Stories from 2016

Stories from 2016

Act justly; love mercy; walk humbly with your God I have been in Cambodia a year now, so I thought it might be nice to write down and share a couple of stories.  It has a been a very special year; full of ups and downs. In the sweetness, and in the hurt, God's faithfulness and His presence has been constant. He has become my joy and my hope--even when the bizarre, the celebratory, and when the heart-breaking situations arise.  Being part of these times have encouraged me into a deeper love for God and people. May they encourage you as well... So here we go...some stories (All names have been changed to respect the privacy of the individuals) Born to be loved... Peter was born prematurely into a life of injustice. Born to be loved and cherished, he faced the reality of a broken world from his first breath. When I first  met Peter in a Battambang Hospital, I saw a scrawny little thing laying on a broken baby warmer, still wrapped in a birth and urine soaked cloth, with ants crawling around having been attracted by the filth. At that point I did not fully understand the situation surrounding Peter and his birth-- but what I did know was this: that even though this little man had a low chance of survival, God spoke to me that he was "a fighter". I stayed the night with him in the hospital; monitoring him and doing Kangaroo care.  He made it through the night. It turns out that Peter was born to a very young, single mom as a result of abuse inflicted upon her. The family, for various personal and cultural reasons, did not want to keep the baby.  In a desperate situation, the family was considering selling him or giving him away... however they could, they wanted to get rid of this unexpected and unwanted baby boy. Our ministry got involved with this family through neighbors and friends in the community.  We journeyed alongside this family-- offering options, prayer, counselling, and monitoring baby Peter. The decision was finally made... a local, known, and trust-worthy organization received Peter for future adoption. He would be in a place that was safe, where he would be taken care of, and his needs as a premature baby would be met. After some time had passed, a member of our team had the chance to see Peter one more time, and he was almost unrecognizable! Tiny Peter was alert, with meat on his bones at last...a "little fighter" indeed! Peter was born to be loved-- to know his worth, value, and the love of his Father. He continues to be in my prayers. The family, caught in a time of desperation and shame, with social and cultural pressures facing them, were forced to make some very difficult and tough decisions. But through this time, they witnessed compassion and the love of God.   A God at work When I met Na, she was a very closed off individual, and difficult to get to know. She was shy, depressed, and angry. She had lived a difficult life full of hurt, and was now pregnant, the mother of a young toddler, struggling with addictions, and living on the sidewalk. Smiles from Na were beautiful, but rare. We supported and journeyed with Na throughout her pregnancy, however her situation wasn't so strait forward, and things were very difficult. And yet, through it all, God was at work in her life(He still is!): bringing His compassion, joy, conviction, hope, and truth.  Throughout her pregnancy care there was a change within Na.  She smiled more. She talked more. I can remember very clearly, late in her pregnancy, there was a time of joking around with her...laughing easily! The presence of God is powerful in bringing change to our heart's. God was bringing conviction to her life... she came to us, asking for help to make right a decision she had made. Na was from a province on the border of Laos-- quite far away from Battambang. And yet, a woman who came to volunteer with our ministry happened to come from the same place! Na had the opportunity to hear the gospel in her mother tongue, being encouraged, and challenged, by the Word of God. God is at work in the world, and in our lives; reconciling people to Himself. It is a privilege (not one without its struggles and joys) to see our Mighty God bringing Himself into the situations and lives where we minister.    God was there. Once a week I go to the local government hospital and work a shift in the Delivery ward. One day was particularly difficult. After assisting in a beautiful birth of a healthy baby boy, I turned my attention to the commotion that was going on behind me. A woman was having a vacuum assisted delivery that wasn't going well.  The baby boy came out and needed immediate resuscitation. Because of a number of factors at that time, he couldn't get the immediate help he needed. After fighting for his life and performing resuscitation, we finally had to stop and commit him to the Lord. I found myself in the difficult situation of wrapping up his body, and communicating with his mother that her son didn't make it.  I was there to support her as she grieved and asked the questions "why?", not having all the answers but answering back with the truths of Christ. Much that happened that day made me angry. Selfishly, I was angry that I had to be the one left resuscitating; the one to tell this lady that her son never took a breath; angry that equipment wasn't ready; that there weren't enough trained personnel around; that nothing was prepared; that this baby was alive and well, but once delivered, never took his first breath; that a lady wasn't allowed to cry over her son or say goodbye. However, in the delivery room, as things were wrapping up and being cleaned up, I asked God what was going on. And he showed me the eyes of every one in the room: the head midwife, the student midwife, the father of the baby, the grandmother, the mother.  EYES The midwife: eyes that were detached...running away from the situation The student: eyes full of fear The father: eyes that looked away and would't focus The grandmother: suppressed grief...eyes that were in pain The mother: questioning eyes... so much pain, grief, and pleading The baby: the baby's eyes were the midwife's indicator to stop resuscitation They all were eyes without the knowledge of their Heavenly Father.  When I questioned God, "what is going on?" "where were you?" "why was I there?" this is what the Lord was saying: "...you were there for a reason. When they looked in your eyes they saw Me; they saw My love.  You may not understand everything, but I was there.." This stands true--I do not understand the full essence of "why", but God was there in the labour ward that day. That family heard of the hope in Christ, and of the God who hears their cries to him.   Serving in this ministry, one thing that I have been learning is to notice and value the individual; not knowing someone by the messiness of their lives, but by the value they have as individuals made in the image of God. I am so grateful to be living here, and being able to learn from, and serve these families.  Thank you for your prayers and support! With love, Rachel Mother's Journey is currently fundraising! $150 USD covers the cost of a woman to receive quality maternal healthcare and support during her pregnancy, delivery, and recovery period. For more information on Mother's Journey, click here To donate financially, click here.

Life Right Now

View this email in your browser LIFE AS IT IS I hope this email finds you well! Thinking about the past 3 months, I thought that there would be no way that I could condense everything in a nicely-packed, short email to you all. So, since a picture is worth a thousand words(that's what 'they' say, at least), I figured pictures would do a much better job in conveying life and ministry here in Battambang...  MOTHER'S JOURNEY; THE TEAM This is us! Our team includes counselors, midwives, and Health teachers.  CONNECTING. Here we are meeting with representatives of the ministry of social affairs who oversee the communities/areas which we work in. As a small team and new ministry, we try to work closely with other organizations and within the systems already set in place.  HEALTHCARE TEACHINGS. Starting in September we got our Heath teachings up and running! Often these are fun times of discussion and learning as women come together learning, asking, playing games, and talking about life. Topics include the needs of a child, family planning, weaning foods, germs and sickness, women's health, nutrition.. and many others. HOME VISITS. We provide community based midwifery care, going to homes for ANC check ups, and Postpartum checks HOSPITAL SHIFTS. Shifts have been going well at the local hospital! Walking into the doors, I never know what will happen that day... easy labors, natural deliveries, vacuum deliveries, c-section observations, resuscitations, learning skills from midwives here, drawing pictures with a 5 year old, learning old khmer songs, folding bandages, ANC care... Some days are busy, and others include hours of chatting the staff room with the staff there FAMILY. My parents came to visit me! It was a special to have them come, and we had lots of fun exploring my new stompin' grounds HOSPITAL. Here is a picture to give you a bit of an idea of what the Labour&Delivery unit is like here! THANKSGIVING. Such a delightful holiday! Thank you God for life, You with us, family, friends, trees, and stars. YWAM BATTAMBANG. Our campus buildings are almost finished! These buildings will be used for classrooms (for the training schools offered), living accommodations, and facilities for gatherings and events. Also, the Youth Development Center (offers english, computer, and music classes)  will start up here! Thank you for your prayers and support! Sending much love your way... Rachel

Friendly Hello

A FRIENDLY HELLO FROM ME TO YOU!

Day-to-Day Life here in Battambang is full! My Dad came to visit me for the weekend during a business trip to Malaysia, and he mentioned that time seems to stand still here—and that is exactly what it does feel like! Days are long and full—it feels as if I have already been here for a year, not merely two months.  My typical day includes: Khmer language study with a tutor, self-study, and randomly trying to find people to talk to; classes, meetings, and teaching English at the ‘Youth Development Center’ here.  I also eat food…..rice. I eat lots of rice--and soup. I spend my evenings hanging out with people; drinking tea; reading; prepping for teaching English class; looking at stars. Language has been :[fun+frustrating+hilarious+encouraging+confusing]...all in one.  The other day I went out to pick up some ginger from the market, and I had a full conversation with the seller!  I was also able to translate a story for a friend, and wrote my first Khmer sentences this past month.  I’m trying to celebrate the little language accomplishments….  A highlight from class was this past week, when we learnt about what it means to be a person of integrity.  It was very challenging and got me thinking a lot about how I live and act and speak…being a person of integrity in small decisions, as well as big ones. Ministry We had a week in which our schedule went "out the window,"and we joined full-time with one of the YWAM ministries here. In the afternoons I continued to teach Level 12 English, but in the mornings I joined the ‘Women at Risk Ministry.'  This is the ministry I’ll be joining in the near future, so it was really nice to get to know the other women better and be able to share our visions, and what God has been speaking. We cleaned out a room/ space that will be a centre  for counselling, antenatal visits, meetings, prayer ministry, etc... We also went to a local slum to check up on some babies and visit with their families, as well as try to visit some pregnant ladies at the prison--  a potential future ministry opportunity.  I  helped with breast feeding and postnatal care at a crisis pregnancy house and was heavily involved with a young mom and her little premature baby boy who was eventually transferred to Phnom Penh for adoption. Teaching English has been going well—we had final exams and most of my students passed. Yay! For the next month, I will be teaching a Basic Healthcare Class. I am super excited about this! Excitement! Fun Tid-bits from life… My Dad came to visit for a weekend! It was a wonderful time full of talks, bike rides, fruit, movies, breakfasts and devotions. My heart was happy. My two friends got married! We had fun celebrating them at their wedding—dressing up, dancing, and eating interesting food! Two friends and I made a raft and brought it out to a big pond. It was so much fun. Yay for boats! I had the privilege of helping support my friend in labour.  Still learning what it looks like to “do” life here, but I am happy and content. Thank you for all your prayers and support! Sending much love your way… Rachel