Cameroon
The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry.
Cameroon begins at Lake Chad and then 'flows' outward some 700 miles to the ocean with the widest point about 400 miles wide.
Cameroon has one active volcano. Numerous hot springs abound give evidence to underground active magma flows.
Our Center in Cameroon has progressed since 2001 when we first began.
The old analog telephone system was at capacity. Connections were reserved for business and government use. It was difficult and very expensive to get connected. In addition it was also faulty and calls did not always go through.
But thanks to God, we now have a Mobile telephone network installed by a private company. Our center became fully operational on January 5th 2002 when mobile phones came into operation. We have been using two mobile telephones for our outreach. The problem is the high cost per unit for every call. We plan to increase the number of phones to four depending on the increase of work and financial funds to support the service.
We praise God also for answered prayers. Recently the government of Cameroon has embarked upon installation of a digital-telephone network in the city of Kumba. When work is completed, we hope that additional lines will be available to us and that the cost may be low.
Our Center is situated at Buea Road, Kumba. Kumba is situated in the South West Province of Cameroon which is English speaking, colonized by the British. Our neighboring countries speak mainly French being colonized by France.
In addition to our Director, we have four counselors. Our lines are open six hours each day, Monday to Saturday.
Even with the limited availability of telephones and the high cost, we received over 400 calls in 2002. We praise God that 98 of those calls were for salvation in Jesus Christ.
We have many testimonies since the opening of our Center including:
One woman was under acute stress following a divorce contacted us and received spiritual counseling which has helped her not only to overcome her stress but decided to surrender her life to Jesus Christ and is attending church.
Victory for a divorced widow. After her first husband died, she remarried, her second husband divorced her, and she remaired again. The last husband threw her out and claimed all properties. With all this discouragement, she was considering taking poison to end it all. She contacted us and was counseled and prayed with. She received new hope to live again. She has joined with the church and recently fasted three days and prayers.
A young man was involved with a gang of thieves that was distrubing a neighborhood. He called and received counseling. The gang planned a thieft of 20 bags of cocoa but he refused to accompany them. They were arrested but he was free. He now is a believer and is fellowshipping in the church.
We counseled with a young man who graduated from high school but remained jobless, poor and lonely. He had no one to care for him. In desperation he called us and we prayed with him. He has now picked up a trade as an apprentice laboratory technician with a Christian Medial Foundation.
One last one, a man had a serious accident with a leg fracture. He was bedridden and isolated from his daily activites and friends. His only contact was by his mobile phone. He called and we counseled and prayed with him. The weight of his stress and isolation was lifted from him . He recovered after four months confinment in a hospital and has since resumed his normal life.
Continue to pray for us and this telephone ministry.
Rev. Agbor
