Timmy's Tale Part II

I'm sorry it has taken me a week to get this update written. Blogger has been giving me fits, but it looks like I will be able to get this uploaded. I have one last segment to give you as well. I have already written it and I will upload it for you tomorrow. I hope to include lots of photos with that post. As of right now, Blogger won't let me upload any pictures, so they will have to wait. On Friday we'll give you the update on this week. But just so you know, things are going very well. Bethany is getting closer and closer to being able to "handle" in the birth room, which I think means that she will soon be pulling babies out women, which is the whole point I guess, but just thinking about it kinda makes me feel queasy.

When in Dipolog I spent time with Pastor Bonnie Sembran and his family. They're pretty cool. He and his wife have 9 children, aged 36-17. Some of them are currently studying in the medical field so that they can start their own free hospital to minister to the poor. Bonnie lives with several of his children in a big house that is still being built (there's rebar sticking out of the ceiling) on a very cool property. Their property has several other buildings including 4 small cottages (I stayed in one of them), a church building, another building with living quarters. On top of all that, there is an outdoor pool!

We spent Tuesday recovering from Monday's 13 hour drive. I was able to sit in on the classes that the bible students were having. One of the teachers was the man who had translated for me in Kidapawan. I felt encouraged when during his class he actually referenced some of the points that I had made during my sermon on Sunday. Some of the students are as young as 17, but they have made a commitment to the Lord to go wherever he sends them.

On that property they house 17 orphans who have come from the tribal villages up in the surrounding mountains. They also house and teach 23 bible students. The students study for 3 years before being sent out to either co-pastor an existing church or start a new one. The students are also working to improve the property. They are currently building a new structure beside Bonnie's house that will be the new living quarters for the students and the orphans. The building will also serve as a conference center for pastors. I took a picture of the blueprints for this building and I hope to show it to you tomorrow.

Bonnie is the head of a network of 152 churches that have been planted over the last thirty years around the island of Mindanao. He also pastors his own church in Dipolog, though he spends much of his time traveling around the island to encourage the other pastors. In the time that I was with him, I watched as he brought encouragement and wisdom to many different pastors that we met on our journeys. I was amazed at all the churches of theirs that he pointed to during our trip across the island, as he told me the name of the pastor and the year that the church was started.

Most of these churches were started as a direct result of a crusade that they had done in the area. I think that's a big deal. I'm beginning to think that there isn't much point in starting a church just for the sake of starting a church. These churches were started because there was suddenly a large influx of new believers that needed to be discipled, not because people weren't satisfied with the programs being offered by the church down the street. Oh, I'll step down from my soapbox now. Sorry.

Bonnie would very much like to have Impact Nations come to do a Journey of Compassion in his home town of Dipolog. When I asked if he would be able to gather some pastors for the training that's involved in a JOC, he told me that earlier this year he gathered 700 pastors for a conference in Dipolog. And based on the number of churches that he has, it looks as though any crusades that we did would result in even more new churches. This man truly has a heart for seeing the kingdom extended throughout Mindanao, and indeed the entire country of the Philippines.

On Wednesday we traveled about three hours south to a town called Ipil. I was warned by many of my friends here in Davao that Ipil is a very dangerous place. Truth be told, I don't think Ipil has been dangerous since the mid nineties, but they still have a reputation as a violent place where Muslim rebels are fighting for control. Regardless, I felt perfectly safe the whole time.

On Wednesday night about 80 pastors and bible students gathered at the church in Ipil for a night of worship and teaching. Guess who was teaching? Does it seem preposterous to anyone else that they had asked me to teach the pastors? It would have been easy to succumb to the enemy's lies that I had no business preaching to these men and women who had been in ministry much longer than me. Instead, I trusted that the Lord had given me something to share with them that would encourage them and build them up. Again, I didn't let on that I am not a preacher. I just got up there and delivered the message that the Lord had given me. We had an awesome night of worship and the response to my message was very encouraging. I was invited to come back and preach again soon.

I'll tell you more tomorrow. Cheerio for now!

Tim.

Busy Birth Room.....the academic side of ministry....

Greetings! This is last night's board. Yes, I had the privilege of working night shift and had a great time working with Carmen, Ate Ermie, Serena, Jenny and Rochelle. We definitely had work to do....no sleep, little rest, but healthy babies and happy ones, too!

This is the beautiful baby Jenny delivered at 11:04 pm....his momma was washing up and he needed to be held...I was resting and Jenny just plopped this little boy into my arms....he's really 'gwapo'....handsome.
And this is little John Mark Jr. with his delivering midwife, Rochelle...she is an intern and great midwife who is currently living in Costa Rica....just following the Lord's call wherever He desires for her and her family to go. I have so enjoyed getting to know Rochelle and her heart....she is a fantastic midwife and I was blessed to assist in her delivery of this beautiful boy! I wish she was staying longer than 5 weeks....I am really enjoying the assisting part of the birth.....I love that I am being taught these days...and by such great teachers like Rochelle, Ate Ermie and Ate Susan.

Little John Mark Jr. arrived at 11:01 pm....and between the two cubicles of baby 11:01 and baby 11:04, our supervisor, Ermie, was getting a work-out! It was a heavy, but great night and Ate Ermie delivered one more on this shift, too, all by herself....a baby girl....it was a tough birth and I got to be the gopher for that one.
Before my night shift, this was the sight from our apartment......the camera couldn't picture just how beautiful this was....but you get an idea....I love the sunsets here.....

And this is Josandre....the little muffin was born on my day shift Thursday morning. Again, I had the privilege of working with Rochelle and assisting in Tes' beautiful boy's birth.

And here is the lot of us.....Tes was a fantastic patient and though she tore and needed to be sutured, she was such a trooper.....she said that she needed to be strong because her bana (hubby) couldn't be there and wouldn't be able to see his son until October 17th! She said that she was going to be strong for him....we cried. She was beautiful. And ya know....

sometimes the mood of a certain shift is determined by the supervisor on duty...and I must say that Thursday's day shift was so peaceful, joyful, and full of grace because of this lady pictured above....This is Ate Susan....she is an INCREDIBLE teacher and an INCREDIBLE supervisor. Yes, she is holding a very WHITE plastic baby....Ahhh. (She was teaching me how to deep suction)

She spent a great deal of time with me Thursday morning teaching me all the ins and outs of assisting at a birth....from start to finish using all kinds of situations....I had already assisted in 6 births, but there was so much I wanted to learn. So Ate Susan taught me how to properly wrap the baby, deep suction (a tricky, but necessary action when the baby has thick meconium in its lungs or up its nose), and reminded me of all the things an assistant needs to remember in order to bless the delivering midwife. I was so grateful for her help and her compassion on me.....she is so approachable and easy to talk to .....she never makes you feel stupid or inept. She gently corrects on the spot when needed and points out the things that were done correctly. Her feedback is invaluable and I really appreciate her as a teacher. I feel so blessed to work under her, learn from her, and enjoy her quick wit, gorgeous smile and deep, deep love for the Lord. She makes my experience here a joy even in the hardest of times. God is faithful.

So that's been my week....I might've failed to mention the last post...I got an A on my first exam and I am busy working on the next assignment....please keep me in your prayers, I want to do well....God has been good. I am tired, but good....weary, but God has been really merciful to me.

Next post will be part 2 of Tim's journey, so stay tuned! Our internet has been down the last few days, but obviously it's back on, so he will be posting shortly!

Many blessings to you all!

Timmy's Tale Part I

I was supposed to write this earlier today, but I've been in a custody battle with my computer. It seems my hard drive is trying to take some of my files and run away to Mexico with them. I'm not sure what is wrong with my computer but it is behaving very strangely. Now before some of you give me the "Oh, how the mighty have fallen" speech, I'd like to point out that this is most likely a hardware problem, not a software problem. So I don't want to hear any anti-Mac sentiments out there.

Oh dear, I'm supposed to be telling you about my trip, but instead I've succumbed to using cheap prose to defend my MacBook's honor. A classic example of why my blog entries are always too long...Okay, about my trip:

I preached twice in Kidipawan on Sunday. The first service was difficult because they didn't provide a translator. By the end of that service, I was feeling terribly alone and mildly dejected. Right where the Lord wanted me I suspect. I had a few brief moments in my bedroom in the church basement after the service. The Lord suddenly started downloading love and acceptance onto me like I hadn't experienced it in a long time. Within minutes, all of the loneliness had left me and I was very aware of my standing with my Father.

By the time we reached the second church, my heart was so full of the Father's love, I could hardly stand it. I couldn't help but preach about being sons and daughters of the living God, and this time I had a translator. The response was very encouraging. This second church that I attended was made up of tribal people up in the mountains. They were celebrating Thanksgiving (not a national holiday here, but something that churches will celebrate at various times of the year), so many of the elders dressed in their tribal outfits and performed a traditional harvest dance. It was really neat to see them celebrate the Lord's goodness in their own unique way. I felt funny taking pictures because I was the guest speaker, but I couldn't help but take a few snapshots (see below).

On Monday morning I got in a car with three other men and traveled to a city called Dipolog. It is a thirteen hour drive across the entire island of Mindanao. We drove through the mountains during sunrise. The "highway" wound its way up and down the mountains like an inebriated snake that has lost its way. It took everything in me to keep from being sick. And yet the beauty was exquisite as the sun slowly pulled its way up out of a distant valley, casting a purple glow upon the morning fog. Never before have I felt such agony and bliss in the same moment...Oops, sorry, more cheap prose.

The driver that took us on our thirteen hour journey was crazy. He drove at very high speeds (at one point I caught him doing 140 km/hr) along roads that should have been replaced years ago. When driving through school zones, he actually sped up! We were nearly involved in three head-on collisions and countless other accidents. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one in the car who was experiencing an intense terror. The Filipino man sitting next to me exchanged several glances with me that suggested he was catching up on his prayer life as a result of our stunt driver.

In addition to the "aggressive" driving, there was lots of horn honking. Honking your horn regularly is expected, if not mandatory in this country. Having said that, thirteen hours of honking is a bit much. I did a bit of math. My conservative estimate is that our driver honked his horn 3000 times that day.

I'd like to tell you about my time on the other side of Mindanao, but I think I will leave it for the next installment. For now I will say thank you all for praying for me during my week away. I met some great people and hope to minister with them lots in the future. I learned more than I could have imagined, and though it was difficult at times, it was exactly what I needed. The Lord took me on my own journey and I am feeling more secure in Him than ever before. And my preaching improved too! I was very eager to get back to my lovely wife. And I appreciate her more now than ever.

Cheerio,
Tim

TIM IS HOME....and then...7 labors for 4 midwives...

Greetings! My love made it home Saturday night around 5 pm....it was soooo wonderful to see him!
I will let him share in posts later, but first....I have to tell you about my last two birth shifts.....

Swing shift Friday....2pm -10pm....after my exam (I think I did well, so thanks for praying), I headed downstairs to the birth room to find no labors, no postpartums....RATS, not again! I said to myself....but then I heard music....BAD music....Videoke...aka, Karaoke with video. It was coming from upstairs in the prenatal waiting room....

There they were, students, midwives and Filipina midwives singing songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s and doing 'interpretive dance'....it was hilarious.....a great way to spend swing shift.....we had a GAS!

We sang from about 5 pm until 10 pm laughing hysterically as each person (with the help of her friends....that means ALL of us) sang songs like "Wooly Bully", "American Woman", "Breathless", "It's in His Kiss"...some songs were even in Cebuano and for you Generation Xers...we even sang Michael W. Smith's "Place in this World"...complete with interpretive dancing...Filipinas sooo love their videoke! We could not stop laughing.

We decided that for every shift without patients, we need to sing...loud...with the microphones and the videoke machine.....I only got a few pics, but I will post more later when I get them from friends....

So that was swing on Friday....then came last night.....Saturday night shift.....

Check out the very first picture above.....yes, that is right....7 labors....every bed in the birth room full...ALL night....
There was no time to sleep, no time to rest, no time to get a bite to eat, no time to pee....only time to run to the next cubicle, take vital signs, chart, deliver, assist and check up on the beautiful babies being born! Three of the patients were ladies that I had the privilege of doing their prenatal exams! We were so excited to see eachother!

Three babies were born on our shift and instead of five to six midwives available, there were only four of us! So I got to assist in the birth of Jonna and my continuity, Ofelia (pictured first). She had a gorgeous baby boy named Prync and we had a great time praying for and with her during her labor.

The other picture below Ofelia is of Lois and Gaga....Lois is my dear friend and midwife who delivered Gaga's beautiful little girl....I also got to assist in her birth. Lois is an amazing midwife who just exudes excitement and peace all at the same time.

After assisting, I got to run from one cubicle to the next to assist in labor watching....busy. very busy....then at 6 am, we endorsed 4 labors that were sure to go at any time! Sunday day shift were both excited and mildly shocked at the volume of births....I wish my father-in-law had been there.....he commented on how quiet the clinic was during his visit (partly because we were short staffed), but I think he would've had a heart attack if he had been anywhere near the birth room last night!

I lumbered home....my feet were dragging on the pavement....I was SOOOO tired, drained and ready for my bed or a coffee.....I climbed our 36 stairs, fed the buns, drank some green tea, showered off and FELL into bed....to sleep 90 minutes and then head to church.....

I am so tired now.
But I am feeling so blessed, so thankful....but then again, it IS Canadian Thanksgiving! Thank you, Jesus for your provision of healthy babies and mommas on my shift and for your grace. Be blessed and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
PS. I found pumpkin! I made REAL pumpkin pie for Tim....it tastes...ummm....FAMILIAR! YEAH!

A busy, GOOD day....and an update on Tim!

This is Ida and baby Dinah.....Laura Hopper, a wonderful and beautiful midwife from Utah was interning a couple weeks ago and delivered this gorgeous, healthy baby girl. However, because Laura went home, I got to do Dinah's baby check-up! Ida even gave me a gift of a GIANT bag of Lanzones (a very wonderful tree fruit grown here in the Philippines!). We decided to share them with all the ladies that came in as well as the people down the street and the students....we had a very, very good day... eating lanzones and talking about the Lord. Krys (our director) was my supervisor today and when all was said and done, I had a great conversation about the amazing change Jesus has made in our lives with my friend and peer, Serena, ate curry for lunch (MMMMMmmmmmm), did three baby check-ups and assisted in the delivery of.........

A BABY! Yes, a REAL one.....I've had 5 empty birth shifts in a row...no babies, no labors and no postpartums, but today...I got to assist in the birth of Mira's baby boy. The clinic had to cut back on patients for the month of September because of so many new students and being short-staffed, but the dry season has come to an end and mommas are coming in ready to deliver!



This was our birthing team....in front is Serena, who was our gopher and observer...she was awesome! That's me...I got to assist...cut the cord, bulb suction, give Apgar scores, take heart tones, give oxytocin, take blood pressure....the works...and in the back is Medea who delivered this precious boy. Mira now has TWO boys (called lalakes here....sounds like 'la-la-key'). She labored well and even came into the clinic already at 10 centimeters dilation! Baby came at 10:28 am and by 1 pm, Mira felt like she was ready to go home! What a blessing to be a part of her momentous occasion. God is so good.

As for Tim, he met with a contact who owns a rubber plantation to discuss the possibility of doing business with Impact Nations to provide for and bless the poor in the area. He said the meeting was intense, long, and tiring and starting a rubber plantation would cost 5 million pesos (about $100,000 CDN)! Be praying.....God can do anything.

He also said he got a tour of the city of Ipal and that tonight, his new friend, Joshua, is taking him to the hills to see the city at night!

Then tomorrow, he will start preaching again and then begin his trek home.....oh, the looooonnnnnnggg bus ride. Thankfully, he will have a companion from Dipolog who will accompany him. That blesses me.

Please continue to pray for Tim as he finishes up his last full day there in Dipolog...and please pray that the Lord protects him as he travels home....

Thank you for praying for me, too....I am feeling SOOOOO much better....not quite 100%, but definitely on the way!

Tonight, I think I am going to make a pumpkin pie in honor of Canadian Thanksgiving just for Tim. I even have REAL Ocean Spray (tee hee) in the can cranberry sauce! However, a stuffed chicken will have to do...turkeys are not really around here. :) However, we could have ostrich!

Thank you all again for the comments, encouragements and blessings....keep 'em coming...thanks mum and mom for keeping us in your prayers and letting us know that you are reading.....Be blessed.

Update on Tim Part Quatro!

Greetings! I have some good news! No it's not about Tim, but I will get to that....but....

Today in prenatals, I got to pray with a lovely lady (pictured above) who is expecting her very first baby and at the end of the prayer, I got to tell her that I could be her midwife! She is now my third continuity! Her name is Remy and she is 28 years old.....her baby is due December 4th and she is so incredibly nervous.....nervous about labor, pain, C-section....the works. So sitting on my prenatal bed (pictured above), I got to pray for the Lord to give her and her husband peace....that He would calm her fears and give her joy in her pregnancy....that He would keep her strong and healthy....

It was such a blessing to have an instant connection with her....28 years old is considered 'OLD' to have a baby in the Philippines, so I shared a bit about me being 26, married for 5 years without any babies....it was of some encouragement to her.

One of the amazing things about prenatals today was that I heard her baby's heart beat with the FETASCOPE! Let me explain why this is sooooo awesome....I have been using my doppler to hear the fetal heart tones because I couldn't hear with the fetascope as a result of my deaf ear, but I decided that I needed to try to hear them again.....I prayed for listening ears and VOILA! I heard the heart beats! PRAISE THE LORD! God is so good.....so pictured above is all the tools I need for my prenatal exam....the fetascope, the doppler, the tape measure, the buntis' medical chart, a black pen, a cotton cover sheet and (not pictured), tissue and doppler gel. It was a good day.

It was also a good day for Tim, too! He shared today that the loneliness he had been feeling has completely gone as he has felt the presence of the Lord so strong.....he says that He feels like he isn't lonely because he is resting in the house of the Lord.....in His Father's house....that blessed me to hear.

Tonight he spoke to the pastors in Dipolog about resting in the Father's house and the joy and privilege we have of coming before the throne with such an incredible relationship with God....we are His children.....He loves it when we spend time with Him in His house. He also had an opportunity to do what he does best and loves most.....worship.

He texted me in a frantic wanting to know the lyrics to the verses of "Be the Center" and "Hungry"....after texting, I didn't here anything else....so I assume he was leading right then! :)
He says that he might be home Saturday night which is poopy for me as I work Saturday night and don't arrive home until Sunday morning! BUT...I will get to see him soon. That makes me happy.

He said his health has been good and that he is only experiencing occasional LBM. So that's good. As for my health....still plugging along....feeling stronger everyday and have come to the resolve that God knows what's going on and I don't have to figure it out....I can only do what I can.

Tomorrow's another birth room shift and then review class for my exam on Friday....please be praying and continue to comment! Be blessed!

My Tim Part Trois....

Michelle, Holly and Sarah.....
Heather, Serena, Jes, Naomi.....
The Birthday girl, Janelle....
Me, Janelle, Stephanie and Krys (our director and mentor)
My dear naturopath, Dr. Zickler.....


Greetings! Sorry for the jumbled posting....read on. :)

Tim is still presently in Dipolog....his new friends designated today a day of 'rest'.....but Tim managed to make more connections and meet interesting people anyway! As I am writing this, Tim is meeting with a "big wig" in the federal police! Apparently he gave Tim his 'card' and had a great conversation....Tim was pretty excited about that.....it is always good to get the federal government on your side! :) Tim is sure good at that kind of stuff....

I was able to TALK (not text) on the phone with Tim last night and he shared that he has definitely been stretched this week....in more ways than one....

Tim is not a fan of durien or fish and I should mention that he never really eats breakfast either....but his first morning with his new friends, he woke up to a giant plate of fried eggs....six of them to be exact....he thought he was to SHARE them with the other men in the church, but they communicated to him that those were HIS eggs....so out of polite gratitude, Tim polished the plate of eggs off....then headed outside to hang out with the men who apparently had not had breakfast yet.

No sooner did he get outside that they were all ushered in for 'breakfast'.....Tim included. Still green from the 6 fried eggs, Tim politely sat BEHIND the table as if to communicate that he was full from his earlier breakfast....but the men pressured him in love to sit with them at the table and eat....and eat....and eat.....fish and white rice....durien.....ahhh. Tim was ready to explode......

This seemed to be quite the pattern as no sooner did they finish breakfast that they headed out to get some more durien....the excuse was made that it was a 'different kind of durien'. I had to laugh. There have been many silly and wonderful experiences he has been having along the journey. He is feeling encouraged.

Tim was also asked to speak to the pastors in Dipolog tomorrow, too! But first, he is traveling to the city of Ipil...leaving at 6 am. They will probably stop four or five times on the way for some durien! :)

As for me, still dealing with the infection, but I am feeling encouraged and as though God is handling it....I had a wonderful e-mail conversation with my naturopath in Vancouver today as well and I have to tell you....I have the MOST AMAZING naturopath! She has been such an encouragement and is so willing to help in any capacity she can....if you need a naturopath and are in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, look up Dr. Nicole Zickler (that's her in the picture above) at the Family Health Center in Langley.....she is AMAZING...a midwife and naturopath extraordinaire! God has used her mightily in my life. I am so grateful.

The other pics are of my class care group night over here at our house. We celebrated Janelle's 19th Birthday and had a time of fellowship....sharing our frustrations and struggles...our blessings and joys.....good times.

Tomorrow I begin four days straight of prenatals and birth room shifts, but I also have class on Thursday and my first exam on Friday! So please be praying for energy, grace and remembrance of everything I have learned thus far for my exam as well as a fresh outpouring of His Spirit that I can pass it on to my patients this week! Thank you, thank you for your help and your prayers! WHOOO HOOOO!

Please also pray protection for Tim....I miss him. Pray that he continues to feel encouraged and that he passes that encouragement on to whomever he comes into contact with....may he reek of Jesus and by His power, pass the joy, healing, peace, and love the Father so desires to show them. Amen!

Please keep commenting because I pass them on to Tim via text messaging and he loves getting them! Be blessed!