It's nearly midnight and I'm too tired to think, but wanted to let you know about the group that is here.  20 ladies were slated to take over Shiloh at 4 p.m. today.  While it has never happened like this in ten years and countless guests coming and going all the time, the first ladies arrived at 1:30 p.m.  Since we are veteran missionaries in Cameroon and know practically all there is to know about the local culture and customs, even we were taken off guard.  The culture runs on what is affectionately called "Cameroonian Time".  Events start when they do, and not a moment before.  They end when they do, and not a moment after.  Nobody, and I do mean nobody gets places two and a half hours early.  Needless to say, for the first time in ten year we were not ready.  While I sat in the parlor and chatted with the early birds, the rest of our team were busy little beavers, running around behind the scenes.  So by the time these ladies were thinking about finding their rooms and settling in, everything was perfect.  They never knew.

Ladies have come from the Far North Region, from Daoula, from the Northwest Region, and from many other parts of Cameroon.  All of these ladies know me as I have spoken at their conferences and other events.  I am scrambling to remember their names, but I do recognize their faces.  One lady reminded me of the last time I spoke at this particular retreat, two years ago.  She recalled that I had the ladies go around the group and each one tell what village they came from.  Then I proceeded to talk about the village I am on my way to, my real home, Heaven.  I'm two years closer to Heaven and I can hardly wait to get home!