling booth, stores that sell foods like you can get back in the ., school books, and other stuff that is more or less vital to the operation of our school. The little car started and we were off. One point seven km from our house was the former trip killer hill. We climbed easily. Nothing to stop us now. There were small puddles, small streams, muddy places, rough rocky patches, but all had tire tracks on both sides of them. Then, just past the wood fired white bread bakery was this mud pit. I got out and took a second look. Seems that a stout looking Toyota 4WD pickup loaded high with stuff was clawing for traction with a crew of about 5 equally stout young men pushing various parts of it. After a few minutes the truck was free. A neighbor man advised me to bypass about half of the pit by using his driveway. "Just turn there and you'll have no trouble", he said. It looked safe enough. I had little choice. Well, our car was not stuck for long. After backing up a bit, the second attempt got us free. The rest of the trip to Kumbo was as uneventful as a day at the roller coaster park. I only took out one wooden foot bridge between the road and some lady's driveway; easy to put back in place.

We shopped and enjoyed the 'big city'. The rain began to fall. The road began to get slick. We began our ride home. There is a feature that forms here, two wide ruts that leave the center of the road high above the sides.
The crown is so sharp that you wonder if the car belly will drag. Normally you straddle this crown. When the road gets slick, this is a bit tricky. I was able to stay atop for all but the last 60 feet. Driving along while scraping the right side of the car against a muddy bank does not seem as bad as having to spend the night in a rut. Most of the road was reasonably uneventful, but the thought of that mud pit up ahead weighed heavy on my mind. Then, there it was. Unavoidable. The left side looked best, but it was where the truck had been. The right side had pretty deep ruts with standing water so low that I could only see it by sitting straight up. As I sat inspecting the pit, a small group of people formed; the same stout men we saw earlier. We prayed, pushed the electric 4WD button on the front panel, let the clutch out and headed right. The car sank deep into the ruts and continued for about six feet. All four tires made it painfully clear that they were not up to the task. Turning to either side was not possible.
Backing up- yea right. I really did not want to get out in that muck - call me spoiled. Soon the group of smiling faces converged on the car. They lifted the front end and tried to get it out of the rut; nope. Then one man began to fish around in the mud. He extracted two rocks about the size of soccer balls from my 'track'. The order was given, "try again". The little car tried and a dozen strong hands pushed on various parts of the car. Once on firm ground a small piece of paper with red ink was placed in the rolled up sleeve of the group leader. His beaming face confirmed that the payment was adequate. We got home. "Next time I go to Kumbo, it will be in a taxi"
, I said. The next time I went, last Monday, it was in a taxi. We were pushed three times (hills too slick), stuck in mud once and pushed free.
Dickson said that his car had suffered. I gave him my condolences. But, I was glad it was his car and not mine.

When dry season comes, about mid November, we'll buy concrete and begin making floors and plastering the walls of the school; but not before the roads firm up.

The ladies are in the process of moving into their new house. Pretty upscale. It has a flush toilet, indoor shower, propane stove. The glass should be in the windows by Sunday. Kim & Kataya have slept there once.
They love it. Having a phone that works from within the house helps too.

Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.

Steve, Carol, Kimberly, Kataya, and Jessica.

Dear Friends and Family,

We are so happy to share with you that our school, the Adventist Primary School of Lassin, is successfully beginning its third week of school! Two classrooms are full past capacity at 21 students each, the other two classrooms have 17 and 18 students each, making a total of approx. 80 students. We were able to offer five grades this year (first through five).
The students are really enjoying their classes, and they are endearing themselves to their teachers also.

For each classroom, we have an imported teacher and a local teacher. This combination seems to work very well for translation and general load sharing. Praise God! When we left Lassin last May, we only knew of three teachers (myself, Naphtali, and Naphtali's wife), and we were praying for more. When we visited the Gospel Ministries office in May, we met two Southern Adventist University students (Jessica and Kimberly) who wanted to come help. We tried to give them an accurate picture of the Lassin setting, but they tell us it would have been impossible to really describe in words or pictures how it really is! Then during the summer, a local Adventist teacher from the nearby town of Din applied; Vivian is a real sweetheart and true-hearted Christian lady. Then we were placed into contact with a gal from Romania who wanted to come help also; Adela is doing a great job teaching third and fourth grades. Her friend Adelin came too, and he is a great general helper. So that meant we needed just one more local teacher.
Both Steve and I thought of asking our friend Divine, but we knew he was busy keeping his store. When we returned here, we found out he was available and very willing! What a blessing! He is a true Christian and such a loyal friend.

Now, for some neat, exciting stories about our students. All but two of our previous students have returned. One student moved away, and we are not sure why the other has not returned although we have seen him several times and he says he wants to come back. We were very excited to see Juleyatu (our Muslim girl) return, and then we were very excited to see her brother Abulai come also. He attended last year for a few days and then left to attend the newly started Islamic school in Lassin. He always wears a bright smile and seems truly happy to be back! One of the Muslim leaders in town told Steve a few days ago that he was sending all the Muslim students to our school! The next day a Muslim lady said she was going to send two Grade 1 children on Monday! We are happy to be making friends in that community.

Here's another interesting story about a Grade 1 student by the name of Godswill. I met his mother last year on the path to school. She was selling cassava rolled in banana leaves, quite a nice treat. I purchased several that day. The next day she came to our quarter and "demanded" that I buy more cassava from her. Well, I didn't need it, so I politely refused.
She said more about me not buying from her. I was quite shocked and didn't know quite what to make of this. Anyway, we did have some short but pleasant interactions after that time, and now she is sending her son to our school! I am just so happy I did not grumble back at her! It is possible that she was just good-naturedly pushing for a sale. Sometimes the people seem more abrupt than they mean-does that make sense? She is very happy that her son is attending our school, and we are happy he is there.

Another student who is in the 2nd Grade, I believe, began attending our school this year, but after a couple days was physically removed by an aunt to another town to attend another school. Somehow, though, by the grace of God, the child is back at our school!

Keep praying for our school, each student, and each teacher. God is working, but the devil tries to hinder this great work.

Carol