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We are so excited to tell you about our son Jess’ family trip to Mbingo. God outdid Himself, and it far exceeded what we thought would be possible. We had been praying about this trip for several years, waiting on God’s timing. We went to meet them in Brussels (where their flight from the US connected) and accompanied them into Cameroon. We had safe travel and no road disturbances coming and going to Mbingo, which is never taken for granted. We had a proper Cameroonian welcome by our church. They sang and danced in church when we were introduced, and the women’s group (68 of them) plus the pastor came right after church to our house and gave us a “Born House,” with much singing, dancing, devotion, and prayers. This is their version of a Baby Shower. They wanted to do this because they had never been able to do this for the grandchildren that were born while we have been in Cameroon. Food was also brought by both the departments we work for, with more singing and dancing on other days. This made our family feel VERY welcome. Other events included a 6-hour hike in the Mbingo hills; walk to the village (Mbingo 2) to visit friends; a visit to Mbingo 1 school, a tour of the hospital (including time to see what “Poppie,” aka grandpa, does in his path lab), and of course local market shopping!
Rick continues to be a part of the training programs, CIMS and PAACS here at Mbingo. He frequently interacts with residents and faculty regarding patients, and he mentors Dr. Mbanga in the pathology department as they both work on the daily case load. Not all is work around here, though. We also have enjoyable times in the homes of our friends and at our house, celebrating the birth of new babies, playing games, and having snacks, to name a few.
Apologies for our late newsletter this time. As you can see from our prayer requests, Debbie has been a bit overwhelmed with work due to the fact that her colleague was sent to another department to work, leaving Debbie alone for a month. This has made it necessary for her to work throughout the weekends to keep up. God provided a big relief this week; Olivia got to come back for 2 ½ days to help. Also, a friend from the US, Debbie Koch, has arrived with her husband, who runs the Head and Neck surgical fellowship here. She will help Debbie for two weeks to help finish out the month. Because of this help, I (Debbie) decided I could take a break and write our newsletter. We are so grateful for each of you, for your faithful prayer and giving support throughout these many years. As we always say, “We couldn’t do what we do without you!” May the Lord bless you all.
In His Matchless Love,