Elizabeth Mbiwan

-She was my monya (in-law in Bakweri) but I called her Aunty Lizzy like most others did. She called me Uncle Mafany.

-I met Mrs. Elizabeth EFET’A MBONGO MBIWAN, wife of the General Manager of Powercam  for the first time in front of a shop on Sappa Road Victoria (now Limbe) in 1969. I was introduced to her by my older brother, LUMA. I remember that her handshake was warm and her smile friendly. We were full of admiration as she drove off in her Renault 4. Little did she know that….

-I entered the Mbongo family some forty two years ago when I married their daughter and sister, Mojoko. I was extremely happy to see that Mojoko my queen had received proper home training, indispensable to running her home and keeping her husband happy. Aunty Lizzy molded my jewel from her young age through university. I cannot thank her enough for the work she did.

-A strong, devoted and committed Christian of the Presbyterian Church, she led many to Christ including children and family members. I remember in our case that she challenged us when she noticed that our church attendance in Yaounde was poor. You know how a young couple with several children can have a hard time getting themselves and the kids ready in time for church! The usual excuses. So after church one day, she visited and asked us pointedly where we ranked God in our line of priorities. After that visit, we were more regular in church; I ended up becoming Chairperson of the Building Committee and eventually an Elder of the Church!

-Aunty Lizzy was one of my strongest fans. She propped me up with prayers and was ready to take on my detractors at any time. She generally always sent me biblical references scripted in her beautiful handwriting for meditation, confession and appropriation. We always bowed our heads together in prayer when we visited and were about to leave.

-My family and I benefitted from her generosity. She attended all the sad events in my family and made sure she gave me her financial contribution, no matter how small it was.

-We miss her dearly but she has had her deliverance and has gone to rest in the Lord. We thank Almighty God for her. 

Romans 13:7 says to give to everyone what you owe them, that we  render to all their dues. So I want to say Thank You! They are just too many to enumerate and this is not the point.

For all the Cake and pudding we looked forward to during every visit not only in Messa when we were kids but the tradition carried on in Limbe, Church Street.

For introducing and letting us borrow and read our favorite comic book then, TinTin.


For teaching us very early that there was no favoritism, that although you were the Headmistress, we were going to be treated equally. The finger nails were clipped, hair was combed and yes, my shirt tucked in. I nevery really liked tucking my shirt in, I never thought it looked "kool". Those were the rules. I knew better.

For the Strength, Wisdom, Discipline, solid Foundation of prayer Faith and Trust in God. Thank You! This legacy from Mbamba Sophie, your sisters (Aunty Dora, Aunty Sue, My mother Anne Mojoko Musonge and Aunty Enanga) lives in us today.

James 5:16 says the the effective prayer of the righteous main availeth much. These prayers are what led Ebob, Didi and Egbe to heed the promptings of the spirit and  last year celebrated His Blessings in your life. The care, tenderness,support  selflessness and love they've always shown was highlighted even more in the last couple of years. Thank You! 

So even as life throws us its curves,the highs and lows, the challenges and trials, when those events that rock us at our very core and question our faith come you have taught us to stay the course, remain steadfast and resolute. Thank You!

Thank God for You and the special ministry of teaching that he blessed you with. The lessons live on!

The passing of the world is done

The toils of day are over

To thee O Lord she flies

Father in thy gracious

Keeping we leave your

Daughter sleeping
 

Auntie Lizzie, Yondo Suwelele

 

Yaya Grace

My Auntie Lizzie

 

My earliest memories of my Auntie Lizzy/my god mother go back to her home in Grand Messa, Yaounde. She was the aunt who always welcomed me with wide open arms and a big smile; the aunt who always gave me cake or her famous pudding and custard, which I always washed down with either a glass of Top Ananas or Top Orange. She was the one who always gave me the beautiful ‘butterfly dresses’ which my cousins Evenye, Didi and Egbe had passed down to me.

 

Auntie Lizzie was able to temper her love for us with strict discipline. My brothers (Isoke, Ewange) and I had the privilege of attending the government Bilingual Primary School in Yaounde, while our Aunt was head mistress. We thought that having our Aunt as headmistress of our school, entitled us to certain privileges. We thought the rules would not apply to us. Boy, were we wrong!

If my belt was not properly tied, or the collar of my uniform not straightened, or if Isoke and Ewange”s shirts were not properly tucked into their shorts, we were promptly called out and punished accordingly. (she had this thing about twisting our ears!) We quickly learned that as her family members, she held us to higher standards.

She carried this on to Sunday school. We were expected to be able to recite our memory verses every week, participate in the Easter and Christmas plays ad under NO circumstances was I allowed to wear trousers/jupe culottes to Sunday school!

My Aunt was a woman of tremendous faith and was very concerned about the state of the church. I remember how broken she was after she lost her son Acha. Yet her faith in God never wavered.

Even after I moved to the States, she remained very active in my spiritual life:- Encouraging me to read my Bible and serve God. She sent me pamphlets whenever she had a chance, and made sure she sent me one of her manuscripts she wrote. I remember the discussions we had regarding baptism – Baptism by emersion or baptism by sprinkling?

Auntie Lizzie had such impeccable manners, she was such a lady, she was so proper. I remember just staring at her while she ate, watching her properly use her cutlery.

On Oct 20^th 2011, she lost her beloved little sister, my mother Anne Mojoko Musonge. Even though  Aunty was deep in the throes of dementia, I know she somehow grasped what had happened. When Evenye brought her to Bokova for the viewing, Aunty Lizzie looked at me, and for a brief moment, I believe my Aunt recognized me! She looked into my eyes and said in Bakweri, “Iya, O ma ja?” and burst into tears.

A few days after we buried Mummy, my brothers and I went to visit her in Bomaka. Auntie clearly did not recognize us. We spent several hours watching TV and singing hymns. Alzheimer’s dementia may have robbed her of her memory, BUT had not taken away the word of God which she had memorized and studied, over the years. She quoted scripture to us and was able to sing not one not two verses of the hymns, but was able to sing the 5^th and 6^th verses as well!

During that visit, I held her hands and stared at her fingers for a long time. Her finger nails looked so much like my late mother’s nails. Deep down inside, I felt that was the last time I would be looking at them on this side of glory.

My dear Auntie, thank you for the exemplary life you lived. Thank you for being a STRONG woman of faith, a woman who did not only talk the talk, but walked the walk. Thank you for being a virtuous woman, a woman full of grace. Thank you so much for the role you played in raising my mother and for passing on your values to her. We are better people today because of that.

Oh Auntie! You wouldn’t even begin to imagine how your little sister worried about you, her sister ‘Elizbet’ even though her own health was failing! I bet she was in charge of the welcome committee , which planned the glorious party the Lord Jesus Christ threw for you when you arrived the gates of heaven. What a reunion you all must have had! Did Mbamba Sophie make a special batch of rice bread for the party?

Dear Auntie, I love you, Thank you for everything. Till we meet in glory.

Your niece and god daughter,

Etonde Musonge-Tarkang

 

 Aunty, on behalf of my older siblings and I, I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for having been the wonderful aunt that you were to us all. You were a very humble, warm and gentle woman with a good heart. Most important, you were a God-fearing, virtuous woman who faithfully loved, worshipped and praised the Lord. I thank you for the role that you played in helping raise our late Mom, your younger sister, Mrs. Anne Mojoko Musonge nee Mbongo, whom we believe you have been reunited with in paradise. Just like you and thanks to the positive influence of both you and our late Grandma Mbamba Sophie, our Mom was a strong and faithful Christian, a virtuous woman who in her administrative career and also at home with her family, upheld the values of honesty, discipline, humility, generusiy, selflessness and service to others. Both of you were wonderful, accomplished teachers/educators who had tremendous positive influences on your students...many of whom went on to occupy (and today still occupy) important senior administrative positons all over the ten Regions of Cameroon and even abroad.


 There was never a single time we weren't warmly received when my siblings and I came over to visit you at your home in Church Street Limbe or later on in Bomaka, Buea. You would open the door and with a broad smile, give each and every one of us a tight hug. Many times we stayed on until lunch was ready because you insisted that we should eat something. And when it wasn't lunch we could expect that you would offer us some nice cake with our drinks. We always looked forward to coming over to see you because your warmness, kindness and welcoming nature as an Aunt encouraged us to do so. You loved to have  conversations with us both as a group and also on an individual basis...often asking us how we were doing in school and encouraging us to take our education seriously. You were also often interested in finding out if we had an idea of what career path we wished to pursue. 


 I thank God that he enabled me and my siblings to spend our last moment with you last December, a month after our Mom (and your younger sister's) funeral. You joined us in prayer, we took a picture together and it was so emotional. We thank God for the exemplary life you lived, the love you had and showed to countless people. You will live in our hearts forever.