this is the world's largest imax theatre.


these are the world's largest 3-d glasses.


this was the world's most thrilling movie to see.

And now, completely unrelated to Avatar...

This week I spent three days in the labour ward welcoming babies with the students. I stand in awe at the end of this week thinking about the foot in that I have into women’s lives because of the favour G*d has on this school to get us in these doors. After processing with a student on Friday, she told me about her English midwife friend who couldn’t believe what she was learning to do, the skills, etc, and I agreed with her and we talked about how cool it is that when G*d calls us, he equips us. We are living testimonies.

As much as I would like to, I often shy away from graphics or too intense of imagery in relation to the labour ward, those stories are better for one on one conversation. That is, seeing how I don’t know my blogging audience and all. Perhaps I should start a separate blog? Kidding. I know I appreciate the details, but I have learned that my language needs to be accessible to all, especially when talking about things pertaining to birth.

With that said, the following is appropriate for all.

Our image of a woman labouring in a hospital with her separate room, having ice chips served to her hourly, the contractions recorded on the monitor are things of luxury and not actually how most women in the world spend their hours labouring. With that said, it is not at all wrong, but not like any of the deliveries we as birth attendants usually are a part of. The women here in India, as well as the women of every other country that I have birth attended in, labour in community, all sitting on their separate-or sometimes the same, bed. Usually there are about eight women in labour in one room at a time, but on an especially busy day, like it was most days this week, there are 10-14. Every once in a while, there are those quiet women that don’t say a word, and before you know it, baby is coming and it isn’t waiting for nobody. One time this week, a woman delivered into her sari and the rest of us were so engrossed into our work with postnatal moms until we heard a crying baby and realized, “it’s too late”. In these situations, although it hasn’t been the best care for the mom, but you can still slap on some new gloves and welcome the baby in the name of J*sus, sing it happy birthday and ask the mom “larki-larka?”, “babu-papa?”, “bathchi-batcha?” and any other way you can remember to say “boy or girl?”. The mother has to respond with the answer of the correct sex of the baby before you can take it to warm it up. If no one is looking, we can keep the baby on mom’s belly, turn off the fans and let a little bit of bonding happen… Sometimes there are no students around and as baby’s don’t wait for nobody, I get the chance to stand with the mom, encourage her to push, smile at her, ask her what her name is, introduce myself and reunite mum and bub. Although we want all the students to get as many opportunities to be a part of conducting deliveries, sometimes they all are busy and in these situations, I am so happy to take part!

On Friday, there was one mom who had been labouring since six am in the labour room, and once they are in there, they are not allowed to eat (for cases of caesarian sections, etc.) and this mom was crying at us, begging us to let her eat. We tried to advocate for her and ask the madam (OBGYN) if we could give her something or if she could get some tea from her family, but she still said no. The mom was so angry with us, she didn’t want us to listen to the baby’s heart, to let us put a line up for her, nothing. We stayed with her and continued to encourage her. Low and behold, at the end of the day, when everyone else was tied up, baby was coming. I went and stood with her and asked a student nurse if she would like to learn to conduct a delivery. I began with guiding the mom in her pushing and recognized she wasn’t progressing well and asked the madam to come. After about 45 minutes of focused pushing, her baby girl was born. Anjana was a new woman after, she cried and thanked us for all of our help and we told her J*sus helped her and then she insisted on exchanging phone numbers. Hopefully we can visit her. These joyful-ending situations with tough beginnings can seem frustrating. Yet, I think of how Jesus is so persistent in standing with us, even when we push him away-kicking and screaming we deny his help, and in the end, we are so thankful, so thankful that he has been there with us through it all. Granted, women usually can’t be held accountable for how they act during labour, but that doesn’t mean G*d can’t teach me through this stuff.
G*d is right there with us in the labour room.

Thanks for reading guys, I hope the details were palatable.

Your friend,
Bekah

feeling the feb.

February, I remember feeling that last year this month went too fast, and again I echo this thought.

Last year, a girl called becca led my outreach until the month of January. She then went back to Perth briefly and then to Vancouver and got engaged and was married before we saw her for our debrief in May. She was a part of staffing the lecture phase this year and then moved to Wollongong . Last week, the pregnant becca and her husband Chris visited our team while they were doing a project here, ahhh friendship. While on our way to get iced coffee, she began sharing with me, “it’s not about the outcome, it’s about the relationship on the way”. Oh how I needed to hear that, to hear it from someone who has been in my shoes with years of experience. That’s why we are here, to meet the women, to share with them in their pain, to learn together as a school. There are tasks, skills, evaluations that of course that need to be ticked off, but those are not to rule me in co-leading the team. The principles of the kingdom are based off of what builds relationship. I once heard a man, (I think I’ve shared this before) who said you can replace the word “sin” with the term “relationship breaker”, that’s how serious G*d is about relationships. My feeble task-orientated self needs to change.



I have been sharing in my blog updates about how the battle between life and death has intensified here. We are not elite to the strongholds of the city, but aware, and thus must stand strong. Just opening your eyes in the morning can be a brawl of lies. We have entered into more fights for our unity, more difficulties with sickness and most of all, more struggles in communication. As a result, we have gone deeper into wor*hipping and inter*eding for this city and recognized our authority because of the name of J*sus.



We have one more month here in India . Staying for only two months is actually such a short time, then again, even four months in Tanzania felt short. We will be heading into the Philippines in my next update. I do have a mailing address here. I can send it to you individually, but through a mass email is slightly insecure.

I want to leave you with a beautiful testimony from earlier in this week. G*d has met us in the hospital. Since the first birth attendants came here seven years ago, we have seen his kingdom begin to advance. There is now a new location/building of the hospital-that gives much more space and is just more livable, there are more doctors-whom we have seen relationships increase with, there is newer equipment-that we have seen give much better care since we have been here…

So here is the story from Consuelo. Consuelo was once a student on the school and then returned back to Texas to receive her accreditation as a midwife there. Since the car accident in Nigeria in 2005, Consuelo has committed to see the school rebuild so she is here for our final month in India- teaching us, working with us at the hospital daily.

The Miracle of Life at the Edge of Death

(Consuelo York, midwife serving with the Birth Attendant School , 2 March 2010)

A lady was laboring today. When she was feeling ready to push one of the other tutors saw that the umbilical cord was coming out before the baby’s head. This is a very dangerous, and often life-taking emergency situation. I was called over, as well as the doctor. I arrived first and checked to see if she had opened enough for the baby to be born, and she had. I maneuvered the baby’s head to take pressure off of the pinched cord so she could get the blood she needed to stay alive.

The doctor arrived and told me that they knew that the cord was coming first and that I should just wait. I asked if the baby was still alive. I knew that if she was, the mother had opened enough to deliver quickly to preserve the baby’s life! I knew that delay would certainly mean death. WE checked and found the baby to have a heart beat; so I commenced with assisting this baby to be born safely. The doctor saw that the baby delivered quickly and revived immediately. Resuscitative measures were not even necessary.

As I entered the newborn room a few minutes later to see the baby, I had such joy that G*d’s hand in this child’s life had preserved her to fulfill her destiny. Yet, I was also aware that sadly her mother seemed not to be delighted to have a female child. So, for my pr*yers over this child, I called her Joy. My prayers to G*d for this child were that she would fulfill her destiny as a child of G*d, He delighting in her life being preserved, and asking that He would cause her to be accepted and loved by her family.

tank you (as said in telagu) for reading.
bless you guys.

nothing much.

hello there.
today is day off. it seemed as if i had very little business to take care of at the internet and now my time has ticked away.
things continue to daily be a battle here. the enemy is not against flesh and blood, but he often disguises himself that way. my daily push comes out of wo*ship and inte*cession times. if it wasn't for those times together, i wouldn't be able to make it through each day.
G*d is so worthy. So stinkin' worthy.
Today I have been blessed to go to the IMAX. Wowie. I am so excited.
I will post more later this week.
Bless you family and friends.
bekah

photoooooosssss!

i know mom and dad are going to be happy. :)

i have a quick story to share with you and then some photos!
hereeeee weeeee goooooo!

A Muslim woman clad in her black gown, exposing her lovely face stumbled into the ward complaining of back pain so severe that she could hardly lift her leg to take a step. I grabbed a student nurse to come and translate and was pleasantly surprised when she responded clearly in English. Between her winces she shared that she usually goes to a Muslim women’s hospital and was not feeling comfortable with men being around. The pain became so severe that she was endlessly crying out “Allah”. She begged for us to pr*y for her. I shared that we would pr*y in the name of J*sus and after resisting slightly she agreed. Shortly after her groans for “Allah” became groans for “J*sus”. We remained by her side since she was feeling insecure; she continued to whimper until it was time for her to consult the doctor. At that point she claimed that she couldn’t move because her vision was so blurry and the dizziness was so intense. She again quickly asked if I could pr*y, this time, specifically in the name of J*sus. I pr*yed a simple pr*yer for the “dizziness to be gone in the name of J*sus”. I asked her if she felt better. She looked me in the eyes and said, “Yes, Doctor, I am better”. She proceeded to get treatment for her back pain and left, having felt the touch of J*sus.

Yipee!!!!

Oh, before the photos, just wanted to mention we saw three salv*tions this week at the hospital!



the lovely emily with sarah christine, an abandoned baby that we visit daily in the nursery


this is hollie. my fellow staff, with a mum who delivered this beautiful breech bub.


rickshaw central. outside our home.


worship time on the rooftop shout it out.




a day of evan*elism ended up in a poetry slam.



booya. cricket at the park.



beautiful school children by our home. photography kudos to richard simmons.

here we go.

A bit of a longer post… feel free to skim it-I won’t hate you.

Hi guys…

I don’t know really how to start this post or what it will include. It feels as if I have been living in this country for months now, but as I recognize the date of my last post I am shocked into the reality of only having been here less than two weeks.

India.
Clothes are comfy like pajamas. Everyone has a bottom bunk. We still like bucket showers. You will be fuller than full if you have one dollar. A rickshaw for the first time is similar to a ride at the theme park.
India.
Beggars claim every corner. Men stare unashamedly. Incense to gods invade each breath, the call to prayer, your silence. The battle of the mind is unending. To leave the busyness at the door is victory. Women draped in black gowns, men in white.
India.
Take the city. He has said. Reclaim what’s been stolen. Be yielded. Be obedient. Guard your unity. Fight for the team, together.
Do not come under these strongholds.
India. Here we are.

So there is just a bit of a summary for you. It kind of came out like a poem.

We are living at a Pastoral Centre, where they have conferences frequently. They are interesting and draw a unique bunch of people each time. So far there has been a conference for the deaf (one of the girls was confused the first day and thought they had all taken a vow to silence), one called “Women for Secularism” and this week one on the H*ly Spirit. In the mix of all the strangers we have our hideway home just a staircase away. There is also an amazing rooftop, perfect for wors*iping, breaking off strongholds of the city and enjoying the view. Our life kind of takes place in our bedrooms, we meet, sometimes eat and sleep in them.

We started at the government Maternity Hospital this week. Yes, a hospital only for women who are pregnant…they need it. I keep thinking that I need to take a little video to show how many pregnant Indian women exist. They are neck and neck with the amount of deliveries per day as in Tanzania (T:60-80, I:60) but they definitely see many more pregnant women daily here.

Spi*itual warfare is constant. The battle within your mind is relentless. It is necessary to often ask someone to p*ay for you or you get in a maze of anger, miscommunication, lust, greed, anxiety, intimidation, you name it, and the rest of the day you feel bitter towards people who have done nothing to you. It is simple to just think, “oh, I will get over this”, man but the enemy will get a hold of you and yanks your chain. I am learning more intensely about the authority I have. With the name of Je*us, I don’t have to come under this, I can be free, I’m not a slave to this. Of course I still do. But this is the place to learn authority. I am buckled in for the ride. We have seen the unity of our team takes some hits here and there. When the enemy is allowed our unity, we will be useless. It is something we are actively on guard for.

I have decorated my new little home…photos and art that have been sent to me. Everyone has their little space and we are all thrilled at the convenience of having our own bathroom. I appreciate that so much. There are no bunk beds so we all have a place to sit, so welcoming.

I have been bombarded with the need of beggars. Asking big questions, not wanting to get hard, but still getting feelings of resistance to walk when I know I will be faced with one. Easily you see three or four just on the way to the main road in the morning and it is pain free to avoid…
bleh, not what G*d has called me to.
There have been moments of exhaustion these past couple weeks. Once again traveling was tiring, starting from “scratch” here, adjusting to a new home. Several times Melisa and I needed to remind one another, that this is exactly what G*d has called us to for this time. The team is incredibly gracious, as we have learned how to lead here in India, a place that both of us are very unfamiliar with. Hollie and Rach, our new staff that we are leading with, are experienced and so supportive, they have brought such a fresh breath to Melisa and I and the team.

Tomorrow we are singing at a church as the birth attendant choir, it is “Medical Sunday”. I will be singing soprano. Watch out Dale.

Okay, that’s enough for now. I will post again next week.

i made it! my internet time is up! eeek! more later.

celebrate good times.

Hi Everyone…

I write you from the floor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We are on our way to India and the regrouped (including some new staff, husbands and children) team spent it’s first night cuddling here together.

On the 16th of January we departed from Tanzania. It was a heart-breaking week. It still hurts to think about the hospital-our friends, the women and the rough conditions due to lack of staff. We were not the hope, it was Je*sus that brought the hope and as the staff expressed their gratefulness for investing into the need for the season, we encouraged them that the hope is in Jes*us. Some of the staff even came to our home, quite a jaunt, to say their final words and thank those that hosted us.

We made it made it safely to Perth on the 18th and were able to connect with our “new staff”, that are now traveling with us, as well as our school leader. Within a couple days the 25th celebrations of Perth and 50th for our organization were in full gear. We had the chance to be a part of serving the base in the kitchen, which was cooking for 750 people and the quality of the food only increased. We also were able to hear Loren and Darlene, our founders, speak to us as a base. In 1960, our organization was founded. Loren (who has been to every country in the world and works as a volunteer as well) was originally given the vision of waves covering the shores of every continent and as he watched the waves, he saw they were turning into young people. Since then, there have been many visions and words that have shaped and led our organization to continue taking cities, multiplying in numbers, expanding in the spheres of society and sharing the go*spel. How rich it was to see the foundation that our base had been built on. He left me thinking, “Am I really trusting and working towards millions being sa*ved?”

One story he shared was about some of our friends in Nigeria, out of a time of inter*cession they had a word of the L*ord to go and share with guerillas that were responsible for mass killings. The entry-level students in the course, were trusting that G*od would give them an in. They traveled and came upon their camp and asked if they could camp out with them. They were suspicious of course but when the students began to serve them and live in harmony, they became friends. One by one, they started giving up their weapons entranced by this “Jesus” that the students were talking about. One night, a man held his gun to the outreach leader’s head and told him he was going to kill to him, the leader remained calm and repeated multiple times with the tension rising each time “No, you are not.” He commanded him in the name of Je*sus to put the gun down and the man fell on his face in tears, free from this demonic possession. In the end all 3000 of the guerillas gave themselves to the L*ord and handed their weapons over to the students. The government then entrusted our organization for rehabilitation of the men. One of the leaders of the guerillas stated: “What we couldn’t do with guns and bullets, was done with the love of Je*sus.”

And so we have been sent out, having celebrated all G*od has done in the last 50 years and filled with the love of J*esus again. Committed to seeing the flame go forward, ready to serve for no greater reason than our love for G*od.
Bless you guys. Soon we will be in India. I will write on my blog and update you as soon as I can!

Happy 25th Perth!

Bekah

my december update. im working on january's :)

This was what I meant to post about two weeks ago. I didn't want to miss out on sharing these testimonies, so I went ahead and added it today.


Hi guys. I must begin apologetically. The past two weeks, I personally have been riddled with sickness as well as increased responsibilities and there wasn’t the usual time to sit down and hack out the update. Please accept my apology and enjoy what’s coming…

Here is a testimony from one of the students about how G*od is moving amongst the staff…

I was working in the hospital last Monday taking care of women in the postnatal (after they deliver) ward. One woman caught the attention of another student who then called me over to her bed. We checked the woman and discovered that she had been sent over from the labour ward with an unrepaired tear that looked quite bad. We called for one of the doctors to come who had experience repairing tears. “First, she will need a catheter to empty her bladder, and the hospital doesn’t have any more” said the doctor. This was a serious situation; her tear needed immediate attention. By saying this, he meant, “There is nothing I can do right now.” She didn’t have any money, so she would have to wait for until her family came and brought a catheter. It was at that exact moment that Emily walked by and said “I have a catheter, she can have it!” the doctor looked at her a moment and then asked “Did you buy it with your own money?” rubbing his fingers together. She smiled and said yes, “Because Jesus loves these women.” And then she left to get the catheter. I was still standing there with the doctor and he was obviously very touched by this act. I looked at him and he looked at me with moist eyes as he shook his head saying, “I would never expect someone like you to do something like this for one of these women. Breathing in the beauty of this moment, I echoed Emily’s words, “It is because J*esus loves them, and we love them.” This man, a doctor and a Muslim looked at me and said, “I know – and that is what I appreciate about you; you love.” In the end, the woman got the catheter and her tear was successfully repaired. It was so cool to see how a simple act, done in love, at the right moment, could have such a tremendous impact on a doctor and make such a difference for that woman. That is how J*esus is; His love changes people’s lives.

Here is another quick one about the same doctor and my experience with him later in the same week…

A student and I were conducting a delivery with a case that had been labouring since morning. As Birth Attendants, we learn and put into practice covering each delivery in prayer, saying aloud a prayer for the woman and welcoming God’s presence in that exact moment. All seemed to be going normally when the baby delivered and appeared lifeless. Seconds later the placenta delivered as well. The placenta is the baby’s sustenance, with it delivering so shortly after the baby we knew this baby was not getting any oxygen and asked ourselves “How long has the baby been without oxygen?” When we laid our hands on the baby it miraculously had a heartbeat and so we quickly separated the baby so that it could be stimulated and resuscitated. We knew we were experiencing a miracle, how was the heart beating if there was no source of blood? At the exact moment that the baby was delivering a doctor was bringing two med students around for a tour. When the placenta came, he commented to the effect of, “too bad, the baby is dead” and when he heard our exclamations that the baby was alive, he shook his head and said “this is because the followers of J*esus are here”. We have had many conversations previously with this Muslim doctor about the power in J*esus and in this moment, he gave glory to G*od and rightfully acknowledged that the miracle of this baby’s life belonged to God.

Our time in the hospital is winding down and the place we have called home is one we are leaving behind. This Saturday we are departing from Tanzania . I struggle with the fact that we have to go for now. It seems with this little organization of ours that somehow you always get connected again, it’s the saying “bye and I don’t know when I will see you again” that hurts. G*od has been speaking about investing into short term relationships personally, and this is the part that makes me not want to do that. I must trust him.

We will land in Perth on Monday and stay there for 12 days, celebrating the 25th Anniversary of our base and then the 50th Anniversary of our international organization. Then we will take off for India .

I am still blogging at www.bekah29.blogspot.com so you can get more frequent updates if you like. I also would like to ask you to send me your postal address. I am trying to compile an address book and I want you to be a part of it.

Thanks, you guys rock. G*od is with you my friends.

Bekah

hi, i posted some new photos on facebook.

hello from bangkok

Hi friends. I got a free 15 minute internet voucher here in Bangkok, oh the things you discover on 18 hour layovers. Just thought I’d let you know we made it this far. I did write an update last weekend and I will post it when we get back to Perth, along with a final report of Tanzania.
Love you all, thanks for your pra*yers and friendship.
bekah

YIPEE

warning> i am on a foreign keyboard. the punctuation is lacking.
rachel hailstone says that she would like to protest the lack of blogging and i will second her. the last two days off i have been down and out with the bug, by bug, i dont mean the usual bug, rather the bug that bites you and vomits its sporozites into your bloodstream. i am feeling better now, the Lrd has sustained me, and pra~ise him because i get to write my update to you today.

change in plans, my family called me. i will finish later.

a snippit here

Hey guys,
6 days until Christmas. Today I will buy my stocking stuffers. I didn’t write a specific post this week, but here are some excerpts from emails to some friends about what’s been happening over here…

“We are getting ready for Christmas over here. Next week we have some days off, I am looking forward to being a bit more chillaxed! I am missing home, missing the cold weather that seems to go hand in hand with this “time of year”. I am sweating right now and it is 9am.”

“Our two families are getting ready to leave, both are headed back to Australia to meet up with the rest of their family to celebrate Christmas. Neither planned on going back that early but G*d made a way for it to happen. It is a quick change and will decrease our number from 27 to 20 for Christmas and the three weeks following until we go back to Perth.”

“The team is amazing, and G*d is abundantly full of grace. Each day women and babies are slapped in the face with injustice and somehow G*d puts us in the place at the moment to int*rcede practically with pr*yer or action.”

Okay, love you all. Happy Christmas!
Bekah

Here’s the thing. G*od is really cool.

Okay, I have been thinking a lot about grieving lately. Learning how to do it. All of us need healing. I think grieving and healing are deeply connected. Grieving releases healing.

Yes, all of us need healing. Whoever who you are, your parents probably weren’t perfect, you have probably made mistakes, you have probably been rejected, you probably haven’t seen the character of G*od in the painful things you have walked through in life…

About the healing.

I’m not so good at the grieving part. I like to keep the peace. To feel the peace in my heart. Grieving offsets the feeling of balance I love to feel.

You know when you cut your finger, and if you suck hard enough or squeeze hard enough, the pain subsides. That is, until you let the blood rush back to your cut. For me, the blood is the grieving, I like to cut it off and slowly let it flow to the site of the cut and kind of control the pain that I feel. It is actually the blood that contains the healing agents for the open wound, the very thing I cut off. Or like cartilage, cartilage takes a long time to heal because it is less vascular. You know when people tear their meniscus it often has to be repaired by surgery because the healing would naturally take too long. The blood, the pain, is necessary.

So here is this for now. Maybe more later.

We had an excellent week at the hospital. I personally got to be in the labour ward, and it was awesome. I love life.

Bless you guys.

Hey guys!



This month, as a team, we welcomed 85 babies into the world.

G*od is working not only in the present moments, but also changing things for the future, a doctor gave his life to the L*ord! This doctor has begun joining us in our morning prayer times before we enter the wards to work.



Here is a bit of a testimony from my lovely co-leader, Melisa:



“Throughout the morning we had several difficult births but every new baby was full of life and strong. Then there was one little one who a student midwife at the hospital was having trouble delivering and I ran over to help her. The little one was turning blue and I knew we had to get him out quickly. After he was born, I put my hand directly on his chest to feel for his heartbeat and there was none, he was blue and limp…lifeless. So we moved into action to get him separated from the mama so that we could resuscitate him and we pra*yed like crazy and spoke out life over him. Then just before he was moved to be resuscitated one of the students exclaimed “He has a heartbeat but isn’t breathing”. After 2 of the girls resuscitated him and we continued to pr*ay and call on the name of J*sus, this new beautiful baby boy was breathing and alive and doing much better and before we left for the day he was breastfeeding with his mama in the postnatal ward… “ asante Yesu” his mama exclaimed with us. Praise the L*rd!”



We have now heading into our third month of life in Tanzania . Our schedule in the hospital is in full swing Mondays thru Thursdays. Fridays are set aside for assessments and teaching. Saturday and Sundays for rest and ch*urch.



Three times a week we meet together to inte*rcede for whatever G*od is saying. As a team we are on the journey to see the marriage of wor*ship and inter*cession. This week G*od put it on multiple people’s hearts to seek G*od in a child like way about the injustice women are entangled in daily. We jump roped, hop scotched and leap frogged to prepare our hearts. As people were reminded of songs from our childhood we shouted them out and danced around while also recording on the chalk board what G*od’s heart is. While we got G*od’s heart and perspective we also recorded the injustices we are seeing:

“No BP cuffs to recognize warning signs of pre-eclampsia (a condition of high BP in pregnancy)”

“Premature babies without incubators”

“Women delivering on their own”

We arranged the “injustices” in a circle and marched around them six times and the seventh time screamed prayers for justice. We closed the time by dancing upon these injustices. G*od is using these pr*ayers.



Christmas is approaching rapidly. We hung our stockings tonight on the windowsills. May you find deep joy in refocusing you and your family on the miracle of life that Je*sus has given us.



Feel free to email me back! Merry Christmas my friends!



bekah

Hi all. Here is a testimony from the post caesarian section/eclamptic ward that I was in this week.

We cannot detest the small. Even taking someone’s blood pressure can change their life.

This is written by one of the students from South Korea .




I was working in the ICU and met Rehema she is 20 and had just lost a baby for the second time, I asked her if I could pr*ay for her but she said no, so I just took her vitals. After lunch I went to take her vitals again, her pulse was weak, and she didn’t want to eat anything. Her heart was broken. I told her I knew she was feeling sad, and I told her my testimony that before I knew J*sus I didn’t want to live, but I met JESUS. I said “Now I am here so I want to introduce you to J*SUS, J*SUS gave me hope, do you want to believe in J*SUS.” This time she said YES, I led her in a pr*ayer of sal*ation, and I pr*ayed for her after and her face was radiant and her smile beautiful, her pulse was strong and she even wanted to eat. The next day I went to see her again; I gave her Kiswahili sc*ipture and taught her how to pr*ay, she was so happy to know J*SUS.

I am multitasking: typing and wincing at my sunburned shoulders and legs.

Sunburned from our Thanksgiving celebration. Contradiction?

Yesterday, with the locals on staff and our whole team, we crammed ourselves into two “vans” and we were on our way to the ocean. I spent the day playing catch, beach/water balloon volleyball, beach soccer and swimming. It was freeing, not only to wear shorts, but also to be together as a family for a whole afternoon and evening. In the evening we shared why we celebrated thanksgiving and then around our tables, while nibbling on Trifle, we also shared the things that we were thankful for at that moment. Throughout the week we have been doing this, polishing up on habitual thankfulness, each time there has been something different that popped into mind. I think Thanksgiving is Bib*lical, as is feasting. So enjoy your family feasting on Thursday, can’t wait to hear all about them.



I am hopping back and forth between the stories to tell you. Okay, I think I’ve got them.



Thursday. I was in the postnatal/admissions ward. 4 students. About 100 women.

One student was caring for the women who’d had their babies, taking vital signs, doing breastfeeding teachings, looking for extra digits, etc. She found one baby who had a fever of about 38 degrees (100F). It is all too common for fevers to happen, which leads to exhausted babies who won’t feed and become dehydrated and then diarrhea and then every day is a fight. After notifying the ward charge, she began to take this mum and bub under her wing. She began with assisting the feeding process, which resulted in the mom expressing milk and cup feeding. She also stripped the baby’s layers down to a single piece of fabric and dabbed him with another wet piece of fabric. All the while she continued to pray. Within an hour or so, the baby’s temperature was down to 37 degrees (98.6F) and his overall condition had improved! Mir*acle? I think so.



This same day, one of doctor friends, whom most of us have worked with, came to us with something on his heart. He said “I want to be like you people, can you pray with me?” And just like that, Doctor G repeated after Melisa in a prayer and gave his life to the L*ord.



So much to thank G*od for.

I am thankful for my blogger friends.

Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t miss the Radiocity Rockettes!

here you are.

This week I was in the labour ward. We have weekly rotations so the students are in one section for a week and we as staff do the same, rotating weekly so we are with different groups and in different wards. This is a story from this week.

Our first week in the labour ward began by orientating ourselves to the protocols and learning about the function of rotation, few women were close to delivering which gave us the chance to strip down the baby’s cribs where resuscitating happens and the “waiting room” crib. We pra*yed over the cribs, binding and rebuking the spi*rit of death and blatantly proclaimed it was a place for life to be loosed. There is also one crib in the corner of the room where babies who die remain until their family can take them. The babies stay there from the night and are there when we arrived in the mornings. The first day, there were three dead babies, our second day to the hospital-two dead babies, the third day-one dead baby. Yesterday was our last day in the ward and as we walked in several of us quickly shot a glance at the crib and it was empty. Not one baby died while we were present in the labour ward this week. Life is coming abruptly at Temeke Hosipitali.


I feel like I still have a lot to process. How often do I say that in my posts? Very often. I want you to know where I am at though even if my mental filter feels blocked like a siev with soggy noodles, if you will.

Bleh, so I feel hopeful, but I don't geel like it is coming right now, but I need to sit in this place of "where is the hope for these women, the hospital, the overworked staff?" I need to think, pray, dream and the hope will come. I need to wrestle with these realities of suffering, the lack of joy, the overcrowding, the chaos and in the meantime daily ask for sustinance to be hope, to be light, to be with the women in the hospital.

There have been endless opportunities for the students this week to insert catheters, cannulas, catch babies. They are bubbling with excitement and experience.

This week each group found themselves deep cleaning their wards, nothing slowed down in the wards, rather-sing to a mama while dusting the window sill, drop your mop, change your gloves-catch that baby. On the ride home one ward shared that they had the inside scoop, Naomi Campbell-the British super model, was coming on Friday.

Normally, we don't go to the hospital on Fridays but Robyn heard from G*od that she was to go and share. She recalled a prop*hesy over our team that we would go before Kings and that we needn't have anxiety because G*od would fill our mouths. And so, yesterday, Robyn and two students headed to the hospital while the rest of us remained for our day of teaching. G*od was there. They were able to share about the need in the hospital, share about G*od!, share about our school...ahhh, incredible report. They spoke with Princess Sarah of Jordan, a photographer from Spain, a musician from Tanzanian, a journalist from Tanzania and of course-Naomi Campbell.

G*od is really cool. I will send a more specific test*imony next week but couldn't wait that long to tell you the amazing way G*od redirected yesterday.

Thanks guys. Love you my friends. Thanks for pra*ying for healing, in total 17 ended up having malaria, only two are still recovering.

Just a couple photos. I was a bit hesitant to post them. I don't want to exploit the women, but I decided to. So, this is how it is, this is reality.

the ward where our lovely women wait to be 4 cm, and then they go to the labour ward.



This is one after they have delivered.




One thing that Princess Sarah of Jordan said yesterday was "These women shouldn't be on the floor", we agree.

hmmm

well, on the bus ride here i was racking my thoughts from the last week about what in the world to share.
so this is what i've come up with:
this week katie and paula were part of a breech delivery and the baby came out without breathing, looking flat, and the nurse handed them the baby and said "fresh stillbirth". they jumped to resussing the baby and soon enough with pr*ayer and hard work the baby was crying. the nurse was just a little surprised.
thank you J*esus.

short and powerful.
learning a lot. wondering even more. what about the endings that aren't that happy?
still processing.

bless you guys.

my update from last week. don't worry i will post a new one too.

Hi family and friends.



Today is undoubtedly Halloween, however, what I found out in Germany is that saying “Happy Halloween” usually denotes that you welcome demons, etc. So I have erased that little phrase from my vocabulary. Something still dings in my brain every time I see the 31st of October written that I cannot simply ignore it…give it a couple more years.



All of that to say that today is the last of the month and I get to update you for the first time since I have been in Tanzania . Let me first just exclaim “Thank you G*od for all those who have sent me and are still supporting me!”. It is such a joy to update you. Now that I have that out of the way, what a startlingly impressive month we have experienced together as our team of 27 hailing from 11 nations in a brand new nation.



We are living in a predominately Muslim village. The local greeting comes from the strong Arab influence of Zanzibar where slave trading was heavily indulged in. To anyone considerably older than you, so for me to say to a 40ish year old, I would say “shikamoo”, meaning: “I am under your feet” and they would respond with “marahaba”, meaning: I reduce your punishment”. We have learned about the passivity of the people to see any change in their village, due to “enshallah”, basically everything is Allah’s will, so why would I try and change anything?



In having the last month to settle in and wait for our work permits for the hospital, we have been able to dig our heels into the environment of the village. Through pra*yer walking and making friends in the village, we met a Chri*stian woman who gave us an open door to begin doing health care teachings with children, which lead to more friend making, which lead to the women’s class. It was a massive pra*ise report to be able to start a women’s class with about 18 Muslim women because of this prevalent mindset that “everything that is happening to me is supposed to happening to me, why would education change anything?”. We are committed to see the group continue to meet while we are here and dream of handing it over to a new staff here at the base that also has a heart for health care. Women need a space to be silly, dance, ask questions and find solid friendship. It is beginning with health care and we pr*ay that it will fuel freedom and value for each of the women.



We have been battling for work permits for our team and saw them released finally! We started going to the hospital and clinic this week. On average there are about 50-70 deliveries daily at the hospital. There are many women, labouring there on the floor, sometimes delivering without anyone near them, babies dying from fevers, mothers with eclampsia. We have been discussing on our lunch breaks “How can we bring God’s kingdom here?”, knowing what is happening is not God’s will. G*od is all about reconciliation (2 Cor 5:16-21) and rebuilding and redeeming. The answer does not always lie in beginning our own clinic, but we know G*od’s heart is restoration, now. So we are set to be a part of it all for the next three months.



Here at the base is a small clinic. It is peaceful, like a refuge. We are able to see the two extremes and learn from both, we are so blessed to take part.



Thank you guys for your support, each month. Every email is a tangible blessing. Please feel free to send some input or questions and I will get back to you when I am able!



Bekah



A request; the team has been riddled with malaria and currently seven are infected. If you could offer that one up and cover our unity we would appreciate any pra*yers to see the sickness flee.

Here is a test*imony from last Friday. We had a good time. Thought I would share this one with you.



The four of us headed out in the blazing heat of the day set onward to our destination. In planning to do a children’s health care teaching on keeping your food covered, we thought the soccer field was where we would find plenty of onlookers to take part in the teaching. En route to the field, we watched the children waiting for dahla-dahlas (local transport) throw rocks up at the mango tree. If your rock hits a mango, score, but watch out for the mob of children headed for that same mango. Quickly it dawned on us that we could do our teaching right there. So we went for it…Firstly, attracting the children with a song about peeling, smashing, shaking and eating bananas, and then a failed attempt at playing “electricity” and finally with a teaching about dirty flies landing on our food and that can make us sick. At this point the original 10 had quadrupled and all eyes were on us. We shared a small devotional about our responsibilities, and then thought, “hey, let’s tell these kids about Je*sus”. Just that morning we had been crying out in intercession for salvation for the predominately Muslim village and faith without deeds is after all, dead. Our small friends, who weren’t distracted by dive-bombing fruit, listened to the story of a refugee baby who saved the world and following, five children said that they wanted to get to know him. Woohoo! We continued to sing and dance with the children, they would sing songs and we would pipe in with the one or two redundant Swahili words we understood and eventually did the teaching again as the group reshuffled. Following the teaching we did a short drama about the gifts we have been given as people to share, and when we share them, they grow. Jacob, our local friend, gave a short message that was on his heart. We were about to depart for home but felt like something was still there. Once we realized this, we asked Jacob if there were any questions, one boy about ten years old asked, “Who is Je*sus?” and another asked, “Why do you call him father?”. It is common for there to be skewed teaching within the schools on the Bi*ble as well as many children attend Islamic schools. In both cases, questions aren’t readily encouraged. We closed the time with all the children by praying for Je*sus to show himself through a dream that evening and then of course, we united as bananas and sang again once more before we left.



Since that testimony things have been on a roll here in Tanzania. We have been here about three and a half weeks. I apologize; I still have not posted my thank you notes to all of you who have helped me get here. I have not forgotten you. Soon and very soon.



I am wide awake this evening after a spontaneous improv game night. I sit here writing to you in hopes of winding down my active thoughts. I am sweating through my skirts these days…everyday is getting more and more humid. I don’t know how much more of my sizzling laptop I can handle. Currently, I have white girl cornrows since one of my beloved students restyled my frizzy hair. Monday commences our time at the hospital. We are growing ever eager to be immersed in daily health care. We had to fight for the work permits and as they were granted this week after a two-month process, we are now able to go!



We have been spending these weeks orientating ourselves as a team to the base and the culture. A couple hours teaching at the clinic here, a few home visits there, some jackfruit here, bucket shower under the coconut tree there, applied lectures here, inter*cession and wor*ship there. It has been a gliding descent into the relationship-orientated culture that we are now ever present in.



I found myself this week, daily asking G*od, “We are such a massive team…how can we all be used?” And we are figuring this out. We are not a normal midwifery school that bends over backwards and spreads ourselves thinly so that everyone can be a part of X amount of deliveries, but we focus on the G*od’s will for un*ity and trust in him and pray forth the experience we all need. Also knowing that G*od is going to create facets for each gift to reflect, that we have more illuminate and we don’t want the number of students to hide but create a brighter light. I am seeking to overcome my ideas of what we did as 6 students and 2 staff and asking God to exterminate my small expectations. We are a powerful army and there won’t be any playing “left bench” this year.



Yeah, that’s kind of where I am at.



Some thoughts from this week:

-Mongooses do exist, they are more than a BMX brand.

-Don’t sit under a coconut tree in the wind. They are deadly, branches and all.

-One more ALWAYS fits in public transport.

-SMSing/Texting is a blessing. (I have a cell phone now!)

-Americans can register their travel destinations online, although meeting the consulate at the Embassy is exciting.



Ok, long post. Maybe I will split it in two.

Miss you guys. Callie called me this week AND my family. So much love.

You too can call me/text me and I will respond!

I’m still waiting, 7 days later, for Charlie to respond.