Back in the USA

We have made it back home safely after a day & a half of travel. We left around 11 am Monday, Cameroon time, to head into Douala for some sightseeing, shopping, & then to the airport. Our flight left @ 11:30 pm. Then we went to Brussels, changed to Continental Airlines and unto Newark/ New York. We left Newark around 3:00pm (EST) Tuesday for our final flight to Grand Rapids. We got in at 5 pm where Don (Sheryl's) husband picked us up. We made it back into Evart around 7pm. We are all very tired and are ready for a hot shower & our own beds:) More details of the trip after we are rested up some. Thanks again for all your prayers for this journey.

The "Mane" Attraction

Half way through VBS some of the children noticed that Haley had beautiful hair and wanted to touch it. They were all gathered around her while she was cutting out some of our crafts. Finally one got brave enough and reached out a little hand to touch it really quick then pulled it back. That gave the next one courage so she reached out and felt her hair as well. In another minute Haley's hair had become the main attraction. The little girls started petting her head and soon one decided she wanted to style it so she started twisting it into a bun. Haley was a good sport about having her "bubble" invaded, although she said she might wear it up tomorrow. It made for some great pictures and a lot of smiles.

VBS

Today was the beginning of VBS. What an experience! I have been a part or even headed up other VBS' but I as well as Sheryl and Haley have never felt so unprepared, which is never a good feeling. Some of that came from the fact that they do things completely different here. This is how it went....We were scheduled to begin at 9:00a.m. but it rained very hard all night and into the day that it took longer for the children to get here so they began showing up around 9:20 a.m. and we had enough to get started around 10:00 a.m. Once we were ready to start something else happened to cause a delay so we had one of the teachers start them on singing while that got sorted out. Around 10:30 a.m. we had the Bible story acted out but a drama team (the story of Jonah) then Haley's puppet team put on a show. Next we sent them off to their classrooms where their teachers retold them the story according to their age group then they did coloring and a craft. This was followed by lunch in the classrooms then game time. It was still raining so we brought down big balloons(thank you mom ;)) for them to play games with until they popped :). We ended with assembly and Emanuel doing a recap of what we had learned that day, which was Be Obedient. Then they all headed for the playground or home. Oh, let me mention that the children kept trickling in all day and we ended with over 175 children. Tomorrow we are to expect that number to grow considerably. We will know what to expect at least and really the class teachers have them for most of the time so it is more on them than us. We just have to have the drama, puppets, and crafts ready.
The children are getting used to us more now and only about 3 called us white man today-big improvement.

Our Reward Day

After the Seminar Mrs. Chamberlin said we had earned a day of fun so we all climbed into the van with Joshua or Nascar (as we have dubbed him after seeing how he can maneuver on these streets) as our driver. We toured around seeing the different places the Chamberlin’s have lived, toured the fishing village and other then stopping at The Hot Spot for lunch. That was amazing! It is a restaurant that has gazebos on the cliffs, overlooking the ocean. It was both breathtaking and relaxing. We had fish and chips (barracuda with a good sauce and fries). We met up with a family we had met on the plane on the way here and had a nice talk. We found out it was a very valuable contact to make because her Uncle in head of the Cameroonian Embassy in Washington. She gave us her number and email and told us all to keep in touch and let her know if we have any problem with visas again. After that we ended the day with going to Semi Beach. I clean stretch on beach by a hotel. It was laid out very nicely with lots of things for kids and adult like a play ground, Basketball and tennis courts, as well as a beach volleyball court. The water and sand attracted us though. The sand is finer than ours and all black. It is from the volcano. We waded in the water and felt the salt water in any little cut or scrape but oh, it felt good and later just to sit and listen to it roll in was so relaxing. It was a nice rewardJ . The day has a bit of a damper on it though because Mrs.Chamberlin has developed a bad cough and sinus problem that has gone straight to her chest. She is really not feeling well and we ask you all to pray for her. She went straight to bed when we returned with some good medication and ginger tea. Pray that God will let her body and mind rest tonight so she can have a quick recovery.

Kamikaze Lizards

Last night as we all sat around relaxing after the teacher’s seminar. I (Dana) was sitting quietly minding my own business when something came flying down right by my leg and went SPLAT. I looked over at Drew, thinking he had thrown something at me, then down at the floor to discover, much to my surprise, a poor little lizard that had lost its hold on the ceiling and come hurtling to the ground barely missing my leg. It must have taken it a few moments for it to regain its senses because only when I looked down did it shoot off towards the safety under the desk causing me to let out a surprised SQUEEL followed by the only normal reaction of jerking my feet off the floor causing a chain reaction from Mrs. Chamberlin.
After the surprise was gone and we knew it was just a lizard we relaxed and I was even able to feel sorry for the little guy. That was a long fall! This might not have been the case if it had fallen on my head. Can anyone say panic attack.

Speaking of reasons to get a bit freaked out, Haley was laying in bed last night when suddenly she had the sense of no longer being alone. This revelation came when she felt something run across her legs under the sheets. Eyes popped open and she slowly moved her feet about but feeling no intruders remaining she quietly closed her eyes again and slept a peaceful sleep. How cool is she?!

The Teachers Seminar Day 2 & 3

The three day Teacher’s Seminar has come to a close. We all took part and are thanking God for the help He gave both to us and our listeners. We spoke to a room filled with 23 teachers both young and older, more experienced ones (that can rattle you J). On the second day we started out with Sheryl giving them back their gifts test and they were all very interested in that, some were very encouraged to have their gifts revealed to them a little more. She also gave the lesson on learning disabilities, which received amazing interest and discussions. Haley also gave her testimony to them which impressed them very much with her openness and attitude. Drew gave a board evangelism message about ‘the game of life’ which received many positive responses and gratitude for showing it to them. Dana gave sessions on writing compositions, dealing with staff children, and the balance of discipline,
The last day Sherly gave a session, by request, on how to model our teaching after Jesus. Dana gave a story telling and writing, than Drew joined her to give one on dealing with grief and abuse when it comes to your school. That was a time for open brokenness that was very moving and enlightening to many. We ended shortly after lunch with a final word from Dana on the power of affirmation and self examination. They all filled out comment sheets before leaving which touched us deeply and let us know that God had given us the messages that needed to be heard. Again and Always – God is Good!

Teacher's Seminar

Sorry for the delay in postings. We have been preparing teaching seminar material that will go on for 3 days. Today, Monday, was the first day. Whew :0 - we made it :)
The teachers started arriving @ 8:00 am. Since it has been raining & raining, their arrival continued all morning long. Although it is not unusual for them to arrive late (we call this cameroonian time:), the rain does slow them down tremedously. Either direction, going up or down the mountain, can be treacherous. Total teachers = 23
Mom Chamberlin opened up with devotions. Then Mr Drew led his discussion time, - Team Work. He is really getting good at his sketch art. Ms Dana then did two sessions - 1) characteristics of a Godly teacher; 2) five basic learning rules of ACE. Mrs. D & Mrs K you have done well. Mrs Sheryl then did two sessions; - 1) Spiritual Gift test; -2) Different learning styles. The class will be getting their results of the spiritual gift test tomorrow.
We broke for lunch around noon. Everyone eats together & food was provided thanks to Mom Chamberlin. It was one of their favorite dishes to eat (greens w/ fufu). They eat it without using silverware, we Americans were allowed to have a fork:) All I will say about the dish, is that Sheryl could not finish hers, due to the extreme heat. (Sweating of the brow & upper lip.) For some reason all of the nationals found this very humorous.
We have spent this evening studying for tomorrow. Continue to pray for each of us. This is a new experience for us, and we want our teaching to be interesting & effective.
We appreciate all of you who are commenting on this site, hotmailing us, & posting on facebook. Keep it coming. It is so nice to hear from home.
Good Night ;-)

The Food.

Some have been asking us about the food here. Well, in a word wonderful! The only thing that has been hard to stomach for all of us is their plums. They are not sweet but very bitter. The people boil them for a few minutes then fry them in hot oil for another minute or two. Dana was the only one that got through the whole thing and that was with the help of a little sugar packet from the plane. That has been the only speed bump in our eating experience. The rest has been AMAZING! From the jellof rice to the ndolei to the wonderful tilapia fish and home made fries that we had tonight, and lets not forget about their aboundant fruit supply including the delicious mangoes that we can pick from our porch. Everything is a little different than you would expect, but always good. They even found a way to make greens taste good. Drew and Sheryl found coke to drink and the rest of us enjoy that too but we are trying to drink a lot of water. They have a very good drink here called d'juno. It is a fruity drink that is a little like fruit punch. Almost everything we can compare to something we have at home. Their pumpkin tastes like potatoes, their bread and pineapple jam tastes like pineapple upside-down cake, their pears are avocados, their oranges and lemons are green. Everything seems a little backwards here, but what an experience! We were thinking we would come back 15# lighter but with this food we are afraid we will come back with some unwanted, excess baggage. There has only been one or two times that some of us have had something not agree with our stomachs. So far our biggest problems has been trying to think how to sneak some of this great food back home with us.

Drew sharing the message with Liberman

What used to be Dana's curling iron.

Today Mr. Drew(as they call him here) worked with a man that works here named Liberman on fixing up one of the classrooms. Later Drew sat down and shared the Basic message of the Bible(that Eric Himelick showed us at our revival). Liberman's eyes lit up and he thanked Drew for sharing it with him and said he had been waiting to find some way he could witness to others. What a great feeling to be able to bring a needed message. They are the same age and both have two children so they are finding a lot in common. Drew is invited to share the basic message of the Bible with Liberman's soccer team. He is excited about the way the Lord is opening doors. The girls enjoyed a nice hike down and back up the mountain/ very big hill today. It felt great to stretch their legs and get some exercise. We worked all day on preparing for the teachers conference and preparing pictures for Mrs. Chamberlin's blog and cause on facebook. God has answering prayer and we are excited to be in His Service.

Pictures

Sunday Church service, Monday, & Tuesday

We came into church to the sound of singing and drums. It was a nice welcoming sound. They sing for about 45 minutes before they start any preaching. As we came in a lady greeted us and led us straight to the front seats so everyone could look at us. The music was amazing. Sheryl did the best with the rythym while the rest of us tried to clap along, but after awhile the song leader broke into, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" the Spirit of God was felt and when God is there you can not help but feel at home. The children did a song called "Making Melodies". It had plenty of motions with it and it was such a joy to see & hear the children. God is so good! The jet lag was pretty strong so the eyes were feeling pretty heavy by the end.
We went upstairs to the appartment for a nice lunch and then rest. For the next two days we got to rest up some, tour the mission compound, and meet the orphans and staff here. They are all so nice and welcoming.
On Monday, we slept in a bit, jet lag was still impacting us. We made a trip into the city, checked out the market, and exchanged some money. Most stores are the size of a small bedroom. It was raining so we did not explore to much. We are saving that for another day. Many discussions took place, along with planning how the rest of our time would be spent.
On Tuesday we were able to start some projects and finally get through on the internet which made a world of difference to us. We all had a big sigh of relief as we finally connected. We are happy to be here but we need that connection with home. Thank you for all of the prayers and the ones who have left us notes on our blog and e-mails. They are so great to receive. We will do our best to be worthy of your support and show Jesus to all we meet.
Haley was able to celebrate her birthday with the orphans (although it was 2 days later) by taking her birthday cakes (Little Debbies) & popcorn, down to share with them. We also enjoyed a special time of singing with 3 of the young people.

Pictures to view

We are going to post pictures on Dana's facebook for now, until we figure out how to get them on the blog.

Cameroon Introduction

Now that we let you know that we are here and safe let me go back and tell you a few more details about our adventures so far. It began at the airport in G.R. we arrived with a two hour window feeling confident and happy to be on our way. When we got up to check in the attendant asked for our passports. We explained that we didn’t have them, just photocopies, because the embassy did not send them to us in time and that the passports were waiting for us in Newark, NJ. The attendant typed a lot then made a phone call, then typed some more. Finally, she said I cannot let you on the plane without your passports. We explained again but she said I can’t let you on. She gave us a number to call to plead our case. We called and the Lady said she could not help us either. We stood in line again to get up to the counter. When we finally got up there we asked again and told her that the phone number didn’t help us. The attendant said she didn’t think she could help us but she picked up the phone and made a call. After about two minutes she hung up and said, “Ok, they let me do it. But you will need to check all your luggage back in at Newark and start all over again.” We said “Ok, gladly.” So we picked up our tickets and ‘ran’ to our plane which was now loaded and ready to leave. We made it. We were a little shaky but on our way.
After our plane landed in Newark we claimed our 17 pieces of luggage which Drew and Haley sat with while Sheryl and I took a taxi three miles to the FedEx building and claimed our envelope containing our precious visas. After returning to the airport we stood in line for about two hours and rechecked in our bags. Finally all was done and we found a nice food court near our gate and had some lunch. Soon we were joined by Mrs. Chamberlin and we enjoyed some time of visiting before boarding the plane for our first 6 hour flight. That ride was nice. We followed that flight up with another 7 hour flight full of rowdy/crying children and rude argumentative adults. THAT was an experience! In the process some of us had our ankles swell very badly but by the time we began to descend into Douala they were forgotten for the time being. Haley will remember the descension well. You know those brown bags they put in the seat pouch, well they're not just for hand puppets. Next came what was supposed to be a hour and a half drive over to Limbe but… that trip took over 7 hours due to there being one bridge that leads in and out of Douala designed with2 lanes going both ways but while we were on it they made it 5-6 lanes going out and one coming in. Eye popping experience but we had an amazing driver who made it to the mission safely.
Next came sleep. We were given a lovely apartment to stay in. We were greeted with little wall geckos outside our door. They are helpful little guys that act as bug catchers. Thanks to our little chameleon at school we are all pretty great with them. Haley woke up the next morning there was one sitting on her windowsill in her room looking at this strange new person.
The weather is surprisingly very nice. The breeze makes it so nice and the view, ah, the view is amazing! If you just look out around you see beautiful mountains and the Ocean. We are surrounded by mountains and islands. We will take pictures but they won’t do it justice.
Now for some Dana moments… we went in for breakfast the next day and I took my curling iron over to the power strip, plugged it in, and walked out while it warmed up. A few minutes later I saw Bro. Paul Light go in and do something with it. When he came out he was rubbing his finger that now had a little blister. I thought, ”Oh, He burned himself on my iron.” I went into look at his invitation and saw my curling iron was now melted into three pieces. There voltage is like twice what ours is and requires a converter. Less than 12 hours here and I almost burned the mission down, I burned Bro. Light and now my hair is a lost cause as well. What a start! Watch out, Cameroon, Dana has arrived. Since then I have endeavored to be more careful so I don’t get put back on the plane early. They were all very forgiving.

We have arrived

It's Sunday afternoon here in Cameroon. We made it in last night @ 1:30 - 2:00 AM. Flights were long and so was the ride from Douala to Limbe. The ride consisted of 9 people in a van with 24 pieces of luggage strapped on top and in the back of the van. The drive out of Duoala was very slooow going. (Sitting in one spot for 15-30 minutes to move only 25 feet was typical.)
It is beautiful here and so are the people. We are taking the afternoon to rest and slowly settle in. Thanks for all the prayers that was said for our safety. God definitely had His hand on us, protecting us. We have many stories to tell just from our first 48 hours. So expect more to come. Love you all - Drew, Dana, Sheryl, & Haley.

6 hours and counting

It's midnight and we have all luggage packed. We will be headed out of Evart in 6 hours, making our way to Grand Rapids to catch our flight. Great news - the visas have been issued. We will catch up to them at Newark airport. God is definitely been watching over us and our plans. He is soooo faithful.

8 days & counting

Sheryl would like to thank her GLFC family. We had a charity day @ work today (Jeans for Cameroon) to raise funds for supplies & the expense of shipping supplies. Thanks to all you who were able to contribute, your support is very much appreciated. I would also like to give a BIG THANK YOU to my lab family - thank you for your support, for your prayers, and for taking good care of my DXC baby while I'm gone :) :)

More Prayer Requests

Victor's surgery went fine. Continue to pray for his healing and for Claudine as she prepares to return to Cameroon while Victor stays in the US to recover. Also we still need to obtain our Visas yet. It's starting to cause a bit of anxiety in at least one of us (sn). Thank You for all the prayers being said on our behalf.

Prayer Request

Victor Chamberlin is having hip replacement surgery this week. Please remember both Victor & Claudine in your prayers.

Taking one for the Team

Drew and I got our shots out of the way. Drew only had to have 3 because of the shots he received in the army but he was quick to volunteer me for a fourth shot that the nurse said was recommended but not required (so sweet of him). I will say that the experience was very pleasantly quick and painless. She was a great nurse. She was pitching spent needles in the bin before I thought she had even given me a shot. All the while she talked about when she went to Africa. She warned us that they would steal our hearts. We already know what that is like :) Drew hadn't had anything to eat so she made him suck down a little juice box before he received his. I missed that picture but was able to capture these lovely poses. Kent was along and enjoying being the one to watch instead of receiving for once.

Today(the day after) all four of the team are comparing sore arms. The shots weren't bad but the day after is a bit surprising. We all feel like our arms have been on the receiving end of a batting contest. Small price to pay. Eyes on the prize!

Immunizations: Done & Over

Well we made it. We have sore arms to prove it. Haley turned one shade lighter than normal, but made a quick recovery. The staff @ GLFC made this painful & dreaded situation almost enjoyable:) Thanks guys:)

Now it's on to obtaining our Visas.

Immunizations

Haley's most dreaded day for this trip is almost here. She knows the immunizations are coming just not when. So be praying for her Monday afternoon, she's going to need it. I'll let you all know the outcome when all is said & done :)

Visiting with the Chamberlin's

Bro. & Sis. Chamberlin arrived Friday night about 8:00 p.m. We had planned on giving them that first night to settle in and rest but as we shewed them to their room, conversations started and continued on until ..Oh, 11:00 p.m. We were so happy to have them here finally and both sides had so many questions, it was impossible to wait. Mrs. Chamberlin has so much knowledge and stories to tell it was like tapping into an oil field and finding a gusher. :) We soaked in every word.

I have to tell you about Kent ( my son). Our kids have shared our excitement about meeting the Camberlins, but I had no idea the reaction it would invoke on Kent when I called him in from out side and said, "Kent, The Chamberlins are here." He let out a whoop and started running and yelling to his cousin, "THE CHAMBERLINS ARE HERE! THE CHAMBERLINS ARE HERE!" Then he ran into the house, as if Santa had arrived and, much to my big eyed wonder, climbed up beside Mrs. Chamberlin (practically on her lap), wrapped her arm around him, and sat there for the next hour or so patting her hand and hugging on her while we talked. It was a greeting and a half.

We were able to spend the next three days with them, and in that time we learned so much stuff, it was enough to make our heads swirl. Everyone of us enjoyed every minute of it. They are wonderful people and we can't wait to get the four of us over there and start helping out.

Passports in hand

Drew's passport has arrived. Now all passports are in hand.

Passport

Dana got her passport. Drew's didn't arrive with it but it should be here Monday. Every new step makes it closer and more exciting.
The Chamberlins will be here, at our church, next Sunday. We are going to get to spend some time with them and be able to learn more about the mission and how we can help. We can't wait!
We ( the mission team) are trying to meet once a week for a prayer time together. We know that physical preparations for the trip are only part of it. The most important thing is knowing that we have prepared our hearts for the Lord to be able to work in us and though us. This trip is not about us, it is all about a wonderful Saviour, who has done a work in our hearts and has given us a desire to share His love and message with others. Pray for us as the time grows closer that God would make clear our path and keep us ever close to Him.

Plane Tickets

The plane tickets have been purchased!

This makes things a little more real now.

We are looking at around 24-25 hours of travel.

Some of our stops include New York and Busssels.

Practicing for our 6 hour Layover!

It's all Good!

Passports ordered

Drew and Dana finally got their passports ordered.
Sheryl and Haley were on the ball and already have theirs back.
Either way that is is one thing we can check off the list of things to do. :)

Drew & Dana's Support Letter

Dear Friends and Family, April 13, 2009

Everyone has moments in their lives when something happens that makes them stop and realize that this is going to change their lives forever. For Drew and I one of those moments happened about two years ago. The Chamberlins were holding a missionary service at our church, accompanied by three little orphans from their mission in Cameroon. As they sang and shared their stories they completely stole our hearts. As we sat in the service that day God began to do a work in our hearts. After the service we went home and sat around the table. After a few moments of pushing food around our plates Drew spoke up about how God had been talking to him, and I was excited to be able to say the same. Both of us agreed that we would be willing to go “right now” if we could. Well, we didn’t go right then and as life got busy, thoughts of the mission at Cameroon, though always there, were pushed further back in our minds. God is patient and His timing is perfect. Last year, as we spent a week at our Family Camp at Rock Lake, God began moving on our hearts again and this time it was much stronger and clearer, God was calling us to Cameroon. I cannot explain the overwhelming joy of seeing that God had a plan for us beyond anything we had ever dreamed, and knowing that He had prepared our hearts for this moment. From that time on we began seeking to make this calling more of a reality. We have been in contact with the Chamberlins and the EBM board and have planned a mission trip to Cameroon this summer.
The mission we are going to help with is run by Victor and Claudia Chamberlin. They are in charge of a Christian school that teaches between 250- 300 students, as well as an orphanage that houses 15 children now, but has the capacity to house 60 children if they could find sponsors to support them. The Chamberlins have been faithful missionaries for many years and are now in their 80’s and desperately in need of some help. We are excited to be able to go and help out for a few weeks. We will be leaving for Cameroon around June 19th, and be there for about 3 weeks. We are blessed to be going with two of our friends, Sheryl Nabozny and her daughter, Haley, who also share a heart for missions. We will be leaving our children in the care of their grandparents for this trip. Kent and Katie are excited about the possibility of getting to live in Cameroon someday, if the Lord so leads, along with some reservations, like leaving cousins and friends for more than a week, but they are excited about being missionaries and helping the orphans and school children in Cameroon.
We ask that, as we begin this journey, you would keep us in your prayers. We have many details to work out and costs to cover such as plane tickets, visas, passports, vaccinations, etc. We would also like to take over some supplies and needed items for the mission.
We would like everyone to share in this adventure with us as much as possible, so we have set up a BlogSpot so you can follow along with us as we prepare, and later when we are over there. We will do our best to update with pictures and information as we have opportunity.
We thank God for the way He is helping us, and are assured that where He has called us He will provide a way. If you would like to help us financially as we begin this journey we would greatly appreciate it. You can send your support to one of the addresses below. Most of all we covet your prayers and hope you share in this excitement by visiting our blog and letting us hear from you. Thank you for your time and prayers.
In His Service,
Drew and Dana Herring
You can send support to us directly by sending it to:
Drew Herring
2141 80th Ave
Evart, MI 49631

If you would like to receive a receipt for tax exempt purposes send to:
Evart Bible Methodist Church
3976 80th Ave
Evart, MI 49631
(Memo- Drew & Dana mission trip)

If you would like to find out more about our trip or the Chamberlin’sand their mission work, here are some links you can visit:
http://cameroon-thejourney.blogspot.com/Our blog for this trip
http://cameroonforjesus.org/This is the Chamberlin’s website.
http://www.ebminternational.com/This is the ministry that the Chamberlin’s work through.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbe,_CameroonInformation on Limbe, Cameroon.
Also feel free to contact us at drewherring78@hotmail.com

Sheryl and Haley's Support Letter

CAMEROON: THE ADVENTURE April 2009
To our friends and family: There are times in our life that STAND OUT more than any other times, and for us (Haley & I), we are preparing for such a time. God is good.He is all that He says that He is, more than our minds can fathom, and we want to become all that He wants us to be. Haley, who is finishing her first year of high school, will be turning 15this June. She is hoping to spend her birthday on the continent of Africa, the country of Cameroon, near the city of Limbe, on a mission field. Here’s the story behind the adventure: Haley attends school at Daystar Christian Academy in Evart. This is her5th year at Daystar. She is not only receiving a great education, but she is experiencing significant spiritual growth. For the last year she has felt God speaking to her heart about missions.I (Sheryl) have had a great desire to do a mission trip for many years now, but a door never was opened. In my mind, I just wanted an opportunity to leave the local area and serve in a way that would challenge me spiritually.So when the idea of this trip to Cameroon was presented to me, I began praying for God’s wisdom. What an incredible opportunity for both Haley &I. But to be able to do this meant that God would have to be the one who said “GO.” This trip would not be ours, but His. So as time went on, God spoke to both of our hearts.Now that the possibility has become more tangible and God’s confirmation having come to both of us, we have started taking the necessary steps to make this all happen. We are looking at leaving Michigan around June 19th and returning around July 11th. We will be traveling to a mission field near Limbe, Cameroon. The mission field is headed by Victor & Claudine Chamberlin, and consists of an orphanage, school, and church. So there will be plenty of things to do while we are there.Our traveling buddies will be Drew and Dana Herring. Dana is Haley’s teacher and she & I coach the Daystar Volleyball team together. Drew works at Pineview Boys Home and frequently helps out with the volleyball team. I have learned that they both have hearts to serve God unselfishly and the energy to do it. They have become cherished friends over this past year.While we are traveling to far off lands, Don will be managing the home front. He will not be alone though , keeping him company will be Selah, Jehoshaphat, and Hadassah. So how would these events taking place in our lives affect you?Here’s the deal - We need your PRAYERS:
1- as we prepare our hearts and minds
2- for our traveling safety
3- for great spiritual growth for both of us(Not only do we want to impact others, but we want to be impacted.)
4- for financial expenses
And if you would like to donate to our cause, we would be very grateful to you. Donations can be sent to us directly or if you want the donation to count for tax purposes you can mail it to our home church.
1) Mail to us directly:
Sheryl & Haley Nabozny
6657 70th Ave
Evart, MI 49631or2)
To our home church:
Evart Bible Methodist Church
3976 80th Ave Evart, MI 49631
Checks payable to: Evart Bible Methodist Church
Memo: Sheryl & Haley’s Cameroon trip
Thank You and God Bless
our e-mail: dnabozny@netonecom.net If you would like to find out more about our trip or the Chamberlin’s and their mission work, here are some links you can visit.
http://cameroonforjesus.org/This is the Chamberlin’s website. http://www.ebminternational.com/This is the ministry that the Chamberlin’s work through. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limbe,_CameroonInformation on Limbe, Cameroon.

Who are Sheryl and Haley Nabozny?

We are Sheryl & Haley Nabozny. Mom & Daughter. We live in Evart along with Don (Hubby & Dad), Selah (black lab), King Jehoshaphat (cat#1), & Hadassah Noel (cat #2). Haley is finishing up her 9th grade year at Daystar Christian Academy,where she is active in volleyball, puppets, & new this year - sewing. She enjoys many activities such as going to christian music festivals,hanging out with friends, playing both volleyball & basketball, and many outdoor activities like: 4-wheeling, camping, & swimming. I (Sheryl) have been working at Great Lakes Family Care as a labtechnician for over 21 years now. I also have the privilege of teaching P.E. at Daystar, tutoring math, and coaching the volleyball team along with Dana. I enjoy going to christian music festivals,playing & coaching volleyball, and doing many outdoor activities such as: 4-wheeling, camping, hiking, & fishing. Two of my greatest passions are reading/studying books of inspiration and listening to worship music. Haley & I are very excited to have the opportunity to go to Cameroon and to experience all that God has for us. This is something we have been praying about for some time. We want to be and do all that God has for us. Thank You for all your support:)

Who are Drew and Dana Herring?

Drew and I have been happily married for the past 11 years. We are here today, standing strong together, because God is Good. He has saved us and drawn us ever closer to Him. We are nothing without Him and because of all He has done for us we want to share His love with others. It is amazing to look back and see how God has led us to this point. Many of those "hard times" that didn't make sense at the time now are seen clearly as stepping stones to where we are today. God always has a plan and true happiness is found when we put our trust in Him and let Him lead. We are following His leading and have never been more excited or happy as we take this step toward His calling to Cameroon.

And now a little background on us.

Drew has worked at Pineview Homes in Evart, Michigan for the past 12 years as a direct care worker, working with the abuse and neglect(and delinquent) boys as well as working on a construction crew for about 4 years. Drew has coached basketball for Pineview and helped out with the Daystar Volleyball team as well as the basketball team. He has taken up farming the past few years, runs sound at our church and family camp, and is always up for a challenge. He enjoys rock climbing, fishing, camping, hiking, and pretty much any sport.

I, Dana, have worked at Pineview Homes full time and now part time as a direct care worker with Drew in the Pugsley House (neglect & abuse unit). I have also worked as a teacher at our church-school, Daystar Christian Academy, for all grades but am leading the 7th-12th grades this year. I am thankful daily for the opportunity to be a part of the students lives. God has definitely lead me to this position and has given me such a burden for each and every one of my students. I have been able to coach volleyball at Daystar for several years as well as getting to coach it this year with Sheryl (our traveling buddy for this trip). Other things I enjoy are sewing, singing, drama, camping and canoeing, and anything adventurous.

We are blessed to have two wonderful children, Katie, age 10 and Kent, age 6.

Katie in 5th grade and is learning the violin this year. She loves puppets, drama, singing, and playing 'Little house on the Prairie'.

Kent is in 2nd grade this year. He loves building things and has a vivid imagination. He likes guitars, basketball, wrestling with daddy, and singing.

God has surrounded us with many wonderful family members, friends, and a great Pastor who has also been a good mentor to us. We are grateful for each one of them. We know anything done like this requires great prayer support so we ask you to keep us in your prayers and hearts.