Yaounde Life- Alace

Catching a ride in the SIL helicopter in Cameroon

Have you met my better half, Alace?  You really should.  If you have, you know she is all about relationships.  Surface conversations?  Nope… that won't suffice.  Deep, real, genuine, heart-to-heart connections is her "sweet spot".

So, you can imagine the "wilting" that happened in her spirit over that last couple of years, as, one by one… 

...our expat colleagues in Libreville started filing out of the country for one reason or

Classic Alace… finding time for deep connections with friends.

another.  Besides having our children away from home for high school, this was, for me, one of the most difficult things to watch.  Sure, we had (have) AWESOME national friends, but having a friend or two from your home culture that really "get you" is so key to surviving internationally.  

Alace's after-school mentoring group of high school girls.

Here in Cameroon, the city in which we live, Yaounde, is a bit of a "hub" for many international workers, so Alace is in heaven, connecting with many people.  Additionally, we are having a great time working with students as dorm parents again.  Alace also invests in young ladies with a mentoring group that meets after school.  Work with youth energizes us both, so, between the dorm house and the other connections with youth, this year has been definitely revitalizing!

These connections have been a KEY part to turning the tide

Alace assists in the "foods" class at the high school with friend, Michelle

from "wilting" to "blooming" for Alace… and myself, as well.  Our time in Cameroon, with our kids, working with students, reflecting, making new friends… it's been the needed "icing" on the cake of our 6 years in Africa prior to furlough.