The Additional Bodily Organ Needed by Every Sorceror or Shaman

There is an "extra organ" that is added to a child to make him a future shaman or sorceror. It is called "eleme" in Nzime or in Badwe'e, or "lelyem" in Njyem. The little beasty is supposedly located between the stomach and the backbone. If it is facing the backbone, it empowers you to be a shaman, or "spirit doctor".

A shaman is considered absolutely necessary to those whose luck is finished or who find that they have sorcerors gunning for them.

If its mouth is facing your stomach, you have to start doing the work of the sorceror, however, killing people through occult means. It needs their blood and if it doesn't get it, it will gnaw on your stomach until you deliver the victims.

The people a sorceror can kill are from his own network of family members. To kill one of them, he recites the points of connection between the chosen victim and the sorceror. Someone is really vulnerable to the sorceror if he/she paid the bride-price on the victim's mother. When the victim "dies" mystically, he turns up as a zombie in the land of another sorceror, one who is willing to pay the price for him. These upscale sorcerors are usually living in Europe, so that is where zombies are most often found.

The Nzime, Badwe'e and Njyem talk about these zombies by using the word ndim, which is most commonly translated "ghost". There is a difference between the western idea of a ghost and ndim, however: the ndim is no less physical in appearance than a real person.

If a sorceror is afflicted with an uneasy conscience about his actions, he or she can secretly call for the help of a shaman who will try to turn the eleme so its teeth are pointed to the backbone.

A Badwe'e woman whose faith I trust volunteered an explanation for what happens to the eleme after one turns to Christ and repents of his sin. She said that Jesus probably makes it die and rot, so that it does not trouble one anymore. There is no need of an operation to remove it, either. She is pictured to the left.

Pray for the Nzime, Badwe'e and Njyem people to place their confidence in Christ as the source of their security rather than in their shamans.

Note: To make this representation of eleme, I took a picture of a piranha from the web and modified it. Obviously, I have never seen one. I am simply going on the basis of what people say exists.

Can You Spare 5-1/2 Minutes for Our Story?

Our story is compressed to 5 1/2 minutes in our new DVD. It is also available in WMV format for those using Windows Media Player. I have not wanted to upload it onto one of the sites like Youtube, however.
If you have interest in this, contact me at beavonkeith@yahoo.com.

Surviving the Flu Season... by God's Grace

Flu! Schools are closed because of this disease and there has been one death here in Kent County, Michigan. We see that the availability of the flu vaccine is nil here. So why did we get it? By the grace of God! Only by his gracious providence! We had a general checkup scheduled with our doctor in September and said that we had need of the vaccine. He said that they had none to offer us, but while we were in the clinic, the shipment arrived! So we got our shot and are looking forward to freedom from falling ill. Praise the Lord!

Thanks given to the Beavons and to SIL

ASTRADHE (The ASSOCIATION FOR TRANSLATION, LITERACY PROGRAMS AND THE HOLISTIC DEVELOPPMENT OF THE HUMAN BEING) thanks SIL CAMEROON, that since decades has not stopped bringing its support for the development of the nzime language, through the linguistic research, the financial support for publications [in Nzime] and the training of the members of the Nzime community in various domains, [such as] Bible translation and literacy work. Today SIL Cameroon shows, through the financing of the publication of the transition primer and writers' handbook, that it constitutes an excellent partner in the interest of taking the Nzime people out of the state of illiteracy. We say "Thank you!" to SIL Cameroon and to all its personel who work for the edification of the Word of God and fight against underdevelopment in all its forms. This is why we say to the SIL that, God chose you as he chose Jonas to announce the Good News to Ninivah. All the languages that you support all across Cameroon are not your mother tongues. But your members by the force of Holy Spirit manage even to speak these languages. How wonderful is the work of God!
[Keith and Mary] Beavon are the instruments that God uses to accomplish his will within the Nzime community. At one time, this couple was absorbed by difficulties orchestrated by the devil while using certain members of the community koonzime. This couple always remained serene and occupied in the difficult task of the mission that they had to accomplish. Thank you. Our "thank you" does not express our joy. Our heart is filled with a deep joy. The transition primer that is printed today is the result of the efforts and ferocious engagement of the Beavons. May God bless them and may he fill them with his grace throughout their stay in Cameroon.

Prayer concerns

We are asking prayer for the following:

• Francois Medjo is encountering a great and growing demand for his services among the Nzime people-group. He needs help from energetic and self-sacrificial speakers of the language who are committed to use of their language in literacy work at all levels. He also needs help from people committed to translation of the Old Testament and Scripture Use.
• SIL members Keith and Mary Beavon have proven that a good Njyem translation can be created via adaptation from the published Badwe'e text. They need spiritually-mature speakers of Njyem to work with them both in the city of Yaounde and in the home area. Their villages are both in Cameroon and in the Republic of Congo. Pray that the creation of first drafts will go smoothly and that a committee of revisers will be established to work on it further.
• January Ekoalea was the main translator of the Badwe'e New Testament and of the Badwe'e translation of Genesis. He has shown zeal and initiative in helping other Presbyterians in his people group to be more effective in Christian ministry. Now he has said he wants to become a pastor and be more capable of exegeting the rest of the Old Testament. Pray that he will have a memorable and successful time in seminary in Yaounde. He began his classes in the middle of October, but needs to see the Lord provide for the unexpected expenses of his training program.
• SIL members Keith and Mary Beavon are assigned to facilitate translation in three languages other than the three in which they have been ministering. They need a linguist-translator to assist the speakers of these remaining three languages, but no one has been identified.

Expression of gratitude to us and to SIL from the Nzime people of Cameroun

Remerciements

L’ASSOCIATION POUR LA TRADUCTION, L’ALPHABÉTISATION ET LE DÉVELOPPMENT HOLISTIQUE DE L’ ÊTRE HUMAIN, remercie :

· La SIL CAMEROUN, qui depuis des décennies n’a cessé d’apporter son soutien au développement de la langue koonzime, à travers les recherches linguistiques, le soutien financier pour la publication et la formation des membres de la communauté koonzime dans des domaines divers, la traduction de la Bible et l’alphabétisation. Aujourd’hui, la SIL Cameroun démontre à travers le financement de l’impression des livres de transition et des écrivains, qu’il constitue le partenaire par excellence pour sortir l’homme koonzime de l’analphabétisme. Merci à la SIL Cameroun et à tout son personnel qui œuvre pour l’édification de la Parole de Dieu et de la lutte contre le sous développement sous toutes ses formes. C’est pour cela que nous disons à la SIL que, Dieu vous a choisi comme il a choisi Jonas pour annoncer la Bonne Nouvelle à Ninive. Toutes les langues que vous soutenez partout au Cameroun ne sont pas vos langues maternelles. Mais, vos membres par la force de l’Esprit saint parviennent même à parler ces langues. Que l’œuvre de Dieu est merveilleuse !

· Le Couple Beavon est l’instrument que Dieu utilise pour accomplir sa volonté au sein de la communauté koonzime. A un moment, ce couple a été absorbé par les difficultés orchestrées par le diable en se servant de certains membres de la communauté koonzime. Ce couple est resté toujours serein et ardu dans la mission qu’il doit accomplir. Merci. Notre merci n’exprime pas notre joie. Notre cœur est plongé dans une joie profonde. Le manuel de transition qui est imprimé aujourd’hui, est la résultante des efforts et de l’engagement infernal du couple Beavon. Que Dieu vous bénisse et qu’ il vous comble de ses grâces tout au long de votre séjour en terre camerounaise.

Janvier Ekoalea Begins Seminary!

Now he feels the call to become a pastor of the Presbyterian Church. We are looking forward to the creation of a growing and committed support group that will express its commitment to his success through their intercession and their giving. If you want to know how to help, you can go to his website: www.bekazylba.blogspot.com/. He began his studies on October 15. He is at the Faculté de théologie et de sciences religieuses de l’Université Protestante d’Afrique Centrale (UPAC). He needs US$88.50 a month for taxi, rent and utilities.

Translating "Evil Spirit" or "Demon"

St. Luke was involved in reaching out to his fellow Greek-speakers with the Gospel. To do that effectively, he had to faithfully convey the meaning of the Gospel to them and confront their culture at the same time. In that way the Gospel could transform their culture.
One problem he faced was how to present to them the world of the occult. There was no ready-made way for him to refer to fallen angels. He saw in his culture that people talked about daimonia as dwelling in them much like fallen angels. But most of the time, the Greeks viewed them in a very positive vein. An architect, sculptor, or philosopher would commonly ascribe to his daimonion the honor for having been the source of his inspiration. Socrates said that his daimonia gave him every novel idea, so why should he be sentenced to death?

Perhaps Luke didn't struggle over this decision, but I guess he did for a moment or two. I will enjoy checking this out with him. We know that in the end, he made the decision to identify the entity daimonion as the Greek equivalent for a fallen angel.

The result was found in chapter 4 of the Gospel he wrote. There he alternates between "impure spirit" and "daimonion" within the one story. In the following chapters he uses daimonion freely, not concerning himself with the possibility that daimonion will be understood in a positive light. After all, there is something "impure" in it, given the alternation between his references to it.

In the same way, we have had to use eleme as the equivalent of "demon", even though there are many still who think it is entirely laudible for a paternal aunt to give meleme to her grandchildren. The parents will use a code language when they ask her to do it, however. They say, "Take care of him."

I wonder if that euphemism doesn't reflect a certain embarrassment with engaging in this process. Maybe they have troubled consciences over it?

How I met the Njyem in Ekunu

I am convinced that everything is guided and directed by God. There are times when the signs of his involvement become unmistakeable, however, and they point us to his presence in our lives.
A case in point was my initial contact with speakers of Njyem in Yaounde, Cameroon. At that time, I was only slightly involved in anything that concerned them directly. It was in the mid-90's. Mary and I were working with Pastor B. on the translation of the Nzime New Testament.
He indicated that there was a speaker of Njyem who was holding a meeting in his house in the neighborhood of Ekunu. His name was Nanga P. That was all I knew about the host of the meeting or about the location. I knew the time, however, and I knew the place and the time where I would pick up Pastor B. in my pickup.
At the meeting time, I waited for the Pastor and decided that further waiting would be fruitless, so I took off for Ekunu.
There was a drugstore in Ekunu that had the neighborhood's name in its own name. So I knew I had arrived in the neighborhood. I parked and looked for a person to ask for instructions. Seeing a group of about 15 people under a shelter, I made my way to them. They were drinking "pap", or hot thin corn mash, and eating donut holes ("beignets"). I decided from about 20 yards away who I would talk to. Walking straight to him, I asked "Do you know where Nanga P. lives?" He answered, "You are talking to him!" (Of course this is a rough translation from the French.) Then we went to his home and a group of Njyem started gathering in his living room. There were about 25.
The conclusion I reached was that God would be very involved in our ministry to the Njyem. He would bring it to a successful outcome regardless of the difficulties that we would encounter.
The message I passed on to them was of this same character: "God has definite plans to bless you and you should prepare to bow the knee as he inaugurates his kingly rule over you in the near future."

October 2009 prayer letter