Out of the familiar quiet, Mayan
mountain village, around the mountains spotted with a patch-work
quilt of fields, past towns, cemeteries, soccer fields, and more
mountains we drive. From there, we go down some windy roads with
dust covered trees on both sides. Over some speed bumps we weave
around and trough traffic. Over some metal bridges, and then into
the chilling site where Fuego showed his might; we remember. We wait
to be flagged by the constant construction and rebuilding, and over
more bridges, passing also hand build retaining walls and ruined
twisted concrete frames of what were once houses. Later we pass the
fruit stands with coconuts piled high. On and down to the well paved
highway lined by palm trees, and a plaza with modern restaurants, we
know we can drive faster here. Next we pull onto the pothole ridden
shared road with trucks overfilled with sugar cane, and passing
burning fields, trash on the roadside, and also the hazy view from
the flat lands of the four volcanoes I know best. Finally we turn
onto the final road. It isn't very long, but it takes a while to
drive it because even creeping along slow as a turtle, our heads are
thrown back and forth by the large rocks of the road. And there, up
ahead is a patch of bright blue peaking through the dust and smoke of
burning trash from the municipal landfill next door. We made it to
the birthing center, “El Centro de Partos el Gozo”.
“The Well” is a good name for what
happens here. As he once said to Hagar when she had lost hope, God
promises to provide for those who have no hope; who have run out of
options. Many of the expectant mothers here are not filled with joy
about the new life coming into the world. Many are scared. So many
are too young, too poor, or too alone to find much happiness in the
confirmation that yes, the test reads positive, they are pregnant.
But here God promises that He will be with them. He will provide.
And by his grace, there will yet be joy.
Two days a week we make this drive,
and set up plastic chairs outside the door. Some days we are very
busy, and other days we sit in the heat and wait. Stephanie and
Taryn began working in the community for a year, but the building
which is now El Centro de partos el Gozo was built and opened in late
August. Some mothers have had
their babies and return from time to time for baby checkups, or other
support. But in all this time through all these prenatal visits, the
walls have yet to echo with they cry of a newborn. Until tonight.
We
make the drive again, but much faster this time because the main road
is closed with unannounced construction in the dead of night, so we
have had to go the long way around. We make our plan for once we
arrive, and once the tires hit our gravel parking area in “Land of
Hope” (an amazing ministry who loves this community with the love
of Christ), we are off. It's very hot here, and even though
it is now night, the sweat sticks our cloths to us as we work. Our
mother Evelyn is already inside pacing as our caretaker and friend,
Susana, opened the doors for her. This is her third delivery, but
the first one in which she could choose her position, or have the
freedom to pace. Her mother and friend wait outside. It is strange
to them to be aloud so close to the birth unlike in the hospital
here. In fact, a lot is different here. Things move pretty fast,
and before we know it, she feels it is time. Less than a minute
later, Carlos Alfredo enters the world. He is pale, but his color
soon comes and he is caressed by his mother. After this, the women
who had waiting patiently outside came in to greet the new little
man. This is a community event, and it is not just family who
welcome him.
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| Baby Carlos Alfredo |
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| Evelyn and Carlos |
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| El Cenro de Partos el Gozo team welcoming our first baby born at The Well |
Carlos is the first baby born at The
Well. His birth means so much for this community. One of the women
who had waited outside for hours, Susana's mother, said that she had
experienced the hospital for 37 years, but what happened here
tonight, this was different. The local hospital is a national
hospital, and it is overcrowded, under supplied, and undermanned. I
have heard a lot of stories. I imagine that many staff truly are
caring and loving individuals who are simply too overwhelmed to give
the care they would like. Because labor is time consuming and they
need beds, C-sections are heavily overused. Overcrowding leads to
two women sharing a hospital bed. Visitors are responsible for
feeding their family members, but have very restricted visiting hours
and are not a part of labor. There really aren't other options. We
love and know some in this community who could not get to the
hospital because the ambulance would not come down that road at
night. One mother delivered her won baby along on the floor, but
didn't know what to do when the baby didn't breath for a while. He
now has special needs as a result. Others have trouble registering
their children when they give birth at home, and are always fearful
that their children may be taken away.
What happened here was unlike anything
Susana's mother had seen before in part because this center was
clean, quiet, spacious and well supplied when compared to the
hospital. But so much more, she said this was different because of
the respect and relational support which was evident in every action.
This was a safe birth, but more than that, it was bringing little
Carlos into the world surrounded by the love of Christ. Evelyn had
the choice to come here, and she had the choice to pace rather than
lie done. She had the freedom to let her mother and friends come in
and visit her new little life, and she had the quiet privacy to rest
through the night afterward interrupted minimally by quiet vital
checks with the intent of maintaining rest for mama and baby.
All of this, every moment is because
of the love of Christ. He directed the hearts of so many people
toward this community and this service in ministry. He influenced
the the faithful workers of BuildingGuate who have labored in love
for this community for years. He influenced workers from Hope for
Home who have seen and worked with so many children with special
needs which could have been prevented by good prenatal care and
experienced deliveries. God inclined the hearts of Stephanie and the
other ladies who have invested in the lives of these women. God also
worked on the hearts of countless people who could not come, but
chose instead to show their love to these women through donations of
money, medicine, and equipment. God is showering His love on the
women in this community, and he allows so many people to be a part of
it.
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| Weighing a newborn in a home visit. |
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| Stephanie and I playing with Alaxander, at one of his baby checkups. Alaxander comes weekly because his mother's milk dried up when the hospital kept her separated from him the first days of his life. Thanks to a sponsor family in Canada, He receives formula weekly. |
I praise God for what He is doing
here. Weather prenatal visits, deliveries, baby checkups or just
visits, His love is being shown. These women and babies are valued,
and precious. Hagar had lost all hope in the wilderness, until God
told her to lift her eyes and there she saw a well. He cared for
her, and showed His love through this provision. Even so may women
here, some of whom struggle to find joy in pregnancy because of the
stresses they live under, find hope and peace in their father who
cares for them.
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| Our friend Josefina a few weeks before she delivered. |
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| Josefina's baby, born by C-section at the national hospital. Please pray for Josefina as some in her community say baby Sharon's cleft lip is Josefina's fault. It is also challenging feeding Sharon, although Josefina is doing a great job. |
