Graduation!!

Thirty one men and their wives arrived early to get the rental room set up.  They had their new caps and gowns still in the plastic packaging but many of them had on a new suit made for the occasion.  The wives all had matching fabric for their dresses with little personal flares made into each one.  After 39 months of training it was time to honor these students and celebrate their accomplishments along with the Lord's faithfulness.

We had to set up the 350 or so plastic chairs in the room and everyone made sure that everything was just right.  No one really knew how many people would come and be a part of the celebration, but we would soon discover that we needed three or four times the number of chairs to hold everyone.  

The people kept pouring in.  Like really pouring in!  Before the ceremony started people were standing in the aisles and along the sides of the building.  People had to move to make room for the graduates as they processed into the room.  After each graduate was seated, the open spaces around them in the aisle filled in again.

Several people gave speeches that are so much a part of the cultural norms here.  I gave my first public talk in French, written out of course, and proofread by a friend, but still in French.  The students smiled as they realized that I was not going to use an interpreter to give my final public words to them before receiving their diplomas.  

The moment arrived when the wives would receive their certificates.  Culturally, these times are more somber for the one receiving them it seemed as many crossed the stage in a militaristic way to receive their certificate and shake the hands of those giving them.  Some of the audience members cheered as their friends or loved ones were handed that culturally important piece of paper.  

We who were involved in teaching swelled with pride as we came to realize how far these men and women had come.  Many of the women arrived in Yaounde three and a half years ago not knowing how to read, and now they can.  Very few of the men knew a lot about the Bible and fewer understood how to study and apply it for themselves.  They all made great progress and yet both of us asked ourselves, "Is it enough?  Are we really ready?"  They will make mistakes, but our hope and prayer is that they bring greater health to the churches here in Cameroon.

After the women received their diplomas, the men stood proudly to walk to the stage.  I have given my time solely to teaching the men and have spent hundreds of hours teaching them and thousands of hours in preparation for teaching over the last three and a half years too.  What an honor it was for me to look each man in the eye, shake their hand, and hand them their diploma.  Thankfully I didn't have to read any of their names out loud!

Each man had a little different reaction after they were handed their diploma.  Some were straight faced and solemn, others raised their arms victorious, and many just greeted me with a big smile of accomplishment.  It was good to see them finish well.  

Maybe the craziest of all things happened at the end of the ceremony.  Look at the picture at the bottom of this update in the middle.  People filed out of the hall we met in and filled the street. Literally filled the street.  Cars could not get through, motos could not get through.  People couldn't even get through! The celebration had truly started for them.  We watched friends and family members hoist a man on their shoulders and parade him down the street proud of the work they had done.  They then would come back for the wives and hoist them up and carry them down the street as well.  It took over an hour for the street to start to clear out so cars could pass again.  It was fun to watch and fun to know that the party would continue back in each student's home.

If you are reading this email and have prayed for us or for the school, you were a part of this day.  If you are reading this and you, or the church you attend, has given money to help the school financially, you were a part of this day.  You were a part of something bigger than yourselves, and so was I and so was each student and wife who received an education over these last three years.  So I sit at my desk now and recount the crazy events of what took place almost a week ago and reflect on them with you, and simply want to say thank you.  You have been a part of raising up the next generation of leadership in our churches here in Cameroon.  I will forever be grateful for that.  These students and families will forever be grateful for that.  God will forever be honored by that.  

You can only see 6 of the pictures in this newsletter.  If you would like to see the others that we took, we have them posted on Facebook.  You can click here to go to that page and view them.  It was not a great room for picture taking, but we did the best that we could.

Would you join me in praying for these men and their families?  Many of them have already moved back to the place they came from before the training and many more will be in the coming weeks.  We will also be having two more sets of interviews in the next two weeks and will know who the next group of students will be by the end of August.

Thank you for your friendship, support and prayers!
The Carmean Family



If you are led and would like to give financially to the Carmean family, please click here.  

If you would like to give financially to the Grace Brethren Bible Institute of Cameroon, please click here and then select "Cameroon Church Leadership Training"