1) Do you guys plan on discipling women as well, or just men?Because of the personal and intimate nature of life-on-life discipleship we believe that it is wise for Bruno and I to focus primarily on discipling men. However, Florence and Kelsey will soon be joining our team, and will be able to disciple women as we disciple men.
2) How much is the average scholarship in the youth mobilization program? Each Scholarship varies, based on the needs of the individual receiving it. However, the overall average will probably come to about $180 per student per year. This covers not only their scholarship but also the cost of discipleship matterials for them, the cost of the development projects that they're working on, and the cost of hiring some teachers to help in teaching the Bible Studies. So then, in order to have 300 youth recieve this help, we need to raise a lot more regular support. However, we are beginning with what the Lord has provided so far (which is helping 52 students) and trusting that as He allows our work to grow He will also provide the funds to support it.
4) Which people groups do you hope to work with in Cameroon? Our team feels called to every people group (tribe, language group) in Cameroon where there is no church among them that is made up of their people. Right now there are estimated to be between 6 and 16 unengaged people group in Cameroon - 6 who have virtually zero Christian witness among them and another 10 who have very little.
5) Why do you think that such a big goal is realistic? We believe that we are doing what God has called us to do. We also believe that God can do anything, absolutely anything! And we believe that God enjoys taking weak vessels like us and using them to accomplish His magnificent purposes.
6) How do you expect to reach 16 entire people groups? By facilitating, enabling, inspiring, and mobilizing believers in existing local churches that are near the unreached people groups. We will not be doing most of the work, but rather we hope to cast vision for the body of Christ in Cameroon to do what Jesus has called us all to do. If God continues to work and confirm our words in the hearts of His people here, then we will succeed. We are standing on the shoulders of hundreds of missionaries and church workers who have gone before us and laid the groundwork. We believe that God has called us to be catalysts to a potential church planting explosion. By ourselves we are innert, but with the others that God has aleady placed here, we could see some amazing things in just a few years.
7) Sammy, why did you put so much time and energy into raising 24/7 prayer support? There are three main reasons. First, for the power. I believe that the prayers of the saints are powerful and effective and that when the church prays, God acts. Secondly, for the protection. The kind of work that God has called me to involves many dangers, both in the spiritual realm and in the physical realm. I sometimes go into villages where Satan and the powers of darkness have reigned for centuries, and I go with seeds of light. I will most likely face various forms of sorcery, spells, and witch-craft being directed against me. This work involves sometimes being in danger from poisonous snakes, wild animals, and (in some cases) hostile hosts who could poison my food. I believe that these things will not harm me as long as I am covered by the prayers of God's people and walking in His will. Thirdly, for perseverance. The knowlege that I am being prayed for during every hour of every day is a source of crucial accountability. It helps me say no to temptations, and helps me to keep on running the race even when things are tough.
8) Why did you choose to go with International Teams? I chose them for several reasons. The first is that God gave me a strong sense of peace about them. Secondly, they are very flexible in how they do ministry. They do not have a "one size fits all" kind of ministry philosophy. They recognize that how one does ministry will vary based on the culture in which one works, the gifts of the one ministering, as well as the leading of the Holy Spirit it that context. Thirdly, they were willing to facilitate the kind of ministry that God was calling me to, whereas many other mission organizations that I looked into were not. Also, my values and the way that I look at ministry in general fit very well with them. In my opinion, International Teams does a very good job of finding a ballance between being relational and being strategic, and of combining the two.
9) How can I learn more about International Teams? 1) Go to: http://www.iteams.org/ 2) Choose your country. 3) Explore
10) How long do you expect to be in Cameroon? My dream is that I will be able to leave Cameroon after about 7 years, with there being no unreached people groups left there that are not already being reached by someone else. I would then go to other African nations to do similar work. Whether or not God will bring this dream to pass so soon - that is up to Him.
11) What do you hope to see as a long-term result of your work in Africa? As a team, it is our hope, our dream, and our prayer that by God's grace, and by His power working through us and many others like us - that every unreached people group in Africa would be reached with the gospel and that an army of one million African missionaries would be raised up from the African church to go to the remaining unreached peoples of the world. It is our dream to see the Great Commission fulfilled in our generation, to look up and see Jesus coming in the air. This is our team's long term vision.
12) Is the work that you are doing dangerous? Dangerous is a relative term. Living in Chicago is dangerous. Much of what we do in Cameroon will be life-threatening, if you look at it from a human point of view. However, because it is what God has called us to do, we consider it to be the safest thing we could ever do. We each have only one life to give for our Lord. Whether we die early, or die daily and live long on this earth, what difference does it make?
The following quote expresses what we often feel.
"I cannot, I dare not, I shall not give any less than my all to Him who gave His all for me - whose all was imeasurably more than I could ever give. I do this not only out of a sense of passionate duty, but also out of love. I do it out of love for Him who is Love Incarnate! I could do no other."
If your question has not been addressed here please contact Sammy Weber by email, or by filling out the "Contact Me" form on this website.