Jumping in

Hey everybody! This is probably going to be super short, but I just wanted to say hey, I'm in Zambia, and I delivered my first baby on October 9th! She was wonderfully healthy and beautiful, see here :)

I don't get on the internet very often, but here's a little rundown of what has been going on. Every weekday we cram in a bus and go to The University Training Hospital, about 20 minutes away from the compound where we're staying (but with traffic about an hour). We split up into groups and rotate each day between the labour ward, admissions, and antenatal/postnatal. There are also teams each day that go to a smaller clinic to work with the midwives there, and also to a neighboring village to do teachings for a group of local women! They come out twice a week and are so keen to learn anything and everything healthcare, the basics really, and they in turn go and teach others. It's a beautiful thing! 

Every single day is chalk full of new experiences. Trusting in and relying on an invisible God, whose gentle and capable hands hold all of my questions and doubts and fears and hurts. There have been a lot of those lately, but He is so good. Ive been pondering a lot lately on what it means to be vulnerable, what it means to suffer for His name, and what He wants these next 8 months to look like for me. I'm still asking :).

I'm sorry that's all I can get out for now, but thank you for praying and thinking of me! Bless you!

Grace

No word comes to mind but joy!

Bless the name of the Lord!

I cannot stop thanking God for all He has done for me. He has come through yet again, in an overwhelming way! On Wednesday night our base had "commissioning night" where all the schools who are about to go on outreach are presented and prayed over and commissioned into the nations. Counting in various pledges, I was still in need of $450. My leaders and I had been praying that all of my finances would come in that night. And wouldn't you know it, by the end I was completely covered for outreach fees. God is amazing! What's more, on Friday I discovered I had received an additional $1,613. You know what that means? This girl can get a plane ticket home :). I am so relieved and blessed to not have to fund-raise for that during outreach. God is so good you guys. He has rewarded me beyond measure.

Shout out to that cool guy I know named Derek who sent me a new camera:

Hehe

An Eveleth mother puts twice the amount of chocolates in one box
AND writes in labels identifying what is what.

Some of my lovely house mates on Commissioning Night!

To put a beautiful face to the name:
This is Christa, who I was stuck in Indonesia with for a month!

The past few days have been full of cleaning, packing, checking things off my to-do list (finally), more packing, and writing a bounty of thank you cards to some well-deserving folks -- without whom I wouldn't be writing this celebratory blog post. Thank you so much everyone. Thank you for supporting me and allowing God to work through your obedience to send me off, starting tomorrow! We leave Sunday afternoon. I cannot believe that in just a few days we will be in the hospital. Yesterday we received our paper work for all the births we will be apart of for the next eight months. It's getting a liiitttlle more real now :).

These three months in Perth have been full of growth for me individually, in relationships with others, and with my Creator. There have been times of immense joy and laughter, some heartache, some tears, some intense stretching of my faith, and some seriously incredible breakthrough. Jesus is so amazing. If you don't know Him yet, I really recommend doing that as soon as possible. Because He is awesome and wants to awe you with His love and share some fabulous ideas for your life.

And with that I will sign off for now. Next time you hear from me, I'll be in Zambia. Look forward to those stories, my friends. It's gonna be a good one.

Lots of love,
Grace

A Mending

A mending...of words, of conclusions, of my heart.

Here I am, to update you all on finances yet again. 12 days ago I wrote and said that I had more than the money that I needed. But, it has become apparent that there was a mistake in accounts and the number that they had for me was incorrect (the number they had for me to begin with was too low). So, that means that I am still in need of $1,619 AUD before we leave on Sunday afternoon. I have a few friends who have pledged money, but other than that I am not sure of the "who" part of where this money will come from. It was definitely disappointing news to receive! Mostly because I wanted everyone to see the testimony of God's provision against all odds. However, this little mix up does not change who God is! It does not change the fact that He is faithful. I feel uncomfortable sharing about this situation, not because I myself am embarrassed, but because I don't want it to reflect badly on YWAM, or even on God. That said, I realize I am to simply be open and up front about this and not take responsibility for the opinions or reactions of others. In one sense I feel confused, wondering why this would happen and combatting feelings of "left-outedness." But I know that God has not overlooked me, and He will not fail me. I still feel like He spoke, see? I told you I would provide. And obviously that provision does not look like what I thought it did or what I would like it to. I am really, really learning what it means to "not be anxious about anything." Jesus still has the victory! This little hiccup doesn't bother Him in the least. I am choosing to look at this as yet another opportunity to grow personally and also invite even more people to partner with me and sow into the inheritance of giving to the work of the Lord! 

If you feel inclined, the quickest and easiest way to give is through YWAM Perth's website (see link on the right). Just as a side note, if you would prefer to be anonymous even while paying through credit card, that option is available as well. 

So, I wanted to get this out to you and make it clear that there is still ample opportunity for you to send this midwife-in-training in a very physical way to Zambia and India! I am amazed at how much God has provided thus far, and always thankful for your generous giving. It really is so much more than you simply"donating to Grace." You are enabling a group of God-fearing, Jesus-loving women to traipse into the nations as equipped midwives -- hungry to see the gospel spoken into every ear, to see lives transformed for Christ, to see women educated and empowered, to see babies raised to life. Oh man, there is something greater at work. There is something greater in store. I am eager to see more and more of that reality every single day, and I know God will not stop working on our behalf until we get there. 

I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:3-6

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 

Philippians 4:10-14

Thanks for listening and loving.
Grace