Another ho-hum afternoon of office work, sitting at my computer here at Rain Forest International School...I was probably preparing for our upcoming special emphasis week on Drug Abuse Prevention, or maybe finishing up the paper work after registering a student to take the SAT or ACT test later this year.
But across the hall in the Admin Team meeting in our Director’s office there was quite a hullabaloo! I heard the word, “SNAKE!” and so, of course, HAD TO jump up to check it out!
Sure enough, there was a bright green snake slithering up the wall right outside the office window. Someone ran to get Joseph and he came dashing with a cutlass (machete) and sprang into action. He missed it entirely the first whack—it was moving VERY fast! He got a piece of it the second time, but it barely slowed at all. The third blow he got the head. The nerves in the body still twitched for a while, but it was definitely dead. Emotions (Joseph’s and those of the spectators) started calming down slowly, like a BB dropping in oil.
It was a poisonous Green Mamba, and Joseph buried the head (with the venom) and took the rest home for dinner! It has a lot of bones, and not much meat—it was only about an inch in diameter, maybe five feet long. But, hey, meat is meat!
An even more sinister snake…
Why does Rain Forest (RFIS) exist? Well, there are Bible translators laboring in tiny African villages, and veterinarians reaching out to Fulani cattle herders, and church planters training national leaders, and doctors treating malaria, and pilots who facilitate all these things. These folks can continue their ministries here in Cameroon and neighboring African countries, while their middle and high school students get a very good education. (Although perhaps a little TOO stimulating at times—with Green Mambas around!)
This means that if powers of darkness can wreak havoc in the lives of these students, their families may have to return to their home country for counseling help. And their ministries are put on hold, and may even be stopped cold.
As Student Care Coordinator at RFIS, I meet with students who have need of a touch from God; a reminder that He loves and cares for them; a listening ear or a word of advice about a relationship or a sadness in their life or decision they are facing.
Please pray with us that God would protect Zac and Noah and the other 114 students at RFIS from the poison that Satan seeks to inject in their lives, to cause them to doubt God, His ways, His will.
And please pray for Arnie as he embarks on a new ministry challenge—teaching Bible at a local Cameroonian high school. He also still teaches choir, trumpet, and computer at RFIS.
We value your prayers for us more than we could ever express.
Karen <>< for the Colemans
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1 comment:
Oh my word, Karen!
Do you know how long it took me to get up the nerve to even READ this post???? The comment alone had me jumpy all day and my toes perpetually curled.
Isn't that JUST what the enemy wants from us? That level of fear, especially the irrational kind (because as far as I know, the only "green" thing on my walls is the paint!)
I WILL pray. John asks about the boys all the time. What's a good email address to use if he wanted to talk to them?
I'm still at (last name dot first name @gmail.com)
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