Wednesday, February 19, 2025
3 — Where in the world is former Tribune editor Cal Bratt?
9 — Evan Samsill of the Lynden Community/ Senior Center reflects on metaphorical (and literal) seasons
A world apart from Lynden's 'broad smooth streets'
Cal and Melinda Bratt help daughter and family by teaching at African school
By Cal Bratt For the Tribune
CAMEROON, Africa — We awaken most mornings to the crowing of roosters, or the barking of dogs, even though Yaoundé is a city of more than 3 million.
Warmth and humidity flow in through screened windows. And when we step outside our apartment, we are sure to see small lizards of varied colors darting about on the walls and surfaces.
A lurching ride down the rough lane from the Newland compound takes us quickly into the pulsing life of this thirdculture metropolis of Cameroon, Africa. People are everywhere, perhaps walking or catching a ride to work or school – oops, look out for that little yellow taxi.
Further on, beyond the chaotic roundabout of our Tropicana neighborhood, in the Petit Marché (little market) squeeze of vendors and vehicles, I could certainly buy some bananas or avocados, or a shirt, out the window of our transport van if I wanted to.
Top: Cal Bratt sets up his history class at Rain Forest International School in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Africa. Cal and his wife Melinda, pictured at left with her kindergarten class, have been in Africa since August 2024 living and teaching where their daughter Rachel and her family have made their home since 2013. Above: Rain Forest International School all-student photo. (Photos courtesy Bratt family)
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Yaoundé
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Yes, it’s quite a world apart from Lynden’s broad smooth streets, coffee drivethrus, dairy cows grazing in the fields and Mount Baker rising in the distance.
Melinda and I are six months into our schoolyear adventure of living and teaching where our daughter Rachel and her family have made their home since 2013.
For someone who was not a teacher, I would say the big change is going well for me. I am immersing myself in U.S. History, my main course, as I haven’t since it was my college major 50 years ago.
My two other classes at the Rain Forest International School, current events the first semester and now a remedial writing lab, keep me busy preparing, too.
Melinda, of course, being the elementary teacher of umpteen years, just brings back proven skills to the Greenhouse School kindergarten.
We have been very blessed, so far, to be spared any sicknesses or bug bites that can go with living in a tropical developing country such as this.
The missionaries and nationals here are very familiar with malaria as the prime health threat — they just compare their symptoms of having had it.
Our safeguards are to sleep with a mosquito net over our bed and to take certain pills when we will be going into more risky areas.
We have ventured out into the country beyond Yaoundé a few times now. The Rain Forest high school retreat was four hours south in a gorgeous setting with a swimming pool the kids enjoyed.
The whole family climbed 3,800-foot Mount Eloundem that is visible from the city streets. We also traveled to a hilltop Catholic retreat center for a few days. Our last and biggest trip was to get away over the holidays to Kribi on the Atlantic coast. How refreshing it was to look out on and swim in the ocean. A few more excursions may await.
There is no sense of four distinct seasons here — it’s just wet or dry season, with some variation. Now in February, we have been without any significant rainfall since mid-November. Things are much drier than I ever expected — leaves on the ground, grass brown. Still, the temperature and humidity remain high, usually
Above: Cal Bratt and family on the first day of school. Below right: Walking to Sunday church. Below left: The Carrefour store is Cal and Melinda's main shopping place. (Photos courtesy Bratt family)
Top photo: Rachel and Melinda on the way to Greenhouse School. Melinda, of course, being the elementary teacher of umpteen years, just brings back proven skills to the Greenhouse School kindergarten. Above: Beautiful setting of a high school retreat. (Photos courtesy Bratt family)
Yaoundé
into the 80s. Fans are always going in our apartment and at the schools. The rain should return in March.
Cameroon is a significant hub for the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators and other Christian mission organizations operating in this 270-language country and into the central Africa region.
The two schools where we teach exist to support mission families and (for RFIS) also to be available more and more to Cameroonian students.
One is impressed by the impact on society here of the decades of Christian missions of all sorts. For one, the Cameroon Baptist Convention is a large employer in the country in medical facilities, schools and more.
On Sundays, we hear from the Tropicana neighborhood the singing and services of various churches.
In December, the entire RFIS school attended a special celebratory event at the training center of SIL (Wycliffe’s organizational partner here).
At left: 9-yearold granddaughter Michaela is an avid reader. Michaela keeps her own group of friends and has added a bunny to the family. On opposite page: Crowded, congested traffic somehow moves.
Our Meal Program provides a hot, fresh lunch Mon-Fri, with pick up and delivery options available. Call us or come by the center to learn more!
Daily Delivery or pickup - call by 10am Daily meals served - 12-12:30pm Menus available on our website, Facebook, and at the Center.
(Photos courtesy Bratt family)
It was the dedication of the New Testament translated and printed into six languages for the first time.
Completed books are the result of decades of work by the linguistic and exegetical professionals. It so happened that, midway into this event, I was told that the Cameroon Tribune was open to an article and photographs of the occasion.
So I put on my reporter’s cap to produce an account, which did end up in the publication a few days later.
Some Western amenities can be found here, although there is not a McDonald’s in the country.
The Carrefour supermarket stores — and one is a short drive away — are popular with nationals as well as with us foreigners. We have figured out the right purchases there to keep ourselves supplied.
On the other hand, one learns right away that tap water is not to be consumed (everyone has a filtering set-up at home, or buys bottled fluids), that fresh produce should be bleach-soaked before being eaten, and that all containers must be tightly sealed to keep the omnipresent tiny ants from getting in.
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Yaoundé
From previous page
The prevailing language here in Yaoundé is French, although Cameroon is bilingual, and the two schools are taught in English. We can choose to attend one church that is entirely in French or another that is bilingual. I am understanding a bit of French when it is written.
The personal reason for this year is to be with Rachel and Brandon and their daughters in their setting here and to experience the life they live. I can now with certainty tell apart our 14-year-old twin granddaughters, Anika and Alexa, whom we have watched playing on the RFIS volleyball and soccer teams.
Nine-year-old Michaela keeps her own group of friends and has added a bunny to the family. And we have come to know many other new people in the mission network.
There certainly will be a need for teachers again next year in the two schools. Any adventurous mission-minded folks should contact us.
We expect to be back in Lynden in late June. In a cross-cultural reversal, I think I will need a few weeks to get used to wide clean streets again, dairy cows and Mount Baker on the horizon.
Cal and Melinda Bratt and their family eat out to celebrate a birthday. The personal reason for this year is to be with their daughter Rachel, her husband Brandon and their daughters in their setting and to experience the life they live. Cal and Melinda expect to be back in Lynden in late June. (Photos courtesy Bratt family)
Senior center director learns adaptability
'For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.' Ecc. 3:1
By Evan Samsill For the Tribune
LYNDEN — Funny how a week of winter can be more than enough for most of us. A mild holiday season, lots of sun and an absent northeaster lulled me into a sense of … well, confusion? What season were we in, anyway?
That sense of confusion dissipated quickly with the start of February. Where in January I began to get antsy to clear the flower beds and break out the gardening tools, I found myself in need of a snow shovel to dig out the shed that contained the snow shovel. January had trips up to Baker and over to the coast; February made a short walk downtown a trek-and-a-half.
Obviously, a lack of planning didn’t help my situation or how the sudden surprise of snow and wind soured in a short time. But it did raise some questions in my mind about seasons and adaptability.
I would like to garden, but being inside reminded me the indoor plants might need some
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Snowed in for a week, Lynden Community/Senior Center Director Evan Samsill found the recent snow storm caused his mind to wander back to things he could do when it's warm. Such as clean his yard, fire up the grill, or go on adventures with friends.
(Bill Helm/Lynden Tribune)
LCSC
From previous page
love too. Things were re-potted and pruned and spruced up.
I might want to clean up the yard, but there were also carpets to clean, pictures to sort and hang, and things to do out of the cold.
I’d love to fire up the grill, but it was time to make soup and bake some indoor treats. I might like hot peppers and charcoal, but it was time for spices like cardamom and nutmeg.
I’d like to be out adventuring with friends, or traveling, but I had a comfy chair, a phone, and people I love and care about to call and catch up with who are all over the country.
I’d like to be busy, but suddenly –I had time. How selfish could I be to spend it complaining (mostly internally)?
My own inward thinking needed to open out as well. Our land needs the winter snowpack. Our plants need to harden, and the bugs driven away. All these components, especially the ones I may not necessarily like, have inherent value and necessity within them that require change on my behalf, not from something else.
I’m beginning to think I may need seasons to refrain from being static in my own life. And this winter, I believe it’s time to learn to be more fluid even when I feel frozen.
-- Evan Samsill is director of the Lynden Community/Senior Center. Although an interview fell through for his first story idea, Samsill spent the week -- and weekend -- in reflection while snowed in.
Mount Grover Street, pictured, is a pile of snow scraped to the side of Grover Street at the Lynden Community/ Senior Center.
-- Evan Samsill, director of the Lynden Community/ Senior Center, spent the week -- and weekend -- in reflection while snowed in. (Photo courtesy Lynden Community/Senior Center)
