Typhoons and Candellight births

I thought I'd take a break from Wordless Wednesday(even though it's been awhile since I posted) today. It's been a bit crazy around here since last Monday(a week and a half ago). Monday morning Typhoon Megi came sweeping her rage though Tabuk. She dumped TONS of rain and blew trees down with her mighty wind. In one of the villages we do out reach to she flattened about twenty homes, and took off roofs and walls from countless others.
Since she came though we haven't had electricity, and it could be at least another week to a month or two before they get all the lines and everything fixed. We do have a generator at the clinic, but we've had to do two births by candlelight already because the generator has some issues.
It's also been difficult to work on assignments because of the lack of electricity. Though there is a gas station down the street that has a good generator(good enough to run the AC even!!) and internet, so I've been spending quite a bit of time down here.
We've had a couple of girls from Davao here this month. It's been a lot of fun having them here and I'll be sad to see them go next week.
Well, I hope this update finds you all doing well!
~sara~

Wordless Wednesday

In honor of Autumn

Things morning during my quite time I was reading a book by Brennan Manning. He wrote this,

"L0rd, have I ever thanked you for your north wind? If I haven't, I do so now. You must've known I was saturated with summer. This morning I walked out and your blithe north wind bit my cheek and tangled my hair and sent me scurrying to the warmth of the waiting car, accompanied by the cats, prancing and dancing down the walk, as if heralds of your wind from the north. L0rd, your north wind delights me, invigorates me, renews me. It invites me to walk faster, breathe more deeply, look more closely. It brings a wine-red promise of crisp cold nights bright with stars, frosted windows and warm beds heaped high with fluffy blankets. L0rd, it even has a different smell, as though along the way to me it pick up bits and pieces o spruce and fir and juniper and tar and salty seas, mountain lakes and spices. I know, L0rd, that to some your bright north wind brings only the promise of hard, deep cold and pain. And I ask you, L0rdm to warm them and to comfort them. But as for me, my L0rd, I give you praise and thanks, honor and glory and blessing for the sheer joy and exuberance of your playful north wind this morning."

I really miss fall! I miss the crisp, cool air. I miss the spice that can be smelt. I miss the fields of drying corn, the sound of combines working late into the night. I miss seeing apple orchards with trees ready for picking. I miss the pumpkin patches. I miss the candy corn and pumpkins. I miss the all the beautiful leaves of many colors on the trees. I miss walking on crunchy leaves scattered across the walk. I miss raking leaves. I miss have a bonfire with good friends, roasting marshmallows for s'mores. I really miss fall! So, I ask that you will enjoy autumn just a little bit more than usual this year for me.

 (Thank you Christina for letting me steal your picture! ;) Gotta love sisters!!)

Wordless Wednesday

(not so) Wordless Wednesday

Ok, ok. I know what you are thinking. It is Wordless Wednesday, so why are you writing something? Well, I wanted to put up a picture of one of the chicken families that roams our yard, but I couldn't post the picture without telling the story behind it. So, here it goes.

Meet the "mama" of these three "babies". Now, you need to understand that this "mama" really isn't these chicken's mama, though she gets VERY upset if you tell her that. you see, there is another hen that meanders through the yard that is really their mama. I am pretty sure that this white hen chick-napped these chickens when they were still babies. You see the one on the right there? She looks EXACTLY like the other hen in our yard. And don't tell Whitey this, but those chicks are really too pretty to be hers.
Ok, so not only is this hen a chick-napper, but she has also got some mothering issues. You see, she won't let these chickens grow up. The are almost the same size as her and they still sleep underneath her. The don't even sound like chickens! They still chirp like little baby chickies!! It's ridiculous really.
The other day one of the neighbors hens was in our yard. She had three super tiny chicks(I'm pretty sure they had hatched just that day) and I told her that she had such beautiful babies. I didn't realize Whitey was standing there until she clucked at me, started for a bit and then huffed off! Really, I wish you could have been there, she truly huffed off. It was SO funny!!

Well, anyway. I could tell you more about this hen and her mothering issues, but it's really just something that you need to observe for yourself. But, I hope you enjoyed this little bit. =D

A real update!!

Ok. It's been awhile since I did an actual real update. So, I'm going to tell you a little bit about life here in Tabuk through pictures. I hope you enjoy them!! =D

I'm going to take you to the market first...

Ok, we need to take a tricey to the market. A tricey is a motorcycle with an attached side car. It should cost about 10 pesos to get to the market.

Today we are buying veggies.
How does egg plant and ampalaya(bitter cucumber) sound?

Maybe we'll stop for some buko(young coconut) juice!

Not quite sure what these fruit are, but BOY are they sour!!

Ok, you convinced me. We'll get some chocolate dipped frozen bananas. Mmmmm!!

Now that we're back home, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of the amazing Filipino midwives that I live with. This is Anie and Marivic. Both are super sweet and great midwives!

Ok, Hairy. I'll introduce you too.

Kayla and I are both from Iowa. It's super cool having a roommate from the same state! Anyway. We decided we wanted to have a garden(though we both forgot to bring sweetcorn seeds!! What kind of Iowans are we anyway?!?!) We had to buy a bunch of tools in order to clear an area for our garden. 

This is the area we selected. It wasn't quite ideal, but it was the only part of the yard that doesn't flood. We hired a couple of guys to clear the area because we've got so much studying to do. It took them only three days to finish! And they cleared a TON of rocks(some nearly the size of a small boulder). 

This is some of the beauty that surrounds us. 

This was the sunset just a few nights ago. I wish you could have seen it in person, the photo doesn't nearly do it justice. 

So, Kayla brought this super cool cup with her, and I have to say, it's one of my favorites!!

The other day we decided to go down to the only coffee house to study all day. This is called a Chico River Mocha. Oh! It was delish!! 

This was a sad day here in Tabuk. Our french press died. =( We continued using it for about a week, but then the glass started falling into the coffee. We decided it probably wouldn't be very healthy to drink a bunch of glass with our coffee.

You can now call Kayla and I official wedding crashers. Sunday we went to church and met one of the doctors that runs a private hospital here. She took us to the hospital for a tour and then invited us to a wedding she was going to. 

We both ended up having to participate in a traditional dance. It was quite a bit different than when I danced at a wedding in Ind!a because it is just one guy and one girl dancing together. 

Everyone was so excited that we were willing to participate. It's so fun to be able to really embrace a new culture and the people. 

The father of the bride showed us his garden. He was really happy that we were there and wanted to see what he does in his "leisure time".

He even told us where we can get a bunch of mulch for our garden!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know where I live a bit. It's kind of hard to really show you the beauty that is here. Tabuk is a pretty laid back city and I love the people here!

Wordless Wednesday (Emmaus)

Wordless Wednesday (eyes)

Outreach 8/20

Each Friday we go to a village for outreach. Each outreach consists of a few things... Teaching, devotional, pr@yer and prenatal checks. Yesterdays outreach was VERY busy! I'm not sure how many prenatal checks we did, but most of them were initials.
I helped Kayla(she's a second year students and my roommate) with the checks she was doing. The first mama was really sweet. She had two little girls already. They were maybe about 2 and 4.

I AM

I was regretting the past

and fearing the future.

Suddenly my Lord was speaking!

"My name is I AM!"

He paused. 

I waited. He continued.

"When you live in the past 

with mistakes and regrets,

it is hard. I Am not there.

My name is not I WAS.

When you live in the furture

with it's problems and fears

it is hard. I AM not there.

My name is not I WILL BE.

When you live in this moment

it is not hard. I AM here.

My name is I AM!"

Living by Promise

Cling to the promise of provision.

You said.

So I cling.

I will provide for your needs.

You said.

So I wait.

I will not let you down.

You said.

So I trust.

___________________________________

Living on support is not easy. Hardly a day goes by when I don't worry about how I will pay for one thing or another. But somehow God always provides. As I have been worrying about money again throughout this week, God has been bringing up many passages about Him providing. Yesterday it was a verse that is taped to some shelves in my room. I'd been meaning to read it for a few days, but for some reason I hadn't yet, even though I get things from it every day. Today it was a verse taped to the wall in the postpartum room at the clinic. Earlier in the week it was a passage I read in my quiet time. I know that God will provide because He has promised me He will. So, I will cling, I will wait and I will trust.

The Miracle of Life

What a beautiful thing it is to see a new little life come into this world!

This morning Crystal and I had planned to go walking early in the morning before it got hot. We met downstairs around 6:30, both of us excited to go. But not too long before that a woman in labor had come to the clinic. B-lyn thought mama was ready to push, so we stayed. And what a great thing to miss a walk for! :D
At 7:04 a little baby girl entered this world! And I was there to see it!! :D Oh! What a perfect, beautiful baby she is. Below are a few pictures, though they don't do her justice.

Isn't she just beautiful?

3.11 Kgs

Daddy with his little baby girl

Abundant Grace Maternity Clinic

Ok. So, I've been meaning to post these pictures for a few days now, and I was going to yesterday but decided to do my post on India's Independence Day instead. So, anyway. Here's a few pictures of where I am now living, studying and working!! ENJOY!!

This is the front of the clinic/house

The office

The Delivery Room

Prenatal and Postpartum rooms

One of the three posters with many of the babies that were born here

Just a few of the books I have to read

Harry the clinic dog. He's really super sweet

Driving over the rice that was drying on the highway

One of the Filipino midwives doing some teaching in Highway Pakak

Just a few of the sweet little kids in the village

This baby had SO much hair!!!