Dr. Rick and Debbie Bardin
Q: What life experiences did you have that helped you prepare to go overseas?
Rick: A local church medical outreach to people in Juarez, Mexico prepared Mr. Rick Bardin to go overseas. for Debbie, she felt she was the least likely candidate. It was a total surprise as her family didn’t travel. She never knew a missionary and never planned to be one. Just shows you what God can do. Their first year in the field was wonderful and stressful. It was challenging with many adjustments, exciting, hard and yet brought them closer to the Lord, It increased their faith and they hung on because of their call from God to be there.
People’s needs are basically the same all over the world. However, the most challenge aspect has been knowing how to respond to people who ask for help of various types. For Debbie, dealing with the beggars was the early challenge. She did her best to discern who was telling the truth, and who the Lord wanted them to help, because they certainly did not have the resources to help all.
They have had The Spirit’s assurance in their heart. They have seen people decide to follow Jesus. They have seen patients be healed when their resources were limited and God took over. When their children took part in ministry and started ministries of their own, when their family became more accepting of their calling they were further encouraged.
It might surprise others that people with few material possessions can be generally happy, yet they still need Christ. While it isn’t always glorious, we are just ordinary people God happens to call overseas to work. Sometimes the people they are called to serve wonder why we are there. We know that God is trustworthy in His leadership. They pray much, seek the face of God and make sure He is calling as the adventure wears off but the call of God doesn’t.
Read more about their calling here:
https://nabonmission.org/missionaries/dr-rick-debbie-bardin/
Dr. Rick and Debbie Bardin
Q: What life experiences did you have that helped you prepare to go overseas?
Rick: A local church medical outreach to people in Juarez, Mexico, prepared Mr. Rick Bardin to go overseas. For Debbie, she felt she was the least likely candidate. It was a total surprise as her family didn’t travel. She never knew a missionary and never planned to be one. It just shows you what God can do. Their first year in the field was wonderful and stressful. It was challenging with many adjustments, exciting, hard, and yet brought them closer to the Lord; it increased their faith, and they hung on because of their call from God to be there.
People’s needs are basically the same all over the world. However, the most challenging aspect has been knowing how to respond to people who ask for help of various types. For Debbie, dealing with the beggars was the early challenge. She did her best to discern who was telling the truth and who the Lord wanted them to help because they certainly did not have the resources to help all.
They have had The Spirit’s assurance in their heart. They have seen people decide to follow Jesus. They have seen patients be healed when their resources were limited, and God took over. When their children took part in ministry and started ministries of their own, when their family became more accepting of their calling, they were further encouraged.
It might surprise others that people with few material possessions can be generally happy, yet they still need Christ. While it isn’t always glorious, we are just ordinary people God happens to call overseas to work. Sometimes the people they are called to serve wonder why we are there. We know that God is trustworthy in His leadership. They pray much, seek the face of God, and make sure He is calling as the adventure wears off, but the call of God doesn’t.
Read more about their calling here:
https://nabonmission.org/missionaries/dr-rick-debbie-bardin/
Dagmar Geiger
I am Dagmar Geiger from Switzerland. I was a school teacher before serving in full-time ministry with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in 1996. My first few years were spent pioneering an inner-city ministry in San Francisco, reaching out to the homeless and street kids. I helped staff training schools that equipped young people to discover & fulfill their calling either overseas or at home in missions. I also led outreaches in the USA and internationally to Asia – Vietnam & Thailand.
I made a permanent move to Thailand in 2002. My focus was training & equipping leaders through mentoring, coaching, teaching & hospitality. I co-led a University student ministry for 4 years. I was also part of the Bangkok leadership team overseeing ~ 100 staff. I helped pioneer a Foundational Coaching program under Coaching Missions International (CMI), which allows Asian and foreign missionaries to be trained in foundational coaching skills, which is one of many tools in leadership development and ongoing support of leaders.
I left Thailand in 2014 and now serve YWAM in Europe, both in Spain and Switzerland. My focus continues to be training & equipping Christian leaders, supporting and empowering frontline missionaries to develop their calling, vision & destiny with excellence, and offering encouragement & spiritual impartation. I offer life & leadership transformational coaching because I believe it’s one of the most effective ways to facilitate the desired change in an individual, team, or organization. It also expresses the heart of our heavenly Father to us in a practical way.
If you would like to know more about my ministry, please do contact me: Dagmar.Geiger@gmx.ch, http://www.leader-development.org
Steve and Bobbie Clark
Steve and Bobbie Clark have been serving the Lord for over 40 years in Central and South America. For the last 17 years they have been serving in Cuenca, Ecuador in the Andes Mountains. They have raised up a church of 400 people in the city, meeting in a large tent. In 2016 they started a Bible Institute with about with an average of 90 students. The youth in their church have been asked to go to high schools and present alternative methods to promiscuous sex, drugs, and rebellion through workshops, dramas and songs. Presently they have gone to 12 schools, reaching over 3,500 students with the gospel message. The Clarks have a desire to reach the youth. By bringing them into the retreat, they can separate from the world, sit under anointed teachings. This time would prepare them to be more grounded in the Word and face the challenges of life. Five years ago, God put the desire to purchase 12 acres of land and build a retreat camp (Breathe of God ) an hour outside of Cuenca, where Christians and especially the youth, can come and sit under the Word and be restored through spiritual encounters, and times of healing, spiritually and emotionally. To help offset the cost we plan on raising tilapia fish, fruit trees, and gardens. It would also have work shops where students can learn life skills. The camp at present is under construction, and working on the kitchen and dining hall.
Dr. Dennis and Nancy Palmer
We first came to Cameroon in 1979. We were NAB missionaries for nine years, primarily in the 1980s, and then we lived in the States before returning in 2004. So that makes nearly 20 years here. After 6-8 months in Cameroon, I came up with a new definition of “missionary.” A missionary seems to be someone who does lots of things they don’t have training for or know how to do, but since someone needs to do it, with God’s help, they do their best. In my case, I was stretched by homeschooling, writing lessons for the national church’s Women’s Union manual, and even sewing a windsock for the Mbingo airstrip. (I kid you not!)
The most encouraging part of my calling is being encouraged and challenged by Christian women leaders here, including (especially in the early years) non-literate Christian leaders. Their commitment to church activities and serious memorization of Scripture put me to shame. We spent our first year in Cameroon at Mbingo Baptist Hospital; then, we were transferred to Banso. Thirty years later, we were again posted at Mbingo. When I attended the church Women’s Meeting, I met six of the same women who were my friends there thirty years earlier. Experiencing this kind of faithfulness is rewarding!
Quite a few people seem to think that missionaries are somehow “special” people. We aren’t doing something extraordinary; we are just being obedient to where we think God is sending us. We aren’t “super-Christians.” We have our struggles the same as everyone else. Working in another culture can be very frustrating at times (yes, every week, every day, too), but the assurance of the calling and the rewarding times are what keeps us here.
In my thirty years of experience with NAB international missions, I have never wished I had come to Cameroon under one of the so-called “faith missions.” There are many advantages of coming with a denominational mission. NAB is big enough to have the expertise needed in assisting missionaries but small enough to be flexible for individuals’ needs. They are also small enough that when you have an issue or a problem to discuss, you have access all the way to the top, if necessary. The people in the home office know you and care about you; you are not just a name and number.
Learn more about their mission field here:
Mohan and Sangeeta Tamang
Mohan and Sangeeta Tamang are natives of Nepal and have been in Church planting ministry in Youth With a Mission(YWAM) since 1987. Currently, they directed a YWAM ministry called Community Transformation Ministry, which has 14 full-time staff. The approach of our ministry is to identify the needs of the community and work with the local people to meet those needs as a living witness to the love of Jesus.
In addition to our church planting ministry, we have been overseeing an orphanage in the village of Gharmi near the city of Pokhara, where we are living now. We have four daughters, Promise, Pratichya, Rose, and Angelina.
Dillon Weimar
My name is Dillon Weimar, and I grew up in Peculiar, Missouri. After high school, I moved to Firestone, Colorado, and lived with my aunt and uncle for almost 2 years. While I was living there, I took a short-term mission trip to Cambodia and Thailand. While in Thailand, I was called to go back and work with ARK International, a ministry of YWAM or Youth with a Mission. I served with them for just over 4 years, helping mostly with the rugby program Nak Suu. The Nak Suu program is used to help underprivileged Thai children build their character, discipline, learn English, be given opportunities that they may not receive, and grow the sport of rugby in Asia. Recently the ministry had closed down for a few years, but the rugby program will continue to run as its own foundation in Thailand. I have been brought on now to Co-Lead the Nak Suu Rugby program. I have had a big heart for these kids, and I hope to help them grow and bring on more volunteers. I have also been brought on as a YWAM associate while I help run the Rugby program and still have the freedom to help out and participate in Bangkok's YWAM events and activities. Please pray for me as I help the Rugby program to grow and disciple these Thai children.