Journeying...

Greetings! Thanks for all the comments on the last post! I was hesitant to post those pics, but the feedback has been a blessing for both Tim and me!

Just a quick update on my two past births...the first with Des and baby Dawn.....I got to see them today and they look fantastic! Dawn has passed her birth weight and is now 7 pounds! Praise God! Des is eager to get into some kind of routine at home as her 4 other children rely very heavily on her. It was good to check up on her and visit a bit.

And then Licsi and baby Eunice (pictured above) are still at DMC Hospital, but despite concerns, they are steadily improving. Licsi's laceration is healing and she is on heavy antibiotics to ward off any infection that may ensue. She admitted to me during our visit that she didn't take her iron supplements and she said she rarely ate vegetables or protein during her pregnancy. Unfortunately, this was not said to the midwives during prenatals. She confessed that she lied because she was lazy and didn't want to eat the food she knew was good for her. She asked if this was the reason for her tearing so bad. Yes, it is. She understood that her next pregnancy would have to be different and that her health needed to be taken care of NOW, not later. For both her baby's sake and for her own!

Then her bana took me 3 floors up to where their baby was and little Eunice was hooked up to an IV, was still on a bit of oxygen, and was sporting a new outfit. :) Her coloring was far better than the night we transported and she was even able to smile a bit. Better each day. I am now waiting for a text message from Licsi letting me know she has been discharged. Thank you for your prayers!

In other news, I am still busy with prenatal exams, have a birth shift tomorrow and getting some new homework assignments done. I've been getting to counsel some passed patients in their marriages and have even seen one couple get back together after begin separated for months with little desire of working things out. God is so good.

With the class above mine graduated and waiting to head home, a lot of changes are expected over the next few weeks. Many of the girls are on furlough now while the others are waiting their turn while doing a great job in the clinic.

Promise Grace is awesome....keeping me up at night, but I am still enjoying getting to know her. Last night she kept me up with the hiccups! Yup! She got the hiccups and the tiny perfect rhythmic bounces got me giggling.....I couldn't get to sleep until I ate an egg, went pee, and changed positions...she quieted down and it was all good. :)

And NOW......

I am passing the computer to Tim to give you an update on water.....

I'll keep this brief. Toti and I made a delivery to Samal Island on Saturday. We installed 5 filters and made some great contacts. One of our installations was for a school teacher who intends to bring bottles of safe drinking water for her students each day.

I was in a Muslim city called Tacurong last week to train a man named Glen. He has is a secret evangelist. His organization trains poor men and women to use computers. As they befriend their students, they begin to share the gospel with them. Many people have come to know Jesus and are now being discipled. During our visit to Tacurong we witnessed a luncheon that was actually a secret bible study. I am so excited to be working with Glen and his team. They're excited too, as they now have a great way to meet the needs of their Muslim neighbors and can bring a powerful and practical demonstration of the gospel. I'm praying that we will connect with more and more Christian organizations who specialize in evangelism. The process of delivering water filters offers a unique opportunity to be in peoples homes and show them Jesus' love.

More filters were sent to the flooded regions in Maguinadao today. We've now got enough filters in the area to supply about 700 people with clean water. We've also got eight people trained to install them, so we can continue to impact the area even when we're not there. I'm praying that we will find the funds to get a big truck soon. Right now we are limited to only five filters per delivery because we just don't have a vehicle big enough to transport a large quantity.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos I took while we were on Samal Island this weekend. Also, there is a picture of Glen and his family.

Cheers,
Tim (and Bethany!)