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November 2009 Cameroon Trip
 
When asked about her trip, Pastor Deb Grismer, Aberdeen shared:
". . .most of all we were there just to 'be' with the people of Cameroon.
Over and over again we heard how much our being present, listening to
stories and seeing how the people of Cameroon lived first-hand, meant to all
we came into contact with. 'Thank you for making this journey. Thank you for coming. Thank you for hearing our stories and taking them back with you to share. Thank you for not letting us be forgotten.' Words cannot express what God is up to in Cameroon. Thank you to the South Dakota Synod and all of my traveling companions for letting me be a part of this journey.
Pastor Wayne Gallipo, Watertown reflects, ”A moment I will never forget is seeing the look of pride in Bishop Nyiwe’s eyes as he stood in one of these primitive structures talking about the Church in Cameroon. His source of pride is the work that ordained and lay people are doing as they follow Jesus’ command to go and make disciples rather than focusing on beautiful structures. The Holy Spirit is working powerfully in Cameroon and the Church there is growing steadily.”
Herman Fink, Armour pictured above with Bishop Nyiwe.
". . . I have heard many stories of being greeted with singing and dancing I wasn't disappointed. When we arrived at the village, they even white washed the tree trunks & rocks on the street into town before we arrived . . ."
"I was told that the experience would be life changing and I knew that would be so, but I never imagined how life-affirming it would be. The beauty of the country itself was magnified by the beauty of the people who hold a sustaining faith in the hope of the one who saves, Jesus Christ. Despite the hard conditions and the lack of ______ (you fill in the blank; they need it), their sense of what it means to be a community extended to our visiting group. Whether it was missionaries stationed in Cameroon, the seminary students, or people we met in villages, they were excited to pray with us and to share their stories so that we would return to the U.S. and share them with others. Our group of travelers is now intimately connected with our brothers and sisters in Cameroon because they opened up our eyes, hearts and minds to the possibilities of a Christ community that knows no boundaries. I pray that the emotions that I experienced while on Cameroonian soil will extend to action in our continued support for our companion synod.", said Pastor Becky Piper, Hermosa, about her trip.
BULLETIN INSERTS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD:
Two delegations from South Dakota are traveling to Cameroon this fall. More information is available on this bulletin insert.
Companion Synod Stories bulletin inserts are here. In this bulletin inserts series, travelers from the South Dakota Synod share their experiences in our Companion Synods of Nicaragua and Cameroon. We encourage you to use these inserts to tell the story in your congregation.
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For information about the
South Dakota Synod's Companion Synods Program, contact
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Companion Synods Coordinator,
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NEW OPPORTUNITY!
Poli Bible School, Poli, Cameroon
The Poli Bible School trains catechists to work in churches. The school owns two homes in which teachers live. These are in desperate need of repair. Total costs for upgrades is $6300.
For additional full size pictures, click here.
  
Thank You!
The Annual Youth Leadership Camp is the seminal youth event of our companion synod, the Lutheran Church of Faith and Hope (ILFE) in Nicaragua. However, funding the event has proven to be quite a hardship on the church in ILFE, so the Companion Synod Committee has decided to try to fund 90% of the total project cost.
The Companion Synods Program of the ELCA forges relationships between the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and companion churches around the world, fellow members of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
The South Dakota Synod, ELCA, is in companionship with two churches.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon
Eglise Evangélique Luthérienne au Cameroun (EELC)
Projects in Cameroon:
Travel to Cameroon!
The Lutheran Church, Faith and Hope of Nicaragua
Iglesia Luterana Fe y Esperanza de Nicaragua (ILFE) 
Projects in Nicaragua:
Travel to Nicaragua!
Raise a Church Roof in Cameroon
For we are
God's servants,
working together;
you are God's field,
God's building."
1 Corinthians 3:9
"We thank our brothers and sisters in South Dakota. We will continue to pray for you every day." Catechist of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Abo Boutilla, Cameroon, at the dedication of the new church roof, built as a companionship project in November, 2000.
Congregations in Cameroon save their precious pennies to buy cement, one bag at a time. The people then build their church walls of local stone. This may take five years or more. Meanwhile, congregations in South Dakota raise money to build a roof on the church. Besides worship on Sundays, churches are used for daily Bible study, school, clinics, and community gathering places.
More than thirty churches have been built. Many more congregations have raised their walls, and are awaiting the gift of a roof.
Cost of a roof: $8,000
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South Dakota Synod Pastor Exchange Program
The dream for the Pastor Exchange Program with Cameroon is to deepen relationships between the EELC of Cameroon and ELCA South Dakota Synod. The proposal involves three pastors (two from South Dakota and one from Canada Manitoba District) would each travel to Cameroon on a three month sabbatical to teach at a Seminary/Bible School which the EELC chooses.
This exchange would give our two churches advocates within our clergy for our friendship. It would give lay people in our conferences a chance to have a personal contact with people from our companion synod and would provide a great deal of valuable contacts.
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Train up a Child
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6
"In Africa,
the difference between
life and death
is an education."
-Bishop David Zellmer
Train up a Child assists children in Cameroon who otherwise could not attend school, especially girls and disabled children.
For $15, a child in South Dakota pays half the cost of a child in Cameroon to attend an EELC Lutheran primary school. The funds are matched
by the parents of the child.
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Train up a Pastor
The EELC requests funds for a student to attend seminary. This pastor would receive his education in Cameroon, to serve the church at large in Cameroon. Cost: $1500/year for five years.
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Scheduling A Trip to Cameroon
"...by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company." Romans 15:32
"Getting to know my brothers and sisters in Christ in Cameroon and Nicaragua has been an uplifting and grace filled experience."
-Cindy Hansen, South Dakota
No special skills are required to be walk in companionship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Medical teams include doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Roofing teams and Companionship teams include anyone who wishes to share in the joy of meeting new friends and sharing God's love with others.
Companionship teams, Medical teams, and Roofing teams travel to Cameroon. The visit lasts about one month, and the cost for a trip is about $6000.
Does traveling to Cameroon appeal to you as something that you or your congregation may wish to participate in? Groups or individuals wishing to travel to Cameroon are requested to contact the Synod Office for assistance and direction to help make travel a truly great experience.
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Photos from Cameroon
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
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Our Missionary In Nicaragua, Annie Bjerke
"I give thanks
to my God always for you
because of the grace of God
that has been given you
in Christ Jesus."
1 Corinthians 1:4
South Dakota supports a missionary in Nicaragua. At present, Annie Bjerke is representing the South Dakota Synod and the ELCA in Nicaragua. She works with ILFE as a translator and liaison, assisting South Dakota synod visitors in Nicaragua. Annie's salary is $725 a month.
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Annual Lutheran Youth Camp
There are many youth that belong to the rural communities of Nicaragua, and at 16 years old for males, and 13 for females (on average), they acquire household responsibilities, and a home of their own. Ever since they were little they have been helping their parents and siblings, a process in which they lose their youth, therefore the church really promotes youth ministry/ accompaniment and holistic formation. Sexual and reproductive information gives them incentives for furthering their academic formation, according to their economic and geographic possibilities, so they can see another vision for their lives. Opportunities to share with other young people are few, as are moments to be able to dedicate to encounters with God in an individual or collective manner; also limited are educational opportunities on topics of interest within a space of confidence to share with people of their own age. Since 2004, the Youth Group of the Lutheran Church of Nicaragua “Faith and Hope” has held a weeklong Annual Camp, in the month of January. This camp includes art, sports, and spiritual activities, as well as training regarding various topics that deal with the realities of being young, such as interfamilial violence, gender, sexuality, HIV and AIDS and global warming, among others.
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Pastors' Retreat and Training Facility
ILFE currently owns a large property on the outskirts of Managua called “the farm.” The buildings contain bunk beds, and have bathrooms with a few showers, sinks, and toilets. There is an outdoor kitchen, with a fire pit for cooking food over a wood fire and a sink. It is comparable to a rustic summer camp. The farm serves its purpose for now, but it has a lot of potential. ILFE would like to turn it into a retreat center. Plans include a library, an administration building, a large kitchen/cafeteria, small and large auditoriums/meeting rooms, and several small dormitory buildings. Delegations would be able to use it for their stays. The ILFE youth group could hold events there. Once a month, the Nicaraguan pastors that come to Managua for theological training would be able to stay there overnight. The training sessions for the pastors are currently held in the central church in Managua. Once constructed, the training sessions would be moved to the retreat center. Because the church is one small building, they use a whiteboard and spread out within the church. There is a lot of street noise, and having actual classrooms would be very beneficial. Meals are prepared for the pastors as well, but the small church kitchen does not provide much space. The project is estimated to be about $758,293.75, and would be very long-term. Donations are being requested from several donors and churches in order to raise the necessary funds.
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Sponsorship of Nicaraguan Delegations to SD
ILFE and the SD synod would like to make delegation trips more mutual- not only sending South Dakotans down to Nicaragua, but sending Nicaraguans up to South Dakota as well. Example delegations might be sending Nicaraguan pastors and leaders to SD to give workshops or training sessions. It could be sending Nicaraguans to the SD Synod Assembly. It might be sending Nicaraguan leaders to provide enrichment for South Dakota’s new Latino outreach ministries. The idea is to allow South Dakotans and Nicaraguans to walk together on both sides of the border.
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Scheduling A Trip to Nicaragua
"...by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company." Romans 15:32
"Getting to know my brothers and sisters in Christ in Cameroon and Nicaragua has been an uplifting and grace filled experience."
-Cindy Hansen, South Dakota
No special skills are required to be walk in companionship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Medical teams include doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Companionship teams include anyone who wishes to share in the joy of meeting new friends and sharing God's love with others.
Medical teams and Companionship teams travel to Nicaragua. The visit lasts about 1-2 weeks, and the cost for a trip is about $1300.
Does traveling to Nicaragua appeal to you as something that you or your congregation may wish to participate in? Groups or individuals wishing to travel to Nicaragua are requested to contact the Synod Office for assistance and direction to help make travel a truly great experience.
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Upcoming Travel Opportunities
Travel to Nicaragua is generally organized by individual congregations. Talk with your pastor(s) first, and then with Cathy Larson in the synod office if you have an interest in sending a delegation from your congregation. If there are individuals or small groups that would like to travel to Nicaragua, but that do not have enough interest for an entire delegation (generally 5-12 people), synod organized trips might be arranged. Contact Cathy Larson in the synod office if interested.
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Costs
- $600-$900 (the average price of plane ticket from SD to Managua)
- $100 per person, left as a donation to ILFE, used for vehicle repairs, and other expenses of hosting delegations
- $250 per person, pooled together at the beginning of the trip to cover gas, all meals, entrance fees if any, etc.
- $50 sent directly to the SD synod to help fund the missionary in Nicaragua
- Extra spending money for snacks, souvenirs, etc.
- Possible extra costs would be passport purchase/ renewal if yours expires within 6 months of travel, medical costs of visiting a travel clinic to see if immunizations or anti-malarial pills are recommended, etc.)
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Photos from Nicaragua
Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
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