SERVING TOGETHER IN CAMEROON

In 1961 we were assigned to the country of Cameroon. Being asked to help establish a new branch office, I was very busy. As a new branch servant, I had a lot to learn. Then in 1965 we learned that Sheila was pregnant. I admit that the thought of becoming parents took some time to get used to. But just as we were getting excited about this new responsibility and making plans to return to Canada, we experienced a devastating loss.

Sheila suffered a miscarriage. The doctor informed us that our unborn child was a boy. That was over 50 years ago, but we never forgot it. Although deeply saddened by what happened, we remained in our foreign assignment, which we dearly loved.

Brothers in Cameroon often faced persecution because of their political neutrality. The situation was particularly tense during presidential elections. Our worst fears were realized on May 13, 1970, when Jehovah’s Witnesses were officially banned. The beautiful new branch facility, which we had moved into only five months earlier, was confiscated by the government. Within a week, all the missionaries​—including Sheila and me—​were expelled from the country. It was hard to leave the brothers and sisters behind because we cared so much for them and we worried about how they would fare in the days ahead.

We spent the next six months at the branch office in France. There I continued to do all I could to care for the needs of our brothers in Cameroon. In December of that year, we were assigned to the Nigeria branch, which began looking after the work in Cameroon.