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Dear Family and Friends Far and Near,
As we sit down in our Mbingo home to write this newsletter our minds are spinning. For the past 4 months we have been on furlough in the US visiting supporting churches and spending precious time with family. Now we are back in Mbingo in our African world and living our missionary life. We will try and recap some of the highlights and lowlights since our last newsletter:
- Spent a wonderful Christmas with our precious children and grandchildren in Franklin, TN.
- Left Dec 26 for another road trip to Texas (Rick’s sister and family), Kansas (supporting church), Colorado (Deb’s brothers and their families-and a week of R&R in the mountains; plus 2 supporting churches), Oklahoma (good friends), and back to Tennessee.
- Spent the last 10 days trying to squeeze in as much family time as possible with everyone, and yet get all the packing and last minute buying done for 7 bags! We got to celebrate Jeanna, Caleb and Rick’s birthday with all the family which does not happen too often J
- Our enemy tried to spoil things by arranging for Rick’s wallet to be stolen at Caleb’s birthday party but he got no victory!!
We got credit cards and driver’s license replaced and carried on with our time there enjoying kids and especially those 4 grandboys that we are so proud of! Latest update was that Rick’s wallet showed up priority mail at our son’s house all intact (except for money of course J) So praise the Lord!! - Countless goodbyes it seemed–the rough ones were kids and grandkids; never gets any easier
- Got back to Mbingo Feb 6 and have been busy ever since. Rick is grateful for all the volunteer pathologists who worked hard while he was gone to keep things going.
- Had brown liquid trickling down our bedroom wall. When we finally removed part of our ceiling board we found out rats had taken over the small space between the ceiling and zinc of our roof and it was rat urine running down our wall L
- Left cool, snowy Tennessee (actually unusual for them) to come to hot, dry, dusty Mbingo…..bring on the rain!!
- Came back to many Cameroonian friends and missionary family that showered us with hugs and love and welcomed us back in a big way.
THE HEART TUG OF TWO WORLDS
Nonnie and Poppie come play in the playroom
Dr. Bardin we need the result from this case
Mom and Dad can you help hang these curtains
Ma Bardin can you see this patient please
Dad can you help me put together this toy for Christmas
Dr. Bardin can you come to the ward to do an FNA
Poppie can you come outside and play
Mrs. Bardin are there any openings in the resthouse on this date
Nonnie can you read me a story
Bardins can we schedule your evaluation for this year
Bardins where is your info to file income tax for this year
Nonnie and Poppie why are you leaving
Dr. Bardin why are you going away from the hospital work for so long
Nonnie, Poppie, Dr. Bardin, Nurse Debbie, Ma and Pa Bardin, Mom, Dad….when will you be back?
Living between two worlds seems crazy at times, but praise the Lord His grace is sufficient to carry us through. 
He has called us and He sustains us.
In His Matchless Love,
Rick and Debbie Bardin