Help for St. Joseph
The distance from Bamenda to Bafut seemed farther than it really was. The rough Cameroonian roads always make distances seem farther for Americans like me. We are so accustomed to our super highways, smooth flat ribbons of road with cars speeding at 70 miles per hour. This long, bone jarring trip was probably less than thirty miles. It was hard enough on a healthy person. I didn't want to think about what that trip would be like for someone rushing to Bafut for emergency treatment. Fortunately, I was going there as a "missionary tourist".
My first visit to the St Joseph Children and Adult Home, which is also known a "SAJOCHA", is an experience I'll never forget. My friend and guide, Gregory Fen, took me there in May, 2009. I was in Cameroon with Carol Brininstool. The two of us were on an exploratory mission trip looking for missions we could support. We trusted that God would guide us through inner stirrings and discernment. After touring numerous mission sites we would return to Michigan with first hand reports on the places we visited, and make recommendations to our churches.
My first impression of St Joseph was the size and scope of the complex. It was a campus of many buildings and walkways. It has grown a lot since it was first envisioned in 1961. SAJOCAH is operated by the tertiary Sisters of St Francis of Assisi and they work in collaboration with the Mambu Health Center and Njinikom Hospital.
Sister Prisca gave us a tour of St Joseph Home. We saw the surgical theater, a classroom for blind students, the rehabilitation area, the prosthesis fabrication shop, the craft area where occupational therapy took place, and convalescent rooms. We also saw a housing area where families could stay, allowing them to remain close to their children who were hospitalized. There is also a vegetable garden. And we saw children. Scores of children hobbling around in leg braces, healing from reconstruction surgeries. It was very powerful, almost too much.
As our tour completed and we headed back toward the main office, I allowed myself to fall behind the others. I deliberately slowed my pace. There was a lot to take in, a lot to process. I really just wanted to be alone for awhile. Well, not completely alone. I asked for help, "God, what do you want me to do?"
It had been an emotional tour. I saw broken bodies being healed and deformities being transformed. Hope and wholeness were being restored, and my soul was being stirred. Then I felt it. I felt the hand of God touch my heart. It was an actual, physical sensation. My emotions rise again in just remembering that moment. It was a Calling, and God was telling me to help. I just stood there. Tears filled my eyes. I felt honored to be given this work to do, even though I didn't know what it was. I felt humbled to be in the presence of God. I felt awestruck and overwhelmed. Then in an ironic bit of human short-sightedness I silently said, "God, you know I'm not Catholic, right?" It seems really silly now! St Joseph is a Catholic mission and I had fallen into details. Yes, God knew.
I assumed my calling would be to donate money. I'd get contact information from Sister Prisca. I could try to find an organization in the United States that was already supporting St Joseph. I could send my offering to an American-based group, and they could forward it on to St Joseph. Yeah, I can do that! This is GREAT! But is wasn't that simple. Things did not fall into place as quickly as I had expected.
The e-mail communication with the sisters at St Joseph quickly broke down. I could only find one organization in the United States that had worked with St Joseph, and when I spoke with the person responsible for transferring funds he expressed no interest in helping me. I was disappointed and discouraged. Eventually I let it go, or better said I gave up.
The next year I returned to Cameroon. This time I went alone. I had a very busy schedule and although I planned to visit the Bamenda/Bafut area, I wasn't sure I'd have time to return to the St Joseph Home. But God had a plan, and the time for doors to open had arrived. I had mentioned the St Joseph Home in a conversation with my guide, Gregory. He wasn't sure we could fit it in. Then late one afternoon he said, "I forgot about going to St Joseph. We'll have time tomorrow". In fact, we had most of the day!
On the way to St Joseph we stopped by to visit Rudolf Oberholzer, the General Manager of Prescraft, a Swiss Presbyterian mission. Prescraft is an expanding economic mission that operates Fair Marketing craft centers, a retail store, and a Bed & Breakfast, all of which serve to provide employment and financial security to local people.
I first began communicating with Rudolf in late 2008. He played a significant role in the success of our first trip to Cameroon. I have always been eager to support his work. He told me in 2009 that he would remember my offer, and sometime when he had the right project he would ask for my help. As we chatted in his office almost a year later, he explained Prescraft's latest venture, medical incinerators. Their experience with furnaces for firing pottery gave them the knowledge to develop this new project. Then he asked, "Do you work with any hospitals?" I heard myself say "No". I told him,"Regretfully I do not. I had tried to work with the St Joseph Home where they have a surgical theater, but nothing ..." Then in mid-sentence my inner light turned on! This was it! This was The Project! Rudolf had just handed me the very thing I had given up looking for. He had already earned both my confidence and my respect. I had no hesitation. I was excited about working with him!, And I would be helping the St Joseph Home at the same time. It was perfect! Timing is everything and the time had arrived.
I was on my way to St Joseph. I would ask how they disposed of their medical waste, but I was already confident that I would help them purchase a medical incinerator. In fact, I even felt confident which civic organization back home would support the funding of this project.
Soon after arriving I was in the office of Sr Prisca discussing how we could best stay in contact after I returned home. We got on her computer with the intention of exchanging e-mails to insure we could sustain communication later. Unfortunately, the Internet service in Cameroon is not reliable, and we couldn't even verify that our first e-mail had gone through. We committed ourselves to remain in contact, even if we had to do it by telephone.
After a brief tour of the facility, as we were saying our good byes I remembered Rudolf's question. It seemed strange that I hadn't asked it as soon as I arrived. Now the question was almost exploding out of me, "What do you do with your medical waste?" A broad smile spread across my face as I listen to her sad response, "Oh Mister David, we have an incinerator, but I am sorry to say it isn't very good. I know we need to replace it, but I don't know how we can do that. We don't have funds enough to buy a new one". I told her, "Don't worry, we are going to take care of it". Then I asked if I could see it.
The St Joseph Home does not have an incinerator. It has an above ground burning pit. Yes, it is made of bricks, and it does have a roof over it, but it is still nothing more than a burning pit. It pollutes the environment by releasing toxins into the air, and from the ashes it leaches contaminates into the ground. It is a problem, and I am very happy to be part of the solution. I took a few photographs and reported back to Rudolf.
When I returned to Michigan I contacted some friends who are active members of the Rotary Club. They were very interested in helping. I'd say they were excited about it. Plans were made for me to speak to the Board of the Rotary Foundation. But something kept nagging at me. It felt like this Catholic hospital was suppose to get some help from local Catholics. It was a strong feeling, so I decided I'd better follow up on it before meeting with the Rotary Club.
One morning I stopped into St Mary's Catholic Church. Tina Hamilton is the Secretary there. She is also a good friend. I would ask her what she thought about my seeking help from their church. I wanted to speak to Tina privately. If it turned out to be a stupid idea I'd rather it be just between the two of us. As I was speaking to her Tim Lawler came into the office. I stopped talking about the incinerator until he left. I resumed my conversation with Tina, but very soon Tim returned again. I waited again. And waited. It seemed like Tim wasn't going to leave. It was almost as though he didn't want to leave. Then I remembered something. I had briefly mentioned to his wife Robin that I had a new project in Cameroon I wanted to tell her about. Another light inside me started to come on. Maybe Tim was suppose to hear what I had to say. I said, "I was just telling Tina ..." and I started the story again from the beginning. Robin had told Tim about my comment, and Tim did want to hear what I had to say. All three of these Catholic friends were excited about helping and they continue to be very supportive.
Tim is a member of the Knights of Columbus and he suggested I come speak to that group. The Knights generously agreed to receive funds donated to the project, and to help transfer the money to Cameroon. I no longer needed to look for an organization to channel the money through. An organization had come to me.
When I met with the Rotary Foundation Board they were very receptive to the project. I explained that the initial funding would come from local Catholic friends. I thanked them for their interest and advised them that I would wait until I knew how much money we would collect from friends before pursuing financial support from the Rotary Club. I also admitted I might need to come back.
The new incinerator and installation will cost $4,000. This will be the largest project I have initiated since beginning my mission trips to Cameroon. To Rotary Club International it isn't that big, but for me its big. It is big, and yet also very doable. I felt confident that the money we needed would be raised.
I would love to work with the Marshall Rotary Club. I will look for a project to share with them, maybe even another medical incinerator. However, I continue to have a very strong sense that this project is meant to be funded by friends rather than an organization. The Knights of Columbus are helping, and their help is very important. I believe their role is to be a channel through which the funding will flow to where it needs to be. I also believe the money, at least most of it, will come from us. Not just Catholics, not even just Christians, just us ordinary people. I hope that "us" will include Rotarian friends too.
Someone told me I was a channel of God's grace. It made me feel uncomfortable to hear that. It felt like she was saying something special about me. This isn't about me, yet as I think about what she said, I know she's right. I am too. This is not about me. It is about Grace. Grace like a river, just flows.
A river flows without any effort of its own, pulled along by the invisible force of gravity. Grace does the same. Grace flows forth, moved by the invisible force of the Holy Spirit. And like a river, if something gets in the way of grace, it simply flows over it or around it, but it doesn't stop. Not even a dam can stop it. Natural forces will eventually allow water and grace to flow freely. Sometimes I'm the rock that the water flows over. This time I'm happy to be an "easy way". I'm doing my best to be the path of least resistance.
As I write this we have raised $2,000, enough to send a deposit to Cameroon. Workers will soon begin preparing the site. Meanwhile, it will take two months just to produce the special bricks needed to build the incinerator. I would like to raise the full $4,000 during the next 30 days. That is certainly possible, however if it takes a little longer that will be okay. After all, it took almost a year just to discover what I was suppose to do!
I invite your generous support.
Donations can be sent to St Mary's Church at 212 West Hanover Street, Marshall, MI 49068. Please make checks payable to KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS 5999. Please write "Incinerator Project" in the memo line. For an update on our progress please write to david49068@yahoo.com. THANK YOU!
To watch our St Joseph video click here.
