Greetings from Cameroon, West Africa! (Now seriously, how many greetings do you get like that!) Yes, the Sparks family is still alive and well here at Mbingo Baptist Hospital. We have experienced a few interesting incidents since our last newsletter, but as always, God has taken excellent care of us, and all is well!

But first, news about Steve's ministry with the PAACS (Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons) surgery residency program. Steve and the other PAACS administrators are currently in the process of choosing one or two new residents to add to the five current residents in the 4-year surgery training program. The Wednesday evening Bible studies and Thursday discipleship meetings are being blessed by God and everyone involved is growing in their relationship with God. Many of the surgery patients have had the Gospel shared with them by the residents, and further explained to them by the surgery ward chaplain. Some have come to eternal life. The plans for the two new ORs, three ICUs, four more resident houses, and a hydroelectric power plant are progressing, and we are continuing to look for funds as well as expertise in these areas.

Our main killers continue to be typhoid and dysentery, both of which come from impure water. A review of the AIDS tests of females 20 to 25 years of age who came to the hospital or outlying clinics for voluntary testing yielded a 24% positive rate in our area. Most of the wards are now filled with AIDS patients. It is a constant stress in the operating room as Steve teaches surgical techniques to the residents. Besides that, one of Steve's favorite lines is, "Anyone can do this operation with light, the right instruments and the right suture!" So much of the time they are trying to use out-dated or broken equipment to do an operation not in any of the textbooks, which none of them have done before; but, by Gods grace and power, they succeed most of the time.

February was a particularly interesting month here in Cameroon. Gasoline prices have risen steadily over the last year, and so taxi drivers around the country decided to stage a strike in protest. But not only did they choose to stop driving their taxis, but they erected road blocks which essentially stopped all traffic of any kind in all the big cities. Eventually the government responded by deploying troops to break up the roadblocks, and, as seems to usually happen in these kinds of situations, tempers flared and a few people were killed in some of the larger cities. Fortunately things never escalated like they did in Kenya a few months ago - the whole thing really only lasted for about five days, and none of the animosity was directed at foreigners. But of course, during those five days we were all starting to get a little worried, since it was not safe for anyone to be out on the road. And, wouldn't you know, the kids and I just happened to be in Bamenda at the time, attending our bi-annual FES school session (Steve was still here at Mbingo, and Maddie was at her boarding school in Yaounde). And that meant that we were stuck in Bamenda, which was one of the cities where things got a little hot! We were staying at the Baptist Center compound with a number of other missionary families, and even though the rioting and teargas were close enough to be seen, heard, and breathed, we were left completely alone by the rioters and police. So we really did feel safe, but were mostly worried about how long we might be stuck there in town. And, as most of you men can probably imagine, it was very hard for Steve to be separated from his family during a time of uncertainty. Fortunately, Mbingo is out in the country, so everything here at the hospital was basically "business as usual". After about four days of rioting in the cities, everything started to settle down and the roadblocks were removed. Once we saw that the taxis were starting to go back to work, we decided that it would be safe enough for us to head back home, which we very gratefully did. As it turned out, we all wound up leaving Bamenda on the day we had originally planned to leave, so for us, the whole episode was really nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

But it never ceases to amaze me how God's promises become so real and solid during times of crisis! For example, Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Yes I know, Christians use that one all the time, but that's because it's a huge promise! Actually, I hesitate to even call it a promise; because that implies that it may or may not be true. It's huge for us Christians because we find that, particularly in times of crisis, it's a truth, not simply a "promise". Do you know what I mean? Anyway, even though at the time we didn't know what was going to happen in Bamenda, we were confident that we were in God's hands and that He would take care of us. No one among us "freaked out" or had a nervous breakdown, because God had given us His peace, which, as the verse implies, really doesn't make any sense at all! It's just one of the many "perks" to being a child of our powerful and loving Father. That being said, I would still ask you to pray for peace in Cameroon. Even though this was a brief flare-up of trouble, the causes of the trouble really have not been dealt with. And that means that it wouldn't take much for the trouble to start up again, so we would really appreciate it if you would say a quick prayer for Cameroon wherever and whenever you think of it.

Also, please continue to pray for Rainforest International School, which is the missionary school that Maddie attends in Yaoundé. There remains a huge need for teachers, administrators, and funding, particularly during the next school year. RFIS has purchased land for a new, much-needed facility, and while building has recently started, it will come to a stop if additional funds aren't received. I realize that it can be hard to get people interested in supporting a school for Western kids in Africa, but perhaps people underestimate the importance of schools like RFIS in keeping missionaries in the field. And so, RFIS really is a big part in furthering the Gospel in Cameroon, and as such needs a lot of support. 'Nuff said.

So, in a nutshell, here are some things that we'd really appreciate your continued prayer for:

1. The country of Cameroon. I realize that it's hard to know how to pray for an entire country, but specifically pray for peace and for God to make himself known in individual hearts.

2. For physical safety and wisdom for the missionaries here, should the trouble start up again.

3. For RFIS, that God will speak to the individuals who He can use to fill the many needs.

4. For the PAACS program, new residents, and buildings.

5. For health, safety, and spiritual protection and growth for the Sparks family.

We love all of you guys, and would be happy to hear from you and to pray for your needs. As always, we're grateful for all of your prayers and financial support, and for answering God's call as "senders"!

God's peace to you,

Steve, Suzanne, Maddie, Annie, Cory, and Joey Sparks