The Eagle is Soaring

Drinking Boko

After 3 months serving the people of the Philippines, Maid Elizabeth has come home.  She has returned to us changed in ways I never would have expected.  She is quieter, more deliberate.  She is confident.  She is kinder and more attentive to her siblings.  She has grown up.

Being "done-up" by a local woman

Dewey from the heat

Three months away from home was challenging for a home-body, home schooled girl.  She learned to rely more on God than she did on me.  She learned to push herself when she wanted to curl up and block out the world.  She delivered babies, she cooked, she cleaned, she shopped and she walked...a lot.  She swam in the ocean, visited a crocodile farm and flew on the world's longest zip line.  She conducted pre-natals in a tiny church in the bukid (jungle) and sipped boko (green coconut milk, full of electrolytes) to regain her strength.  She laughed, she cried and she prayed.

Ready for the zip-line

A fellow midwife being the incubator

A Bajou lady (Sea Gypsy)

Doing laundry

A street festival

Cutting up Jack fruit

Saying goodbye!

And now she is home!!!  I'm pretty sure that it will be short lived.  She is 22 years old.  God will call her out of our home and into a home of her own.  But for now, I will rejoice that my sweet Maid Elizabeth is once again working and laughing by my side.

Almost Home!

Animatedly visiting with another midwife

Maid Elizabeth has been in the Philippines for over 2 1/2 months.  She has learned more than either she or I expected!  Not only has she learned about mamas and babies, she has been stretched in her understanding of people.  She has been in difficult situations and has learned to deal with challenges with grace.  She has seen problems that are rarely, if ever, encountered in the United States.  She has found new strengths and discovered new weaknesses.  She has grown and changed.

And she is coming home!!!!  In less than two weeks, we will have our dear Maid Elizabeth home.  To say that we are all excited is an understatement.  She has already been going through her things, giving surplus away and trying to get organized for her trip home.  We have readied her room and are anxiously awaiting a drive to the airport to pick up our treasure.

Unfortunately, Maid Elizabeth has not been able to keep up with her blog the way she had intended.  The electronic equipment she took with her, has not responded well to either the humid Philippine climate or her lack of ability to update it with our home computer.  She hasn't been able to download photos to her blog for about a month and a half and even writing can be a little dodgy.  She was able to forward some photos to me, so I thought that I would share them with you.

Playing with some little boys

Taking vitals

Going over the chart
(Aren't the Filipino women beautiful!)

Living in the Philippines has been quite an experience for her.  She recently told Sir Knight that it has brought out the "inner prepper" in her!  She has seen many people who live in a constant state of want.  Poor nutrition is the norm, and the majority of her patients have hemorrhaged after giving birth.  However, she has seen a true faith in the people.  Having no personal possessions has made Christ very real to them.  They rely on Him rather than things.

Our girl is coming home.  She is changed.  She has direction.  She is ready for the life God has given her to lead.

Dengue in Davao

Maid Elizabeth Skype'd the other afternoon (6 a.m. Davao time) and said "Mom, one of the girls has a rash that is spreading over her body, she is spiking a fever and her whole body aches.  I seem to remember one of the diseases you wrote about presenting in a similar manner - what is it?"  The first thing that popped into my mind was Dengue Fever, a mosquito born disease that has become more common recently. After quickly reading up on the disease, we found that it is prevalent during the hot, rainy season (they are in the hot, rainy season in Davao right now).  It is characterized by sudden high fever with chills, sever body aches, headache and sore throat.

The described symptoms were exactly what the girl was suffering.  What a relief it brought to all the girls to have an idea what they were up against.  Wild suggestions had been floating around - everything from the flu to meningitis had been mentioned.  While Dengue can be miserable, it is not contagious and certain precautions can be taken to protect other persons from contracting it.  Because they knew what they were dealing with, the girls hauled out their mosquito netting and filled their bottles of Backwoods Off.

Like everything else in life, the more we know, the better off we are.  All of the girls were able to rest easier, knowing they were not in danger of some dread disease, and the young lady that was ill, knows what steps to take to recover her health.

The Prepared Family Guide to Uncommon Diseases helped it's first patient!  I'm am thrilled beyond words and humbled to have been of some little help.

Tea with our girl

Maid Elizabeth - Dad and I had our tea and thought of you.  Love you.  Mom

The extra teacup was set for you

The Eagle has landed

Maid Elizabeth has safely traveled to the Philippines and will spend the next three months catching babies.  It took two full days to traverse the globe, with stops in Seattle, LA, Korea and Manila, but everything went smoothly and she is now sleeping contentedly in Davao City.

She is planning on regularly updating her blog, Scarlet Thread Midwifery, with a lot of pictures and stories of her adventures.  While known as Maid Elizabeth here, she calls herself Joan of Arc on her own blog (I don't even want to discuss the implications of that!).

Thank you to everyone who has helped Maid Elizabeth with this mission trip, whether it was with financial support, prayers or encouragement.  I am truly grateful.

Although I already miss her more than words can say, I am so excited to see how God uses her among the people of the Philippines and how He draws her closer to Himself.

Vaya con Dios

Blood Draws and I.V.'s

This is how Idaho midwives get to their patients!

As Maid Elizabeth draws nearer to her planned mission trip to the Philippines, she has ramped up her acquisitions of medical skills.  Today she learned the very essential skills of drawing blood and starting and administering I.V.'s.  One of the wonderful things about her training for midwifery is that she is becoming proficient in numerous techniques not only needed in midwifery, but in any medical situation.  And we have the added benefit of learning along side her (and sometimes being her Guinea pig!).  

And this is how we spend our weekends....

Maid Elizabeth and her precepter midwife
getting ready to begin blood draws

Teacher and Student

Starting with a "dummy" arm

Cleaning the site (always practice like
it's "for real")

Applying the tourniquet

Instruction on choosing a vein

Placing the needle

Inserting the vacutainer

Removing the needle, having released
the tourniquet

Now, it's Sir Knight's turn!

The tourniquet is in place, now it is time
to insert the needle

The needle slides right into the vein

She hit paydirt (as you can see from
the blood flowing through
the tube)

And the sharps go in the sharps container

This is what I call "Home School"!


As a side note, Maid Elizabeth went to her first prenatal as a Primary midwife later in the afternoon.  She preformed her first blood draw flawlessly!  What a testament to both teacher and student!

Maid Elizabeth's Mission

Maid Elizabeth found a video showing scenes from the mission school she will be serving with next summer.  It really touched my heart.  Enjoy the view.

Maid Elizabeth

Oh, how the family of God humbles me so!  So many people have emailed or left comments on my post about Maid Elizabeth getting ready to head to the Philippines to serve in a Missionary compound as a midwife that we have been overwhelmed.  The generosity of God's children is amazing and we feel so undeserving - but His plan is perfect, and Maid Elizabeth will humbly accept the blessings you have offered.

If any of you feel called to help Maid Elizabeth reach her goals (and please, don't feel compelled unless God lays it upon your heart!) please email me privately so that we can touch bases.  Maid Elizabeth would like to have a chance to thank each of you personally, and write you to tell you how God is using you and her to serve His children in the Philippines.

My email is located by clicking on my "About Me" section on the left-hand side of my blog.    Please know that your kindness has so encouraged Maid Elizabeth and has ministered greatly to this young lady.

Thank you, dear friends.

Enola Gay

And so, we let go....

Maid Elizabeth is leaving us.  Not forever, just for now.  She has been training to be a midwife of and on for the last four years.  Last spring, she was given the opportunity to apply to a missionary group in the Philippines that serves the local population with prenatal and birth care free of charge.  She, along with a group of other apprentice midwives applied in September and just last week, were notified of their acceptance.

What should have been a day of great celebration turned into a day of mixed emotions and frustration.  Maid Elizabeth, with a great desire to go and serve, had to make decisions regarding her willingness to deal with airport security, and being out of country with such uncertainty surrounding our country and the rest of the world.  After praying and crying and ultimately talking to her daddy, she decided that she would plan on pursuing what she believe God has called her to.  Maid Elizabeth is going to the Philippines.

She will be gone for three months (leaving May 31st and returning August 31st).  She will be taking shifts giving prenatal care and birth care.  She should be present at between 25 and 30 births a week, some as an assistant and some as primary caregiver.  She will live in a dormitory with the other apprentice midwives and will usually work about 60 to 80 hours a week.

At this point, Maid Elizabeth is in "hurry up and get everything done" mode.  She has money to raise (airfare, lodging and in-country expenses) and skills to learn (suturing, taking blood, setting IV's....) and certifications to keep current (EMT, neonatal resuscitation) before she leaves.  She is excited, scared, thrilled and terrified all at once.

As her parents, Sir Knight and I are very proud of her.  We have also realized how hard it is to let our little girl go.  We know that she is God's, and that He has always held her in the palm of his hand, but to actually let her go is something else entirely.  Our faith will grow, as will her's.

And so, we let go....

The Scarlet Thread

Maid Elizabeth has started a new blog to record her journey as she prepares for a midwife missions trip to the Philippines.  She is working at our local grocery store to earn the money she needs for airfare and accommodation's and a little extra for in-country expenses.

It is exciting, as her mum, to watch her begin the great adventures of her life.  I am proud of her.  I am thankful for her.  And, truth be told, I am a little anxious for her.

She would love to have you along for her journey.  Please enjoy her adventures. You can read about them at The Scarlet Thread.