Greetings in the Strong Name of Jesus from Mbingo, Cameroon!
What’s new in Mbingo Baptist Hospital…
- ICU unit just opened this week
- New surgery outpatient clinic opened last month
- Lab moved to new space
- Digital X-ray machine which has been in use for several months now
- New resident/student housing being built
- Plans in the making for an ENT residency to begin in 2015
- Fund raising for a hydro-electric plant here in Mbingo. Has been a dream, but coming closer to reality
God is doing amazing things here and we are excited to be part of it! Along with progress come many new problems and challenges. Pray with us over these new areas, that we will glorify God and no one or nothing else.
Rick has been hard at work; always trying to keep up with the pathology cases sent to him every day. This month of November he has already exceeded the total cases he saw in 2013. He has seen 3,500 cases compared to the 3,000 he saw in all of last year. We could easily use another pathologist to work here. There are few cases that are just cut and dry. He sees things that even his consultant pathologists in the US are sometimes unsure about. He sees rare things like pheochromocytoma, ameloblastic carcinoma, rhabdosarcoma, retinoblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma in a 10 yr old, to name a few cases. Sound Greek to you? Think of me; I type some of the reports for him and I even have a medical background! Praise the Lord he has a microscope at home (thanks to SWMC foundation) or I would hardly see him. He loves what he does, never a dull moment, and doesn’t seem to tire as God supplies his strength and stamina.
One of our biggest prayer requests this time is for pathology coverage for him for January (yes this January). No one has answered the call yet. We are scheduled to go to Nashville mid-January to meet our new grandbaby who is due the beginning of December. We are also due to take our 4 month furlough toward the end of 2015. So please pray for coverage during these times.
Many of you have prayed for HIV drugs for my clinic. At the present we have both 1st and 2nd line drugs, praise the Lord. But supply is limited. Please continue to pray for a more reliable supply. We do have a great praise in the appointment of a new full-time doctor for our clinic, and awaiting the official appointment of a nurse practitioner. Things will run much more smoothly with these two on board.
As we approach Thanksgiving we’d like to share our list of things we are thankful for. Of course our savior Jesus and family and friends are at the top as usual, but the others may not be as usual…running water, water heater, electricity, washer, dryer (a real treat), stove and gas bottles for the stove, and internet, especially skype to keep up with our friends, family, and especially grandkids! The reason we are particularly thankful for these is because at one time or another we have not had them due to breakdown or no supply available. We are also very thankful for the freedom we still enjoy in sharing Christ with any of our patients and acquaintances on any given day. That’s what motivates us and gives us the most joy and keeps us going…along with your prayers and support!! May each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving celebration as you recall what you are thankful for.
May your CHRISTmas celebration be filled with joy in celebrating the birth of Jesus who is the most precious gift of all.
In His Matchless Name, Rick and Debbie