In 2003 I met Dr. Matthew Gwangfongbang, the chancellor
of ENS teacher college in Bambilli, Cameroon. He was cordial and invited me back to speak to
his teaching students again in 2007 and in 2010. He had written several biology textbooks and
we had good discussions about the Bible and biological evolution. He told me in
2010 that he was retiring the following year. In 2016, Brother Ben Sinclair (my good friend
in Cameroon) and I visited several schools to set up lectures for the following
week. The new director of ENS was
pleasant and scheduled me for a meeting. We visited several other schools, ending up at
Bamenda University of Science and Technology (B.U.S.T.) in the early afternoon.
Ben had been unable to get through to
the registrar earlier in the week and had only been able to leave a brochure
with the secretary. Again, today the
registrar was in an interview with prospective teachers and could not be
disturbed. It looked like a wash-out. We sat in Ben’s Toyota in the parking lot
while he made a cell call. Ben nudged me
and pointed. I looked up and was
surprised to see Dr. Matthew Gwangfongbang walk by! I jumped out of the car, caught up with him,
and called out his name. He was
speechless as we shook hands, neither of us expecting to see the other. After pleasantries were exchanged, he told me
that he had personally known the founder of B.U.S.T., who had passed away the
year previous. The widow of the founder
had asked Dr. Matthew to come out of retirement and help her at the school. After a year of begging, Dr. Matthew relented.
He was now the chancellor of the school
that Ben and I had been unable to get into! After hearing why we were there on campus, Dr.
Matthew marched right into the registrar’s office, interrupted the interview,
and whisked the registrar out to meet his dear friend, “Dr. Professor Gerald
Whitely.” God’s timing is perfect. I had a lecture at B.U.S.T. the next week. Job said of the dear Lord in Job 23:10, “But
he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as
gold.” Never forget, God is in control.
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