Some Obstacles in Continuing with the Nkanchi Church Project
Dear friends of KumboKids and Community,
On June 17, 2023, I did a PowerPoint Presentation at Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, Springboro, Ohio. I was glad to show the pictures of the new Saint Martin de Porres Catholic Church building that was almost getting to the roof level. By October 23, 2023, the building was completed to the roof level. We started sawing planks on November 10, 2023, to prepare for the roofing. We thought that by now, we should have been giving you some updates on how far we have gone with the roofing. Unfortunately, we had some drawbacks.
We have not been able, since November 2023, to transport the materials to the site of the new Church building due to several factors. The Anglophone crisis took another turn. There were constant roadblocks, shooting, kidnapping, burning, and looting of property. It was very unsafe to travel or to dare to transport any goods. Some trucks that were transporting goods were burnt by the rebels at the risk of almost killing the occupants of the vehicles . This made it difficult for the workers to go to their job sites.
Transport truck burnt by Rebel forces in western Cameroon.
During this Holy Week, the priests of the Diocese of Kumbo are meeting to discuss how to do better in the field of evangelization. One of the points we discussed on Monday, March 25, 2024, was the ongoing formation of priests and Christians. We noted that the diocese of Kumbo has produced the lone Cardinal that Cameroon has ever had, the first archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda comprising the two Anglophone Regions, the bishop of Yagoua, a Francophone territory. He later transferred to the Diocese of Buea and is not bishop emeritus, and the present bishop of the Diocese of Kumba (not Kumbo), is from the Diocese of Kumbo. There are numerous priests, religious men, and women serving in all the dioceses of Cameroon and around the world who are the indigenes of the diocese of Kumbo. We were wondering why the crisis has hit Kumbo so much given the fact many of the rebels who are now holding guns to kill, kidnap, loot property, rape, harass, and torture people were once altar servers. We came out with the resolution to intensify catechesis so that everyone is taught the value and sacredness of life. With God's help, we pray to come out of this crisis.
Impact of the rainy season on roads in western Cameroon.
Another obstacle was the bad state of the roads. With the heavy rains, the roads were muddy making it impossible for heavy trucks to navigate their way through. Vehicles got stuck in the mud (see picture above), and movement was very difficult, if not, impossible. However, despite the obstacles, the sawing of the planks is about 75% complete. We are hopeful that the work on the roof will begin soon. Everything being equal, in summer, we should be giving you the updates for the Church building.
Once more, thank you for your generosity. Through you, I am learning a lesson of faith. Through you, our faith journey becomes practical and all-encompassing. I am so grateful for all you are doing to help me to help others. The delay in the Church building is due to situations beyond our control, and I thank you sincerely for your patience. May God abundantly bless you.
-Rev. Emmanuel Fale Lon