Normally the wait is 9 months. But an adoptive family often waits for years. And that without knowing what the outcome will be.

Christian has been matched to a family in Australia. His family is friends with the family who adopted Mary from us earlier this year. They found out about Christian a couple of weeks ago, and are just waiting for the phone call saying they can come get him.

Today we received a package from them containing a photo album of Christian's new family and their home. This footage is literally Christian's first encounter with his new Mummy and Daddy, sister and other relatives.

Each birth is special

What a joy it is to assist a couple in the birth of their child. This morning two midwives, Grace and Lornie, were with Alice and Romeo as their fourth child was born.

Jade Hansen is a little guy at 6#4 oz but a cute, healthy baby. Alice's labor and birth was very quick, going from 4cm to birth in 45 minutes--making both mom and midwives very happy. Shiphrah Bahay Paanakan is glad to say that we have been there for Alice and Romeo as all four of their children were born. We thank the Lord for blessing the midwives yet again.

We've known Norma for years. She's a well-known seamstress in the area and has sewn things for us on all sorts of occasions. Sara's dress for Joel and Jena's wedding. But now we have her and her husband (and his brother) making bags for the little children's home.

This blog is long over-due. But little Amber's new family is from right here in the Philippines. Many of you will have heard us talk about Amber. She came into the home two months premature, six months ago. She was extremely vulnerable and spent her first two months with us in isolation. (Do a search in this blog for other stories on Amber.)

Mike and Winnie live in Cavite, just a bit south of Manila. We had them over for lunch and hope that we will get to see them again as they don't live as far away as most of you do.

An adoptive family is a big family. We feel, when a family comes here to take one of our children to their home, as if they are joining the team at the little children's home. Here are Marisa and Merlinda, Mamarlyn and Antonia, four of the caregivers who have been there for Amber since she was newborn. They are flanking Mike and Winnie who hold Amber now. (On the far right is Tara, the social worker with the Department of Social Welfare and Development who facilitated the match.) Welcome to the tlc family.

Kholberg's term for it is 'genera-tivity.' When I met with Edith today to discuss her plans for retirement she said, "If it comes time for me to leave the little children's home, you don't need to have a party for me. Instead, let's help those who really need it." And she told me about the dire situation of one of our workers' sister. Edna is Marivic's sister. Her husband died some years ago from an accident doing dynamite fishing off the shore of Cavite. This is hardly an honorific way to die, but Edith's concern was all for Edna and the children she is trying to support without a regular income. "She works very hard and has a good attitude," she said; "If you need to hire another employee, you should hire her."

When Edith was a young woman, she attended Bible School out of obedience to her eldest brother. "For Filipinos, the kuya is like a second father; I didn't want to disobey him." Gradually, she began to learn the Bible and to discern God's call on her life.

She spent nine years working in the remote, mountainous regions of Camarines Norte, pioneering house churches where there were only very few established churches, far apart.

Then she describes a transitional experience in her life. She took care of a young girl who had an ovarian cyst and then died of cancer two years later. She is trained as a pastor and was closest to the girl who died, so the pastor in charge asked her to preach at the funeral. But she said, "I felt as if someone was choking me; I could not preach because I love her."

After going through a number of employment and ministry situations, she came to work with us in January of 1994 as a careworker. She will be obligated to retire in January this next year, after 13 years of service, because she is turning 65. I asked her what she feels God is calling her to now and she said, "God is not finished with me yet." She hopes to work again in church support. Many of her former students and associates are working in church leadership.

She described a dream she had while she was pioneering house churches in the Bicol mountains. It was kaingin, when people chop down the tall grass in preparation for planting crops. This has been the image of her life, preparing the soil for the work that God will do in the lives of others. How many children have first-experienced God's love for them in Edith's arms?

More Pari

Here, as promised, are more Pari pictures as well as clips from her recent emails. Pari trained as a midwife with us several years ago while her husband was getting his Master's of Divinity at the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary just down the road from the Birthing Home. If any readers feel you would like to get some financial help to Pari, you can send it to us and we will see that she gets it. We wish to stand with this lady any way we can. Again, "Nay" is the Tagalog word for "mom". This picture is of the twins she speaks of in her email that follows. Pari is on the right.

Dear Nay, How are you? Nay God bless my paanakan
and last July7 Ideliver twins, which is doctor said
they need in operation, but God is so good for the poor
people. They don't have any money. Nay my husband stop
teaching in his Bible school because our family lack of
finance,we sale our rice field and he plan to go to work
Malaysia. He love teaching but we don't know what to do.
Nay our world is very hard only we can feel the peace,
when we are in the heaven, but we will try our best in here.
Nay here is my favorite verse for you Deuteronomy 10:18
said He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow.
Nay we pray for you many times.I have more patients more
than before. I hope I can do it.

God bless you, Sister in Christ Pari

Pari: Myanmar Midwife

We, along with the rest of the world, have been following recent events in Myanmar with grief at the unrestrained violence the ruling junta used against their own people; people seeking to express their frustration at fuel prices gone arbitrarily mad and a legally elected government held hostage by military power. As events in Yangon were unfolding, our thoughts turned to a courageous midwife in the northern part of the nation who, day in and day out, serves the poor, of whom she is one, with commitment and skill. We've written about Pari before. In a country that is bleeding, she brings hope to her small corner. Subsequent posts will be pictures we've received from Pari along with excerpts from her emails. Yes, she can email occasionally. It's expensive, each email costing her money, but she is hungry for contact with the world outside. Of her room that you see in her photo, she says:

Dear Nay (the Filipino word for Mom) this is my patients picture,
and she gave me. My room is length 15' and wide 5'. It is very good
to work in my house. God is soo good.

Love. Pari