Nkolbikon...the 2nd journey

Here's Nathan's story of his second camping trip to Nkolbikon:

On Monday, June 14^th I drove with Jennifer, Heidi, Sufaio, Samba, Samedi and Assi for my 2^nd trip to Nkolbikon. The road was muddy and we almost bottomed out once in ruts made by large trucks, but we never got stuck. Soon after we arrived, it started raining so I had to wait before setting up the tent. When Jennifer and Heidi left and I started to set up the tent, one of the poles broke but I had extra with me and was able to fix it.

That night we had a Bible Likano time and did the Creation story. It went well.

Tuesday, the guys and I, after a breakfast of plantains, went out to trap forest mice (rats). Setting up traps took most of the day. That evening, in the dark, I was shining my flashlight for Sufaio’s stepmom as she prepared dinner for everybody. I saw that we had a nice dish of meat and upon closer inspection realized that it was some of the rats we caught earlier. I got to have my first tasty meal of rats that evening, right before we did the Likano of Adam and Eve. I had Sufaio lead the discussion time, and it went well.

Wednesday morning, they wanted to go out and check and reset the traps. I got my machete and spent some time sharpening it really, really well and I was proud of how sharp I had gotten it. We headed out and I put my machete on my head, Baka style, so I could put on my long-sleeved button-up shirt as we walked. I took the machete down with my right hand and I went to place it in my left arm with the back of the blade in the crook of the arm and the handle in my palm. I did not place it well and it fell, cutting my left hand. I felt a strong tinge of not only pain but electric shock in my hand where it hit me. So I took off the shirt and wrapped the sleeve tightly around my hand. At that point I didn’t quite know how bad it was. I gave the machete to Sufaio, who didn’t have one with him, and said, “You guys go on I need to go back.”

Back at the camp, when Sufaio’s stepmom saw me, she said, “What’s wrong?” As I tried to tell her I started to go dizzy and went down on my knees, starting to faint on the ground. She came near, “Natan, Natan, e a pe? e a pe? Nathan, what’s going on?” I couldn’t speak for a few minutes until I regained my breath and strength. Others gathered around and helped me into the house onto a bamboo bed, where I laid and rested for a few minutes. I realized that my left forefinger was numb as if it had fallen asleep and I probably should get someone to look at it and sew it up. I sent money for a moto (motorcycle taxi) to come pick me up. We waited over an hour before I started to walk with Sufaio (he’d come back from the forest in that time, with a rat that got caught in one of my traps!). We walked for 10 min when the moto arrived.

It started raining really hard on the way to Petit Pol, the closest “town” that was 4 km away. We stopped at a little shack boutique and tried to get out of the rain and waited about 20 min. The rain didn’t totally stop and I asked the driver to take me to the “hospital” (3 room building with a waiting room, small office and examination room) there in Petite Pol. I assumed the road back to our place would be too bad after the rain.

The doctor was there and cleaned the cut with antibiotic wash and then betadine (which was extrememly painful). He said that he couldn’t sew it up well and I’d have to go to the hospital in Bertoua. I told him that I didn’t have any way to get there he said, “Well I’ll stitch it up then. Sorry I don’t have any Novocain.” While I was laying my head down getting ready to bear the pain, I decided to ask him more about the lack of feeling in my finger. He said, “Oh I’m just stitching you up so you don’t bleed anymore. You’ll have to get these taken out when you can get to Bertoua and they’ll do surgery on your hand.” I decided NOT to have him sew me up because it really wasn’t bleeding that badly and had him just wrap and tape it, and I went on my way.

The moto was waiting for me and was willing to try to take me the 12km back to my place. We slipped and slid all the way back in the mud. I think the moto fell 4 times. The 3^rd time it scrapped up and burnt my calf but we never completely wiped out into the muck. I was never so happy to see the entrance to our place.

Laurel was worried as she saw me arrive back, days early, by moto, with my hand wrapped up. Jennifer was able to sew the wound closed and wrap it in a sling to keep it elevated. I was pampered all day Thursday and enjoyed sleeping in my own bed.

Friday afternoon, a Baka neighbor and I (one-handed) started out in our truck take a less muddy route, the long way around, to get back to Nkolbikon. This road was pretty good except for a bridge where I had to move boards around so I could cross without falling through.

When we got there, they were excited to see me and said how their hearts were worried and they were glad I was back. I heard that Sufaio and Samba did a good job while I was gone. They did the Likano Wednesday night but didn’t get to the right story on the mp3 player. They were going to play David and Goliath but ended up playing John the Baptist. I heard that Thursday not many people showed up, just a small handful and the mp3 player’s batteries had died. So they skipped the Likano but still sang and prayed. I kept letting them know that they did a good job without me and this just goes to show them that they CAN do it in the future.

The Likano time that night went extremely well. A lot people came, even people from the upper part of the camp came down to join us. We had over 60 people that night and had a great time singing with so many voices. I told them I was sad because it was going to be my last time there doing Likano for a while but I was hoping send others to do the storying. I encouraged them to meet together themselves for times of praising God and prayer, and just like I wasn’t there when they carried on that Wed & Thurs, they can go out and spread God’s word themselves.

After that night, Abeyi (Sufaio’s dad) said, “When might you go to Mayos I? Maybe we could go with you and share God’s Word with them.” I said I didn’t know when but that’s exactly what I’d love to happen. My heart was encouraged.

Then Saturday morning I cleaned up my site, packed up the tent said my good byes and headed back home with the guys.

Sufaio's family, L-R: Aunt with her baby, Father Abeyi, Little Brother Assi, Stepmom Ana and Sufaio. The two little girls are twins - Sufaio's half sisters.