| Egbe Monjimbo | September 27, 2012 |
WE THANK THEE, OH LORD …
Yes, Lord! Our hearts bleed, the tears flow, and our very souls are cast down. We miss our MUMMY sorely! YET, we are so VERY THANKFUL for the rare gift that she was to us, her three girls. How can it be otherwise when we are talking about
- A woman who, understanding that the children she bore were a gift to her from YOU, put her very heart and soul into raising us to be the GOD FEARING WOMEN we have each turned out to be.
- A woman who, in times of “ease” and in our years of “plenty”, neither allowed us to take what we had for granted, nor let it fill us with a sense of entitlement or lull us into complacency, such that, when the “lean” years came along, there was very little “adjusting” to be done.
- A woman who sacrificed career advancement, gladly trading it in for the opportunity – the privilege of being a FULL TIME MOM! One who was totally and fully committed to raising her children HERSELF, so she could impart the wealth of knowledge and wisdom You endowed her with to them, instill the very values your Word extols in them, and show them, BY DAILY EXAMPLE, how to “walk the strait and narrow”.
- A woman who, readily forgave when she was hurt, went to great lengths to sow the seeds of peace where there was discord, and could just not afford to be indifferent or insensitive to the sufferings of others.
- A woman who was true to her beliefs and convictions – NO MATTER WHAT IT COST HER to espouse and voice them; a woman who would rather stand alone than “go with the flow” or do something just because “everyone else” was doing it. A woman who sure did not care to be “popular” if it meant that she would have to compromise her values or beliefs.
- A TRUE CHAMPION & BASTION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH who did not flinch or break in the face of harrowing trials all along her Pilgrim’s Journey.
We will always be THANKFUL that You gave us countless opportunities, WHILE SHE WAS YET ALIVE to let her know that her hard work was greatly appreciated, and that the sacrifices she had made were NOT in vain!
None of those countless hours spent …
- In the kitchen, cooking and baking;
- At the Sewing Machine, making dress after dress;
- In the garden, planting flowers and vegetables;
- In the living room, teaching us to spell and helping us with our Arithmetic;
- At the Dining Table teaching us to “ask for or pass the salt”, and not “talk with our mouths full”;
- In our bedrooms, reading us Bible stories, PRAYING with us and helping us establish and maintain a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with God;
- Giving us not just the “Wisest” but the GODLIEST advice;
- Teaching first us, and then our children the INVALUABLE and PRICELESS “Life Lessons” that have enabled us all to successfully navigate through life’s twists and turns;
- Reprimanding us WITH LOVE & TACT when we did not do what was right and Praising us when we did;
- ON HER KNEES IN PRAYER ON OUR BEHALF OR STANDING IN THE GAP FOR OUR HUSBANDS AND CHILDREN …
None of those countless hours, we say, was spent in futility. They are the reason we MISS HER TERRIBLY, but then, they are also the very reason we have to THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS for our dear MUMMY!
Please give us the courage, the wisdom and the fortitude to live lives that would make both You and her proud, and grant us a wonderful reunion with her when the bell does toll for us too. Above all else, please GRANT HER ETERNAL PEACE & REST by your side.
AMEN!
| Egbe Monjimbo | September 27, 2012 |
Six others and I had the privilege to call her ‘Granny’. When I was still very young, that name (for I never called her anything else) was intricately linked to wonderful ‘Bakweri’ tales and folklore. Whenever she came to the house in Douala or we spent the summer holiday in her Church Street home in Limbe, we were always treated to some of them. Oh, how I relished those stories; the way she told them, mimicking characters and voices, could have any 6-year old stare agape in amazement, listening with rapt attention!
As I grew up, ‘Granny’ came to mean much more. She evoked the spiritual aspect of life. This time, whenever she came over, we would go to her room every morning and she would read to us the daily scriptural reading from her Bible, according to the Presbyterian booklet, in which she never failed to make notes every single day. She taught us to memorize John 3:16 and the twenty-third Psalm and always said things like ‘We are more than conquerors’. At the time, none of these made much sense but if anything, just by observing how zealous she was about reading her Bible, praying and going to church, we knew that they were of extreme importance.
In the last few years, granny became a hymn book, so to speak. She could sing all the verses of most hymns and sacred songs and solos in at least two languages! I only began to appreciate them when I realized that they sang about something within scripture. That was her way of keeping the Word of God alive in her, even when all else failed.
I’ll always remember these things granny. I now understand them all. I now understand the significance of the Bible passages; I now understand why the Bible held the place it did in your life; I now understand why you always made it a point to go to church as often as you were able to; I now understand where your joy and hope came from. You’ve finished your race granny; I still have mine to run, but you’ve given me everything I need to stay in the race, to run as fast and as focused as I can, to keep the faith. You can be sure I’ll do just that.
See you in the clouds Granny, when our Lord gathers us all to Himself. Rest in perfect peace till then.
We love you.
Randall Ebai Tanyi
First Grand Son
| Egbe Monjimbo | September 27, 2012 |
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BUEA TOWN.
FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MRS ELIZABETH EFETI MBIWAN nee MBONGO,
FRIDAY 14TH OF SEPTEMBER 2012
A TRIBUTE WRITTEN BY MRS DORA EWENYE EWUSI ON BEHALF OF THE SISTERS OF MRS ELIZABETH EFETI MBIWAN née MBONGO.
(READ IN CHURCH BY Mr. BRUNO NJOMBE EWUSI)
Our Sister was born second of six children on the 26th of November 1928 to Sango Thomas Mbongo Isoke of Womaka and Nyango Sophie Namondo Matute of Buea both of blessed memory. Our parents worked with the Basel missionaries, who were especially fond of her and they loved her greatly. They took her to live with them at a very tender age and raised her up, and sponsored her through school. She only visited us during the week-ends. After she finished her studies at the Basel Mission Girls School in Victoria, and since there were no secondary schools then for her to continue her education, the missionaries enrolled her to sit for the Common Entrance Examination into the teachers Grade 3 Training School in Oron Nigeria. After successfully completing her education in this institution, she returned to Cameroon and taught in the Basel Mission Girls School for one year and later wrote and passed another Entrance Examination this time for the teacher’s grade 2 certificates. This took her back to Nigeria at the Umuahia Teachers Training College. Upon her completion, she resumed teaching at the Basel Mission Girls School Victoria.
In 1957, she got married to Mr. Ebai Mbiwan also of blessed memory and their Holy Matrimony was blessed with four children, three Girls and One Boy who died at the age of 21. Before the death of their son, they lived in separate homes. This separation lasted for 35 years but our Sister remained faithful to her marital vows.They were later reconciled bytheir children in 2009. Being born of Christian parents and brought up by missionaries, she was a God fearing and devoted person. Many people came to know the Lord through her teaching as a Sunday School Teacher, and as zonal a CWF President for Fako south. She introduced the CWF movement in Yaounde Djongolo. Together with Ma Catherine Musoko, they both introduced the procession with the cross by their choirs every Sunday worship service.
In 2001, she joined her mother and sisters in Buea and enrolled with the Presbyterian Church Buea Town. She was an ardent Christian of the Congregation and a committed CWF member. She later moved to Bomaka but despite the distance, she maintained her membership with P.C Buea Town till her health failed and she could no longer attend church services as before. Never the less she was being attendedto by the clergy and elders until the Lord called her home on August 28th 2012.
As the eldest sister, I would like to say that our sister was an extremely wonderful person and would be missed in the family terribly. She assisted tremendously in the raising up of her younger sisters -Mrs. Susan EFOSI MOKEBA, late Mrs. Anne MOJOKO MUSONGE and Ms. Esther ENANGA HARRY. She taught two of them in the Basel Mission Girls School in Victoria and sponsored Mrs. MUSONGE till she obtained her first degree, catered for her youngest sister as a baby, taught her numerous rhymes and enrolled her into the Basel Mission Girls School in Victoria.
She did not only help in the upbringing of her sisters but their children as well. All of our children at one point of their lives lived with her.
As a family which sings, we will miss the tenor part which she sang so well, which indeed added so much beauty to the songs.
We will also miss the words of encouragement she always gave us; most especially we will miss those little jokes of hers which always made us laugh.
We will miss her extreme generosity not only to us her family but also to all those she raised and helped in one way or the other in life.
Eliz-Beth, we were very close, we both named our children. You naming your first child Evenye and my first daughter Elizabeth Efeti.We love you but God loves you best and May He grant you perfect rest in His everlasting Hands till we meet to part no more.
Mrs. Dora Ewenye Ewusi. (Elder Sister)
A TRIBUTE FROM UNCLE MAFANY
(Brother-in-Law)
-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.
Uncle Mafany