A visit to the Fon's Palace
One of the things that's interesting about Cameroon (among other African countries) is that there are at least two different government structures. For example, the village of Ndu is located in the Donga/Mantung division of the Northwest Province. And instead of having a mayor or governor for this division, there is a man---actually we've gotten to know him and his family, since his son attends CBTS and is in our classes---called the Divisional Officer who is an official of the government in Yaounde stationed here as a kind of cross between a mayor and a sheriff or police chief. But there are also "traditional rulers"---tribal chiefs. These chiefs are called "fons." They have dynasties and also lots of clout with the "real" government when it comes to influencing what happens with the various villages and ethnic groups that live here.
Apparently, once a year, the whole faculty and staff of CBTS pays a visit to the fon of Ndu, to let him meet any new faculty and also simply to greet him and pray for him. Yesterday was the day of the visit to the "fon's palace," and it was quite an experience for we three Westerners.
About 3:30 yesterday afternoon, we all met near the library on campus and piled into four or five vehicles and drove about 10 minutes to the palace. We had already heard a few things about the fon before we met him: he was formerly Muslim, he is now a Christian (in fact, we've worshiped with him several times at Calvary Baptist Church, a tiny fellowship in the quarter of Njimtop about a half hour walk from campus), and he has recently experienced some vandalism (of some sort) from Muslims who live near him. We were told not to speak to him when we arrived at the palace unless spoken to first. We were also told not to give him the traditional "salute"---three claps and a bow with both hands clasped together close to our mouths---unless we had also brought one live chicken and a jug of palm wine as a gift.
When we arrived at the palace, we had to pass underneath a big wooden gate that was decorated with traditional masks and simple paintings of different scenes with people (hunting, etc.) There was a large courtyard with a mosque bordering one side of it. Several of the men who came with us started unloading the gifts we had brought for the fon (bottles of soda, a fake animal skin, among other things). After several minutes of waiting, we went inside to the "throne room"---a musty, dingy, dim room with a concrete platform in one corner and a small wicker chair on it where the fon sat. There were statues or idols of some sort on either side of the throne. The walls were covered with yellowing photographs, awards, carvings, and other memorabilia. We filed in silently and sat on wooden benches. Dr. Fon---not to be confused with the fon---greeted the fon as "your royal highness." One of the teachers at CBTS brought a brief devotional, and we prayed, and then the fon left the room, we all started drinking sodas, and the three of us were left wondering, "What just happened?!"
Before leaving the palace, we wanted to greet the "royal wives." Meandering out of the throne room, we went out into another, smaller courtyard where dozens of barefooted children were playing in the dust and staring up at us with wide, wondering eyes. We all ducked into one of the mud-brick houses, into a room even darker than the throne room had been with a fire pit in the middle of the floor. The "royal wives" were all sitting against one wall. The fon has many wives---some of them Muslim, some of them Christian, and some of them feeling, I think, more or less coerced into being royal wives---not all of whom were there at the palace yesterday. I counted around a dozen who were in the room. One of them I recognized as a very friendly woman with a wonderful smile who sometimes leads worship at Calvary Baptist Church. She translated for us as we gave greetings to the wives and also as they greeted us in Wimbum, a tribal dialect that many people speak around Ndu and CBTS. We sang a few Christian choruses, and then said goodbye and were on our way.
I think the three of us left yesterday feeling like we had just experienced one of the most unusual and memorable events of our time here. Personally, I felt again the huge gulf between my rich American upbringing and the life of the royal family that lives by such different cultural rules and experiences such poverty, even as one of the better-off families here. I also left thinking again about what I read in Phillip Jenkins' book The Next Christendom last summer---that these Christian women who are trying to be faithful to Jesus while living and bearing children as the fon's royal wives in dusty mud-brick houses blackened by fire pits, these women are "average" or "typical" Christians in our world today. That's an amazing thought, and, in a roundabout way, encourages me to keep giving it my all in the classroom at CBTS, as I help train pastors who will go out and shepherd Christians like these.
-Wes, for the team
Apparently, once a year, the whole faculty and staff of CBTS pays a visit to the fon of Ndu, to let him meet any new faculty and also simply to greet him and pray for him. Yesterday was the day of the visit to the "fon's palace," and it was quite an experience for we three Westerners.
About 3:30 yesterday afternoon, we all met near the library on campus and piled into four or five vehicles and drove about 10 minutes to the palace. We had already heard a few things about the fon before we met him: he was formerly Muslim, he is now a Christian (in fact, we've worshiped with him several times at Calvary Baptist Church, a tiny fellowship in the quarter of Njimtop about a half hour walk from campus), and he has recently experienced some vandalism (of some sort) from Muslims who live near him. We were told not to speak to him when we arrived at the palace unless spoken to first. We were also told not to give him the traditional "salute"---three claps and a bow with both hands clasped together close to our mouths---unless we had also brought one live chicken and a jug of palm wine as a gift.
When we arrived at the palace, we had to pass underneath a big wooden gate that was decorated with traditional masks and simple paintings of different scenes with people (hunting, etc.) There was a large courtyard with a mosque bordering one side of it. Several of the men who came with us started unloading the gifts we had brought for the fon (bottles of soda, a fake animal skin, among other things). After several minutes of waiting, we went inside to the "throne room"---a musty, dingy, dim room with a concrete platform in one corner and a small wicker chair on it where the fon sat. There were statues or idols of some sort on either side of the throne. The walls were covered with yellowing photographs, awards, carvings, and other memorabilia. We filed in silently and sat on wooden benches. Dr. Fon---not to be confused with the fon---greeted the fon as "your royal highness." One of the teachers at CBTS brought a brief devotional, and we prayed, and then the fon left the room, we all started drinking sodas, and the three of us were left wondering, "What just happened?!"
Before leaving the palace, we wanted to greet the "royal wives." Meandering out of the throne room, we went out into another, smaller courtyard where dozens of barefooted children were playing in the dust and staring up at us with wide, wondering eyes. We all ducked into one of the mud-brick houses, into a room even darker than the throne room had been with a fire pit in the middle of the floor. The "royal wives" were all sitting against one wall. The fon has many wives---some of them Muslim, some of them Christian, and some of them feeling, I think, more or less coerced into being royal wives---not all of whom were there at the palace yesterday. I counted around a dozen who were in the room. One of them I recognized as a very friendly woman with a wonderful smile who sometimes leads worship at Calvary Baptist Church. She translated for us as we gave greetings to the wives and also as they greeted us in Wimbum, a tribal dialect that many people speak around Ndu and CBTS. We sang a few Christian choruses, and then said goodbye and were on our way.
I think the three of us left yesterday feeling like we had just experienced one of the most unusual and memorable events of our time here. Personally, I felt again the huge gulf between my rich American upbringing and the life of the royal family that lives by such different cultural rules and experiences such poverty, even as one of the better-off families here. I also left thinking again about what I read in Phillip Jenkins' book The Next Christendom last summer---that these Christian women who are trying to be faithful to Jesus while living and bearing children as the fon's royal wives in dusty mud-brick houses blackened by fire pits, these women are "average" or "typical" Christians in our world today. That's an amazing thought, and, in a roundabout way, encourages me to keep giving it my all in the classroom at CBTS, as I help train pastors who will go out and shepherd Christians like these.
-Wes, for the team
posted by Charlie, Tommy, and Wesley | 7:37 AM
4 Comments:
Wow, that is fascinating. Thanks for the blog. What an interesting family.
Can you blog sometime about what church (service) is like for you guys?
Kristin
Gang~
It is often in the most strange settings that truth is imparted to us. What a great experence, I whish I could have been there. And as far as blogging about a church service you may want to check out
http://cameroonteam.blogspot.com/2005/07/from-humbling-to-hilarious-what-its.html
So why werent you suposed to do the weird bow thing?Just wondering
Hi Wes,
Here I am with your mom reading your blog at San Francisco Bread Company, what a strange thing that you are in such a different world, yet we can be in contact. God bless the World Wide Web. Praying for you!!!!
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