Joy to the World!

Christmas has come and gone just as quick as you can sing the merry words in a carol. The season was hot and muggy and the sounds of sleigh bells were replaced by the crooning of frogs and the buzz of crickets. Throw in a few crazy, tropical bird sounds and I felt as far away from wintery Colorado as I could possibly be. It was okay though. Last Christmas was horribly depressing as it was my first away from family, but this year was different. I've been taken in by a family who loves me as one of their own and I them. To be with these dear ones though the holidays was like a balm on my homesick heart. 

I managed to sneak into the ward one last time before Christmas. Things were relatively quiet and despite the gloomy surroundings, the mood of the staff was decidedly cheery and festive! A couple of weeks prior, I burned two CDs of Christmas music for one of the midwives. I agonized over which music to give her; not wanting to offend with my Michael Buble or bore with my instrumental. It was ridiculous how much mental energy was wasted on this train of thought. In the end, I chose a smattering of songs and Joyce seemed very happy with it. 

On this last visit before the end of the year, I was witness to two births! Both deliveries ended with the entrance of a healthy baby, thank goodness.

The day started with a woman bleeding all over the floor in the outside hallway. I went out to mop it up but forgot that the ringer on the bucket was broken. I bent down and began wringing rusty-brown water from the stringy mop. In the immense focus (and physical strength) it took to accomplish such a task, I splashed a bunch of the nasty water all over my legs. I mopped up some blood and plunged the mop back into the bucket for a "rinse" and again, I attempted to wring the mop by hand, again, splashing bloody water all over my legs. There was a crowd of ladies watching. I kept looking up and commenting on the amount of blood or nonchalantly trying to reassure them about my mopping abilities. Now I was embarrassed so I rushed to finish. I'm no wimp but I am certainly not sporting muscles from daily gardening, climbing mountains and hauling children everywhere. I can only imagine what they said after I left... Ha!

In true character of the ward, it wouldn't be right to end the year without some drama! One mama hemorrhaged and against the midwife's instructions, she tried to stand and walk to the bathroom. She passed out, dropping her cup of milo on the way down. I heard the crash and ran to check on her. I found her lying in a puddle of chocolate malt, broken glass and blood. Even more startling, as she fell, she grabbed the bassinet where her baby lay, pulling it down with her. When I got there, the mother was still clutching the baby's bed and the baby was about to fall out! We got both picked up and back in bed. Neither came to harm and I spent the next little while mopping up milo. By now, I had mastered a way around having to actually touch the mop with my hands. *high-five for me*

The other delivery was a third or fourth baby to a practiced laborer. She had a very difficult second stage and became really cranky and belligerent at the end. And who can blame her? I can't count the number of women who have yelled, "Just get it out of me!" Despite vacuum extraction, she delivered a healthy, chubby baby and she didn't even tear. Yes. I'll say it again in case you missed it. Vacuum extraction. No tearing. 

2014 was a wild year of adventure. It also had its fair share of heartaches which were then always completely overshadowed by glorious grace. I am reminded of the innumerable times that I felt I would positively burst from gratitude and that soul-deep joy over being shown the character of my Jehovah God, knowing what He accomplished through the cross and feeling so fulfilled when loving on those mamas and their babies. I think God's own words can best describe this.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."                               I Peter 2:3-9

A happiest of New Years to you. May you better understand the all-sufficient love of Christ and what a gift it is to know Him!