Random Bits of Christmas Cheer

I am celebrating the fact that I am now on Christmas break. After we gave the pastors' an early payday on Wednesday, I closed the office and ran home to rest. The girls are out of school, and we're anticipating a nice, slow Christmas weekend.

While you may be suffering through winter storms, we're sitting around trying to keep cool. The last week has been HOT, and there's been very little wind or breeze. The girls are trying to talk me into taking them to the pool at the French Club tomorrow, and I might just do it!

In the meantime, here's a few random bits of information about the Mission and the Magruders:

• The young man who hit the Mission car with his motorcycle in Kumba last weekend is recovering well, according to Pastor Solomon Mbwoge, who has been providing him pastoral care. The broken right leg was set, and he seems to be doing well. I am so thankful to be receiving such good reports, after an awful accident.
• Starting in January, Professor Rev. Nathaniel Ohouo, a United Methodist from Cote d'Ivoire who teaches at the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Yaounde, will be making a circuit of three of our churches in the region on Sunday mornings to help mentor the young pastors who are working there. He's been begging me for a more active role in the Mission, and I think I've found just the thing!
• Pray now for the Annual Pastors' Retreat to be held Jan. 29 -- Feb. 2, 2007, in Kribi. Bishop Larry Goodpaster, Alabama-West Florida Conference, will help lead the retreat with a group of clergy from the States.
• We now have two pastors in seminary! David Sen, pastor of John Wesley UMC in Yaounde, started classes at the Faculty of Protestant Theology recently, and is progressing well, though he reports that Greek and Hebrew are difficult. Simeon Nomo is across town at the Faculty of Evangelical Theology.
• Finally, here's an interesting story that I recently stumbled across online. Seems that Pentecostals have now passed Methodists in church attendance in England, home of Methodism. As a former pastor in the UK, the story makes me a little melancholy.