The Long-awaited update...

from the far-side of the planet. I'd like to say how sorry I am that it has taken so long for me to put an update on here.

I'm sitting at home, and it's very quiet around here as only Ate Christina and I are here. Christina is our housekeeper who comes twice a week for a few hours to do light cleaning. For those of you who might think we are lazy in the house, and need someone to come in and clean up after us, stop it. Right now. Let me explain. In the house we have teams, and each team rotates to a new responsibility on Monday. One team will cook dinner and do all the grocery shopping for the week, another team will sweep/mop inside as well as dust/take garbage out everyday, while yet another team cleans the bathrooms, and finally the last team sweeps/mops our large patio. These responsibilities are carried out just before dinner time everyday, so our house actually stays quite clean. It's very common to have a housekeeper or helper here in the Philippines. Ate (an expression of respect for women) Christina is a blessing to us, coming in to do miscellaneous things around the house.

It's been really super-duper hot lately during the day, with thunder-lightening storms a regular occurance in the evenings. The lightening is quite spectacular, almost unlike anything I've ever seen before in my life (that's saying a lot coming from a girl who grew up in Colorado). I realized the other day that taking cold showers has seemed especially excruciating lately. At first, it was really cold for a few seconds, but then you got used to it. Now, it's nearly excruciating through the entire shower. I've come to the conclusion that it's because my body has adjusted to the heat, so anything and everything cold seems colder than when I lived in a colder climate. Strange, huh!

Okay, on to more important things. I caught my 10th baby early this morning, at 2:36am. It was by far the longest, hardest labor any of my patients have had. She pushed for nearly 1hr and 51 minutes, and to say that I wasn't sending prayers heavenward would be a gross understatement. I think I've caught more baby boys than baby girls, which is not uncommon here. I'm really enjoying working in the birth room, labor watching/supporting, catching babies, learning from the other midwives, and catching some zzzz's here and there when I can. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my skills and abilities, while still keeping in mind that I'm still very early in my learning. Midwifery is a "think outside the box" type of profession (for lack of a better term), as each mama that walks through our doors is so unique. I'm challenged daily by this concept daily, learning to not make any presumptions about how I think a labor will go or how long she will push, etc. When the Lord prompts you to pray for me, add a prayer for the women and families that we serve. Pray for their salvation, safety, protection, and wisdom in caring for their little ones.

Well, my bed is calling me once again for a nap. My little eyes didn't close until 5:40am, so I'm pretty much exhausted. The girls will be home soon! I will share more later! I love and miss you all more than you can know. Thank you so much for your prayers!