The other week a young mother still pregnant with her first baby walked into the clinic. She was full term, and in her hands she clutched a paper containing a freshly printed ultrasound. She handed over the paper and quickly made her way to CR (washroom). I scanned over the ultrasound results and my heart sunk as I read the bold letters at the bottom. "Fetal Death in Utero." The stark reality of its message made me tremble inside. I glanced over at the closed bathroom door, and I knew she was behind it concealing her tears. When she finally came out, I took her over to a bed to talk and pray with her. I fought back tears as she bravely kept back her own; it's not cultural to cry in public. "I accept!" she told me with a broken heart.
Today my friend had a patient who was immediately transported due to complications. Her baby was born, but never had the chance to take his first breath.
There are many things in life I don't understand. Why does life end for some before it even begins? Why does it even begin for some who live day to day with hardship and poverty. My heart aches for those little children begging on the busy city streets. They are not but ten years of age, yet no one is there to take care of them or ensure that they are safe. I see the blind man with his hands outstretched for money, sitting in the same spot day after day in front of the mall. I see people in the hospital dying because they cannot afford proper medical care- something we take for granted. I see countless women coming through the clinic, each having a story. They are not simply sad tales that are used in missionary presentations to briefly stir the hearts of those listening. It's the harsh reality many of these women live in, and are birthing their children into. Some women don't even return to the clinic to complete their child's birth certificate... Why would they? What is their child's future?
Yes, there are many things in life I do not understand. But there is one thing I know for certain. There is a God who is just and merciful, and who promises to answer those who call on His name.
There is hope- a future, and it's our responsibility, our privilege to spread this good news:
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed (Luke 4:18).
We cannot solve the world's problems, and make an end to evil. But we can point people to the One who will, and has already conquered sin and death. He alone makes life worth living.

It's a beautiful afternoon, with a mix of sunshine and rainclouds. I can hear goats bleating behind our tall cement wall that separates our tiny back yard from a small patch of undeveloped land. However, the sounds of traffic is a reminder that I'm still in the city.
This week we all got out or socks and long sleeve shirts as the temperature dropped to a whopping low of 24 degrees Celsius- brrr!!! :) It's amazing how far we've come in adjusting to this climate!
The clinic this month has been surprisingly slow. In February I have four continuities that are due, so I don't think I'll be giving you the same report next month! :) This month I didn't have any continuities, and it's been a nice break. You don't feel so glued to your cell phone, always wondering if the next text message will be from a patient in labor.
I have, however, delivered three babies since the new year. :)
I just checked through my January folder of pictures and didn't find any new ones to post this week. :( I'm sorry... :)
Well, I believe that's all for this week. I won't bore you with details of my studies.:) And that's pretty much what consumes most of the hours I'm not on shift.
Enjoy the week ahead, as we press on!

"till next time"
SH

What to say...what to write. It's been an eventful week for sure, but nothing too exciting. I did have one beautiful birth this week. The clinic has been a somewhat quieter this week, which I've actually been thankful for as I've been fighting a bad cold... ugh! But when it gets so quiet for a period of time, we have to wonder when we're going to get slammed on with patients! :)
Today- Sunday, I've been enjoying a quiet day at the dorm here, catching up with e-mails etc. It's been pretty sweet! :) I'm heading off to Church in a few minutes here, and then it's night shift tonight.
Mrs Frayle, a very amazing and wonderful lady from my church sent me back with a bunch of baby sleepers- So thoughtful of her! I promised I'd send some pictures of at least one baby wearing one of the sleepers... So these pictures are especially for her! Thank you again Mrs. Frayle. My patient was super pleased with it! And the lola (grandmother) kept saying how gwapo (handsome) her little grandson looked in his new outfit. They had only had a little shirt, hat, and a blanket, so it was perfect!

Such precious little bundles- so new so fresh! Feeling so honored to be one of the first people to welcome these little lives into this world
The whole family with big smiles :)
Me:"can you kiss him?"
Big bro "I don't know about this...but I guess I'll listen to the strange white girl"

Oh so cute... he's going to be a good kuya "big brother" :)

BABY 60 Before 2010!!!!
"Wow" is definitely one of the words the come to mind when thinking on the reality of already having delivered 60 babies. Blessed, privileged, honored and ecstatic are a few other. :)
To think that in the past 13 months (I started handling on Nov 13, 2008), I was given the opportunity and experience of assisting 60 babies into this world blows my mind! God is so good!! Without all the practical hands-on experience this clinic has/is providing, I think I would still be trying to figure out the basics of midwifery! :P It's amazing to be able to read something in a textbook and then to experience it first hand! God must have known it would take the second part in order for things to click in my head.. :) I love it, and bring myself back to this reality when I begin to feel overwhelmed or exhausted. There is much to learn, and now is the time and place! Well, I think that learning part will continue for as long as I live...:)
This morning was another learning experience for me with a difficult delivery at 5:18am. I ended up transporting the mother immediately. I went back to the hospital later to see if she was okay and had be transferred to the main ward. Thank God I found her, and she was doing well! I then went back Mercy and picked up her baby to bring back to the hospital to be reunited with her mother. :)
Soooo.... We are now on the home-stretch!! It's exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time! But I'm not going to lie... I'm looking forward to finishing up these studies! :)

Below I posted a few pictures of the birth of Honey Mae's baby girl- Rezhra Czarina ($5 if you can correctly pronounce it :D). She was my 60th handle!


One of my favorite pictures (above)

Well there ya have it! :) Hope you all have a wonderful week! Pray that I don't kill anyone with cooking this week! ;)
-SH

Christmas Remembered:
Christmas has come and gone, and despite the fact that home was missed tremendously, it was a beautiful one. It's always a funny feeling after Christmas- maybe because we take our time getting geared up for it. Especially here in the Philippines, where Christmas decorations and lights begin appearing already in September. But now what's left of Christmas is a few extra pounds, decorations ready to be taken down, a garbage full of wrapping paper, and many memories.
This year, a new little baby girl, Newleah Mary Joy, was birthed into my ready hands Christmas morning at 7:14am: My second Christmas baby! :)
My Continuity"

On December 29th, my Con't Ma Luisa delivered a healthy baby boy, Gilbert Luis! I was so excited that she gave birth in time. She had only 4 days left before I would have had to transport her for post-dates. And this birth was special as her last baby was my first handle. It's pretty neat to have had the privileged of delivering a bother and sister.
On her last prenatal before giving birth, Ma Luisa (nicknamed Bing) brought her little girl I had delivered Nov 2008. It was so special to see a baby I had delivered now a little toddler running around! As you can see by the pictures below, she's so adorable!

- Gilbert Luis -

Maayong Pasko- Merry Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I’ve been slacking a little with posting, but gave myself the excuse that everyone is too busy anyways with Christmas rush to even notice! :o)
Christmas Eve will arrive in just a few hours here!! This past weekend we had a Christmas party with all the midwives and staff from Mercy Clinic. It must have been quite the sight seeing 30 + women having a time of their lives, and Filipinos sure LOVE to laugh- it’s great!!! Krys, the director, did an amazing job putting a number of games together.
So it looks like we’ve got our Christmas week all planned out, to make it as special and exciting as possible being away from home and family. We all have two weeks off of studies, but since some girls are away for a few weeks, extra shifts had to be picked up. So it’s pretty much working almost everyday and THOROUGHLY enjoying every minute off work with no assignments!! It’s easy to fill up those moments with Christmas baking and shopping, cooking (I’m on this week), catching up with people back home, spending quality time with the girls here, and getting caught up on extra projects. These two weeks are going to fly, but then we’ll be on the home stretch before we know it! It’s also pretty sweet getting to working shift with no assignment that normally haunt you …:o)
Well, I’m on night shift tonight, have Christmas Eve off, and then day shift on Christmas day.
Christmas Eve we’re doing a little gift exchange at our place with just us students, and then having a little service together- should be special! 

I hope you have a blessed Christmas wherever this finds you!! We are indeed blessed by the special gift Christmas brought to us so many years ago!

A big Christmas hug to you all!!




-Carmen and I on our last shift together before she went back to the States -

It's starting to look a bit like Christmas! =)

Yes- almost Christmas time!! :)This will be my second "hot Christmas," but I still can't say I'm use to it! Oh well, you just crank up the Christmas music a little louder and put up few decorations to remind you of the season! :) I'm not going to lie, it won't be easy being away from my family for another Christmas... BUT it makes me realize how spoiled I am with having a special family back home... and you can interpret the word 'special' however you like... :P No, I love them deeply and am forever thankful for them! God has a good way of providing exactly what we need!

This week on the 18th we hand in our current assignment and write the exam for it... and then- FREEDOM from assignment for two whole weeks!! :D We'll still be working clinical shifts since babies come out whenever they please! ;) But I'm looking looking forward to putting the books away for a few weeks!! Hopefully that will give some extra time for Christmas baking! :P

Carmen, one of the supervisors here at the clinic who did her training here and stayed on a few more years, will be leaving on Tuesday back to the States! :( She was my supervisor for the first 6 months, and we're going to miss you a lot!! But I'm thankful for the years God gave her here...and she needs a break from this craziness! :)

Above I posted a few pictures of my attempt to making it feel like Christmas here! :)

Have a good week... and hope nobody is getting too stressed with the "Christmas rush!" That sure can spoil the reason why we celebrate!

God bless!
Sarah