Simply do the next thing in love.

Can I just start off by saying that I am sitting here and I can't stop thinking that God is so good.

 "Fire of love, crazy over what You have made. Oh, divine Madman. (Prayer of Catherine Siena)

Simply do the next thing in love. 

I have no sense of myself apart from you."

What an incredibly loving and generous Father we serve. 

I’m back in Las Vegas.

I’m home and I’m away from home all at the same time.  I’ve kind of learned to live by the mantra that “home is where you lay your head at night.”

Over the last year I’ve laid my head in a lot of places and subsequently allowed my home to be spread across the globe.  I’ve laid under mosquito nets in Tanzania, boats in Uganda, a borrowed mattress in Australia, and a sad idea of a bed in India. I’ve laid my head in more airports than I would care to count and now here I am, lying in the place that I come from- surrounded by the people I love.  

It’s so nice to be with family.

I And it’s so nice to see people who know who I was and not just who I am. There’s history in this home and there’s just something I can always appreciate about history.

I’ve had the privilege of spending some time with some incredible people who care about my work and support me in what I am doing.  Thank you to everyone who has made this trip refreshing for me. Thank you to my church who continuously provides a platform for me to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus. I am so blessed to come from such a church! I am especially grateful for my parents, who are the greatest examples of how to make the word “generous” a noun. They are impeccable people.  

I must apologize, once again, for my lack of updates that have come through my blog. Since returning to Australia in December I have been through a lot of transitioning. Besides the biggest transition of stepping away from midwifery for a bit and joining some different ministries with YWAM, I have also been moving! Man, who knew moving could be so time consuming? I live in a house that accommodates 13 single girls. (The joys of community living in missions!) However, only 4 of us are currently in the country and/or available to make the big move. Internet hasn’t been connected yet- but really I am just making a lot of excuses. It’s humbling to know that people are even reading my blabbering…. But I am incredibly grateful that you do. Thank you for following me and sharing in on my stories.

I feel like there is so much to share so as I type I am trying to figure out how to communicate it all in a time efficient way.

I can start with what I am up to at the moment- besides being Stateside.

Back in Australia I have begun to work with a ministry that deals with human trafficking and prostitution. It’s a huge change from working in the hospitals and delivering babies, but it has been an incredibly eye opening experience to see the huge need that there is for this type of ministry in our world.  I have stories and I will be sharing them in due time. For now I guess it is just significant to know that it hasn’t been easy to be away from the work that I love. But I am learning to serve in missions in different ways and because I am still working so closely for justice issues with women and children it is not completely away from what my heart desires.  It is definitely an opportunity to serve in a real practical way. Prostitution grosses $30 million annually in Australia and there are 3,000 children, some younger than 10, in the Australian sex industry. It’s appalling!

The next Birth Attendant School will be starting in July so in the mean time I will continue to work in Australia. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next set of eager students to come and learn the practical skills needed to serve the women of the nations. Currently the team that I took to India has just arrived in Zambia for the last 2.5 months of their training. Their work continues to be incredibly fruitful as they are serving the women and healthcare workers in Africa. They have some incredible stories!

I am hoping to be able to take a trip to Ethiopia before the next school runs. The Lord has placed a burden on my heart to learn more about obstetric fistulas. The UNFPA stated, “Every day nearly 800 women die from complications of pregnancy. For every woman who dies, 20 or more are injured or disabled.

One of the most serious injuries of childbearing is obstetric fistula, a hole in the vagina or rectum caused by labor that is prolonged – often for days – without treatment. Usually the baby dies. Because the fistula leaves women leaking urine or feces, or both, it typically results in social isolation, depression and deepening poverty. Left untreated, fistula can lead to chronic medical problems.

Like maternal mortality, fistula is almost entirely preventable. Yet at least 2 million women in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Arab region are living with fistula, and some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop each year. The persistence of fistula is a signal that health systems are failing to meet the needs of women.”

The thing that really gets me is that obstetric fistulas are totally preventable and treatable! Women need to be educated. They need trained healthcare workers and they need access to treatment.

That’s why I have to go. 

“Fistula is a serious problem in Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world. The maternal death rate is among the highest in the world. Pregnant women customarily deliver at home with only a female elder in attendance. The closest skilled doctor may be hundreds of miles away. In fact, the number of obstetricians and gynecologists is abysmally low — just one for roughly every 350,000 citizens.”

I know for the time being God has stirred in me a desire to physically respond to the need in the nations. He is sharing His heart with me. I love when He does that. So with a lot of question marks I am moving forward with planning this trip. As soon as I know more I will gladly share.

 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations..

It's 2013! And I am in Australia. I am aware a proper update is in order. And one is certainly on it's way, but first I must semi-close up my time in India:

We left the busy city, the obnoxious horns, the hospital with too many deliveries too count, the old and new friends we’d made over the last couple months and we finally made our way to the village- the last leg of our journey.  About 3 weeks left. It was refreshing to see a quieter side of India. Small town farming feel. Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed by a pastor and his extended family. We moved into their house and started life with them. We slept on the floor and ate too much rice and got extravagantly loved by amazing people.  It was a big transition for our team but one that we enjoyed. Living with an Indian family was a privilege.  We partnered with them in some of their local slum ministry and we went back to work in the hospital. This hospital was a much slower pace, but it was a great learning opportunity for the students and a great opportunity for us all to serve. Outside of the labor room we also got to work in antenatal care, postnatal care, immunizations, pediatrics wards, gynecology wards and in the operating room.  I also got to spend a day in a leprosy ward. I was first educated on the signs and symptoms of this ancient disease and then I walked into a room and got to see them all firsthand. What an experience. Outcasts. Shunned from their community. Crippled. Blind. Alone. Poor. And all of it is preventable.

It hasn’t been easy being exposed to all these things. But the more I see, the more I love healthcare. I love what it can mean for people of the nations. There is hope in healthcare. There is healing in healthcare. And there is definitely Jesus in healthcare.

I read this quote by Henri Nouwen;

“Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. Compassion requires us to be weak with the weak, vulnerable with the vulnerable, and powerless with the powerless. Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human.”

Healthcare teaches me compassion. I have gone where it hurts. I have shared in the brokenness. I have mourned and I have wept. I have been weak and vulnerable and powerless. And it hasn’t been easy. That’s for sure. But the thing I like so much about this quote is that it says this is the “condition of being human.” I think that’s spot on. Things are not the way God intended them to be. This isn’t Eden. And being a human and having emotions and feelings and knowing what it means to suffer – in whatever capacity it may be- hurts. There is no sugar coating it. But that’s where the hope of Christ comes in. And I have to tell the world there is hope. That’s my mandate.  And I have found my avenue to do that in- and that’s through healthcare.  And that’s why the last couple months I have been able to accept the title of “missionary” that’s been associated with my name. That hasn’t always been easy for me. A missionary? Isn’t that for flowy-skirt-wearing-women and home-schooled kids?

Maybe.

But it’s not limited to that.

Over the last couple months there has definitely been some clarity brought to my blurred vision of missions.

It’s being obedient to the great commission. It’s walking out compassion. It’s love. It’s freedom. It’s sacrifice. It’s hope. It’s God’s heart- that all His children would be reunited with Him. 

So while the world may suck at times, and babies may die, and people may lose their limbs by an age-old disease, and hearts get broken, and cancer is rampant, and people starve- we can still hold on to truth. 

Jesus loves.

And people need to know His love. 

So whether I have to wear a flowy-skirt or not, I want to share that love with the world.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I'm definitely in a transitional period now and the way I fulfilling the great commission is looking a bit different than it has been for me for the last year and a half- but it's good. I am learning the ins and out of missions. And it's taking some adjusting and getting used to but I am seeing the value in what I am doing now. 

I will expand more shortly.

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday with friends and family. 

Happy New Year.

we wont be satisfied until the earth looks just like heaven

As we are closing up our time here in India we are doing a bit of debriefing. Yesterday, we sat around and told testimonies of things God has been doing in and through our lives over the past 3 months.

All the glory to God who has used us in mighty ways.

There are so many testimonies that I could share.  Little lives that have been raised from the dead. Salvations. Miracles. Healings.

We’ve seen it all.

In and out of the hospital.

We’ve worshipped in the streets and interceded in the corridors of the hospital.

We are a team of midwives, of healthcare providers- but God has not limited us to serve only in healthcare.

We have delivered 218 babies

We have prayed for 4,688 people

And shared the Gospel with1416 people

We have received 10 little ones into this world who never got the chance to take their first breath.

We have held the hands of a many more mothers as they wept over their loss.

We have labored in pain.

We have welcomed God to be apart of deliveries.

We have claimed life for God’s Kingdom and in faith we have prophesied over these little children.

I believe we have been able to take part in welcoming a new generation. A generation that could change India.

We have also had the opportunity to work with a wide range of other healthcare providers. We have worked alongside obstetricians and gynecologist who have been in the business longer than I have been alive. We have worked with superintendents, postgraduate doctors, surgeons, pediatricians, nurses, lab technicians, interns, EMTs, medical students, and everyone in between. We have had the opportunity to share the love of Christ with these people as well. We have failed at times. But we have also succeeded. And even if we have influenced just one healthcare provider in this nation to rely on God, to work by His strength and not their own, to provide good healthcare… then its all been worth it. This is fruit that lasts.

It’s not just the immediate catching of babies. Suturing a wound. Praying for a doctor. Holding a hand. These things have been powerful in the moment. And we’ve done a lot of it. But we’ve also planted seeds. And we’re hopeful that they will continue to be watered and nurtured and they will grow.

And India will be changed and look more like heaven. That’s my hope.

Thanks for all your prayers!

love thy enemy

We have just finished our last day at the hospital in the current city we are living in. Crazy to believe that we are finishing up our time. In the last few weeks we have really been pressing in to have a greater heart and understanding of the Indian culture and a refreshed passion for the work we do here. Even though we love what we do, it can still become exhausting. And with exhaustion comes a greater risk of responding by the flesh and not by the spirit. There is often miscommunication that can occur between our team and the doctors, nurses, and cleaning ladies at the hospital. We disagree with the way the patients are treated. We don’t like the way pregnancy and labor is seen as a “problem” that needs to be fixed and therefore rushed along. The extreme measures they take are often painful and unnecessary. Fundal pressure. Episiotomies. Induction, in every manner possible. The women are left to labor alone. They are hit, yelled at, and left unknowing of every medication and check that’s done on them. The women aren’t valued. There are babies that are dying that shouldn’t be. Its filthy and the standards of cleanliness and overall sterilization is nowhere near the way we think it should be. 

Everywhere we look we can see corruption. Injustice. Pain. Heartache.

We use an instrument we shouldn’t have on a HIV patient. We’ve allowed a mother to come into the labor room and console her daughter whose weeping with the pains of childbirth. We stop the cleaning ladies from making the poor women who have just delivered pay them for pushing their wheelchair. We give the laboring women water. Get them to be in positions besides flat on their back on metal beds. We let the mom’s keep their babies after the delivery instead of immediately rushing it away to be weighed and left alone in a separate room. We hold their hands. We pray. We don’t rush the delivery. We generally disrupt every “normal” way of doing things at the hospital and as a result we have seen the beginnings of Word War 3 break out on several different occasions.

The things we are doing at not wrong. In fact, it doesn’t take much arguing for the average person to see the value in what we do. But so easily, as I have had to learn over the past couple months, pride can take the front seat of our actions. Even what we had originally done and desired for good can become used as a way of bringing disunity and more disorder. When we respond out of our flesh and frustration we see that what was once meant to honor a woman can become a way to “show a doctor a thing or two.”

Ouch. This attitude is disgusting. Instead of working with the staff at the hospital we can quickly find ourselves working against them. And this is just something that can’t happen. It can never become us verses them.

The thing is, if I didn’t have Gods eyes I would have had enough of this a long time ago. The things that I see at the hospital not only hurt my heart on a regular basis, but they genuinely irritate me and cause me to be frustrated. But I serve a God who is loving and gentle and kind and patient.  A God who deeply loves all His children, even the ones I disagree with. At the end of the day, the way the doctors, nurses, and cleaning ladies respond to the women is the way they think is okay to respond to the women. And even though its easy and even justifiable to disagree with them I must remain in a place of love. The staff at the hospital need the hope that Christ offers as much as the women who are being mistreated in the hospital do.

Humbly I have been reminded that I have come not just to serve women but to serve.  Period. To wash feet. To love my enemies.  To work in unity. To partner with the healthcare, not to try and argue with it. And in all of it, I have been reminded that I must remain in love. Because it is in and through the love of God that things change. It is not by our efforts or opinions of right and wrong that move people to repentance. It is God’s kindness that leads people to repentance.

And when we respond out of love and kindness we have seen the most breakthrough. It wasn’t when we argued. It wasn’t when we disagreed or disobeyed their orders. It wasn’t even when we did a really good delivery. It has always been when we have loved beyond our own understanding. It’s when an intern sees us pray for a woman and is touched by it, even asking us to speak up so they can hear. It’s a cleaning lady joining hands with us as we cry out to God to raise a little life from the dead- because they have seen us do it before and they know God hears our prayers. It's a doctor noticing that we value the individual as they see we have come in late at night outside of our shift just to labor with one woman we’ve connected with. It’s a nurse who pauses and  feels compassion alongside us as we cry over a lost life.
This is it. This is the fruit. This is the Kingdom coming here on earth.

It is Jesus who said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Yeah-so it's been a humbling few weeks. Learning to serve. To make myself less. To be humble, always. And to love thy enemy.

“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. 'The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared' (Luther).” 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

(pretty much sums up everything I was just trying to communicate, and it was put so much more eloquently than me. Bonhoeffer, your a champ.)

positive

This week we had the opportunity to hear a wonderful teaching about HIV as it relates to pregnancy. We heard this teaching at a clinic that’s run by two incredible, God-fearing doctors here in India.  Besides gaining more knowledge on how to give proper and adequate treatment to the mothers we meet who are HIV positive, we gained a greater heart and understanding of the call God has placed on our lives; to save women. To bring life into this world and claim it for the Kingdom.

Dr. Lavanya introduced her teaching to us with a passage of scripture found in 1 Samuel 30. This story is about David initially experiencing defeat but being able to turn to God for wisdom, strength, and answers. 

³ "When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. ⁴ So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. ⁵ David’s two wives had been captured—Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel. ⁶ David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.

⁷ Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, ⁸ and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

“Pursue them,” he answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

 God responded to David and gave him the reassurance he needed to be brave, bold, and victorious.

The reality of so many pregnant women being effected by HIV always goes back to the enemy wanting to attack women and children. Women, the bearers of children are vulnerable. And both women and children are uniquely made in the image of God making them prime targets for attack.  As birth attendants we have the opportunity to redeem women who deliver with HIV. We are delivering them from the enemy of God.  In 1 Samuel we see that David and his men wept over the loss of their wives and children.  God told David to do three things in response to his enemies;

Pursue them

 and as a result, you will 

Overtake them

and

 Rescue them

Those are some incredible promises.

Dr. Lavanya challenged us with this same command when we deal with a mother who is HIV postive. 

Pursue these women. The enemy is strong, and if we don’t pursue them he will keep them captive. We must be in the business of pursuing.

Overtake them- Overtake them with love and with prayer and God will overtake their situations. Care for them.

And rescue them. Be a safe place. Let them need love and provide it. Teach them. Empower them. Provide for the needs.

In verse 18 and 19 we see that David was obedient to what God said and as a result he had victory.

⁸ "David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. ¹⁹ Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. "

Our hope is to be victorious in the fight the enemy has placed against us in regards to women who who are positive. The reality of the situation is there is hope. There is chance for life and life abundantly.  And it is beautiful to be reminded that we must be willing to fight for the life of the ones who are the most vulnerable in this world. And as we fight we will rescue them from the hands of the enemy and deliver them into the loving hands of the Father. 

mosquito bite, take two.

For those of you who may have heard, I was indeed bit once again. Pesky mosquitoes. There’s an outbreak of dengue fever in India right now and I guess my body just couldn’t stand missing out on any kind of outbreak. I like to pretend that I attract all the bugs cause I'm so sweet.  

I’m not thrilled to have had two serious mosquito sicknesses in under 6 months. I’m not sure the long-term implication that can have on my body. But I am sure that God has called me here to work in India. So with rain or sunshine, that’s exactly what I am going to do. I am healing up quite nicely. Seeing some lingering symptoms but experiencing the grace of God in my life, once again. I know it can seem risky to get all these sicknesses. And like I said, I am not thrilled with the idea of it. But this is the reality of what’s happening around the world. People are getting dengue fever in India. And some are dying as a result of it. And I am here. I am apart of this culture and sometimes that means being apart of the sicknesses that are spreading here. I have access to great healthcare and I live with a team who takes great care of me. I will be fine.

Thanks for your prayers.

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

in order to keep the base in Australia updated we write several short testimonies each week to send back to them. I thought I would post a few of those testimonies here so you too can read some of the incredible things God is doing in this city!

October 2^nd, 2012 – Bek

            We were helping with a twin delivery, rejoicing as twin one came safely and then quickly saw twin two was in an undeliverable position. The doctors told the mother that she would have to go for c-section and in a whirlwind, preparations were happening for her to get an operation. In that moment we began to ask God for a miracle to turn the baby so that she could deliver right then and there.  As the doctors prepared paperwork for surgery – we notified them that the baby was coming and sure enough God answered us and the little one came right then and there!      

 

OCT. 3, 2012, Christine

            A mother came into the labour ward with her baby in a very difficult position. The mother said she had not felt the baby move since early that morning, causing us to assume the worst. We searched for the baby’s heartbeat, but could not find any sounds of life at all. As we held the listening device in one final position over the mother’s belly, we began to pray, crying out to God to bring life to this baby. In the middle of our prayer, suddenly we heard a strong, quick, steady heartbeat. Thank you jesus!   

 

OCT. 5^th, 2012, Estera

            During worship time I felt that we should ask the staff at the hospital if we can pray for them, I got a picture of this one particular lady. She hasn’t been very friendly to our team and I imagined that she wouldn’t agree to prayer. However, later that morning while at the hospital praying for our day I was reminded of what I had felt earlier, so I told the team. As soon as I was done telling them, the woman in my picture walked up to us and asked for prayer!!! We prayed for her! I was so encouraged to see that God’s heart is not only for the women we serve but also for the staff we work along side! 

Oct. 9, 2012, Corry

            As I was involved in a twin delivery, the first baby was a known stillborn and the second came out very lifeless. When I looked at the second baby, God said “stick with that baby” so I followed the doctor for the resuscitation. I began praying fervently and giving medical care and within minutes she began breathing on her own. With jesus there is always hope! 

October 17, 2012, Briana  

            At the HIV clinic this week a man walked in holding a little boy. With tears running down his face, the man remained standing for all of the worship and devotional time. At the end of the devotional the man came forward with his little boy and said that because he and his wife were both HIV positive it was time for his son to be tested. The community there gathered around him and prayed fervently for this little boy to be negative. Later that afternoon the man came up to me with remnants of tears still in his eyes and a huge smile on his face. He held up the test results, which read negative for HIV! Thank you Jesus for hearing the cry of this man on behalf of his son. 

 

October,16, 2012, Corry

            A premature baby girl was born and declared dead by the doctor. As I was leaving the baby-room the dead baby was brought in for disposal and I knew that Jesus wanted me to begin resuscitation, so I asked the nurses to help. After a little bit of work the little princess was alive and breathing on her own. Jesus raised her from the dead!

 

   

30 October 2012: Laura

A group of us went to do a simple healthcare teaching and antenatal check-ups for a local slum community. When we arrived we met a young man who spoke English very well. He stayed around for our healthcare teaching but he didn’t pay much attention. As we went to do the antenatal checkups I felt a burden to talk to him, even though I wasn’t sure what kind of conversation to have with him.  He invited us to his home for chai after we finished our checkups, and I knew we had to go. As we sat in his home we began to talk about our belief in Jesus. He is a very brilliant young man and although he comes from a Hindu background, he had spent a good portion of time reading through the bible and the qu’ran. He knew scripture very well however he had not been able to connect with the truth of the bible. He shared with us that during the night he had a dream that foreigners would come to him and share with him “matters of God.” Through words of knowledge we were able to talk into drug use and depression in his life. He told us that he had just purchased a large amount of drugs so that he could commit suicide that evening. Through prayer, scriptures, and testimonies we were able to bring truth and revelation into his life. He made a commitment to follow Jesus and he invited the Holy Spirit into his life to help guide him and lead him in the right path.  

 

 

 

in just a moment's time

 I should give you an update.  

We got our permission granted to work in the hospital! (if you hadn’t noticed by the previous posts’ photos.)  God opens doors that no man can close. He made a way for us. He always does. We rejoiced over our victory and then we went to work. It was so good to go through those hospital doors again, even when that putrid smell that I once was revolted by greeted us at the doorway. It gave me an odd sense of ease. I was exactly were I belong. In the midst of life and death and chaos and crowds and women. 

Lots and lots of women.

I started the day off in the labor room. Eight women, bearing down. This time I have an audience. The students will watch me care for the women and conduct the delivery. They will take note of everything I do. Not only do I now need to provide excellent care for the laboring women and the newborns that pop out, but I also need to take the time to explain every step of what I am doing. I need to be deliberate about everything I do. I have to teach.

Teach? Ha, me? Teaching.  

The first woman begins to crown.

Lights, camera, action!

And I take the stage. I only have 3 students watching me at the moment. I can feel my hands tremble slightly as I assist the head out of the birth canal. I normally feel so confident in this position. But it’s one thing to deliver a baby. It’s a whole nother’ ball game to teach someone else to do it. Is this stage fright? Perplexed by my physical reaction but no time to think about it. I've got a baby coming. Every action I take I speak out,

“The head has restituted, great. Now I am checking for cord around the neck. No cord. Great. I am going to help the anterior shoulder out.  Okay mom, push! Great. “

And then- just like that- this little life get’s welcomed into the world.

And just in a moment’s time: 

a young girl becomes a mother for the first time,

a baby takes her first breath; she has just inhaled her life on earth.

3 students are enchanted by the miracle they have just witnessed for the first time; a child welcomed into the world. And in a way, they are more released into their calling than they ever have been before. They too have been welcomed into the reality of their job.

And just in a moment’s time, I finally take ownership of my new role in the hospital, “instructor.”  

Needless to say, it was a packed moment.

Some moments just are.

Since that moment, almost 3 weeks ago, our school has welcomed over 60 babies into India. Many have been beautiful deliveries, healthy babies. Some we have had to fight for. Some we have lost. We have seen miracles. We have seen death. We have seen lots of life. We have laughed. We have sung. We have wept. We have exhausted our selves to the core, giving everything we have to the welfare of the women and the babies we work with. And then we have woke up the next morning to do it all over again.

The students are learning at an impeccable rate. I truly believe it is the anointing of God over our lives. As we serve Him in this capacity, He releases the wisdom and skills we need to provide good healthcare.

little buggy bubba

As an instructor in the hospital my role really is to teach the students how to become God-fearing midwives. How to not only provide good healthcare, but how to stop and pray. How to be sensitive to spiritual warfare. How to love deeply, the way Christ does. How to hold a woman’s hand, clean up after her, and care for her. How to value life. How to fight for it. … and yes, how to deliver babies and claim them for the Kingdom.

And while at times my flesh wants to take the credit for my role as an instructor, I am daily humbled by the revelation that while I am the “actress,” God is the writer, the producer, the director, the orchestrator, and the creator.  Really, He is both the brains and the beauty behind the entire act. He deserves all the glory. I am capable of nothing apart from Him and I am so unbelievably grateful that He uses me, in spite of me. In spite of my weakness and failure and human limitations, the creator of the Universe, the one who knits us together in our mother’s womb, uses us to do His work. It’s simply amazing.

 Thanks for your prayers. More stories to come...

Worked with this mother a year ago. Excited to see babies we've delivered growing up.

the cat, who apparently has a part time job at our hospital

eating each others hands. cause that's what friends are for.

and we're back in action...