The Afterbirth.

Bella, in Burundi for the summer with her Mom, Stephanie from our home church OHOP! I asked her what was one of her favorite experiences since arriving, she asked me what did I like most about George Washington?!  Got to love the train of thought of an amazing 8 year old!

Kai, knocked out at the hospital.  Isai took some daddy time with him each day bringing him out for ice cream and playing at the park... I think he really loved the time with his Papa!  Alex and Tabea - you helped in such a big way... thanks for caring for our little boy!

When I say “afterbirth” I am simply referring to the moments after birth, not the placenta! 

The gratitude in our hearts is far beyond any expression as we welcomed a healthy beautiful girl.  The support we had through it all was unbelievable, friends coming together like family to help us when we simply needed help.  O.K, so we planned to give a quick and uncomplicated birth, and head back up to the mountains - as usual.  But I have to say, God turns all things to good for those who love Him, because in the midst of having to get a C-Section and to recover 3 days in the hospital we were lavished with so much hospitality, kindness and support; something we would have not experienced in such a way had things not become a little complicated.  Each day tons of people showed up to bring meals… (coffee!), to buy things we needed, friends to care for Malaki the entire time we were in the hospital (in which he loved and handled like a big boy, being a pleasure to have and easy going).  All in all, it was amazing.  You can imagine living in Burundi, acquaintances and friends are quite the necessity; a support system for the good and bad times.

The kids are in love with Isabella… the girls all take turns in holding her, making sure to hastily inform the next when their time is up.  I have been letting the girls come in 2’s in the afternoon to help bathe Kai and Bella… something to show them their important, something to show them they can be a part of her life; not to mention how young girls in this culture love helping with newborns and babies!  Kai is also shockingly great with her.  I had some thoughts prior to her birth that he would give us a little bit of a rough time, as he is so absolutely attached and 2 years old…  Interestingly enough, he is not jealous at all but loves to help and “pet” her in the most gentle of ways.  He also understands that I have a boo boo and hasn’t asked to be picked up or jump on my lap; his understanding and knowledge is amazing.  A few nights ago, I was in the kitchen with a friend and the power went out, everything pitch black.  Usually at this point, Malaki quickly finds his way to us “to secure his safety”, but that night he ran towards my room in the dark to go make sure Bella was ok.  I was so touched.

As for Isabella, it’s like night and day from the first few weeks with Malaki!  Malaki had a difficult time with nursing… and possibly it was even more difficult for me, (and we were new parents, living in rural Africa) learning so much.  With Bella, from a few hours after I woke up she was nursing with no hesitation.  She sleeps; she eats… and has a little whimper for a cry that is preciously girlish!  I stare at her often and imagine how we could have lost her, and understanding what that means… clearly 2 different roads paved out. 

This last week it’s as though a deep burden has been imbedded into my heart.  It is the burden to help women and babies, to help improve the devastating statistics of how many women and babies are dying during birth.  While in the hospital, I heard an overflow of story after story of babies dying… all within the last week.  Some, I can imagine could have been prevented with better training or the possibility for machines.  One of the stories was of a new government rule of giving better assistance for maternity care and women giving birth in a public hospital.  There was 8 women all waiting for one doctor to do c-sections on them due to complications, one of the mothers was friend of my friends as she explained that her baby drowned in the amniotic fluid because they weren’t quick enough to get her in.  Others explain that because there is no sonogram machine, it’s hard to know how the baby is responding to inducing and or labor pains in general in which when the baby comes out, they are already dead. 

A standard needs to be raised here in Burundi, and yes it could take an unimaginable amount of training in universities to students and giving further training to healthcare providers and hospitals; but I am hoping that things will improve here, because deaths are far too common and too many, preventable.  You can only imagine what the moral of the local people is like concerning births, especially up in the mountains; the pain, anger and the deterioration of the hearts of the people as they experience death over and over again in so many different depths.  Culturally, for many they don’t talk about it afterwards and according to them “they are just fine”.  The pains build up, the discouragement continues and each time they loose another precious one, a piece of them is taken.  I know women who have lost 7 children, 5, many 1 or 2 during birth, after birth… as toddlers from malnutrition and malaria.  Devastation is real, it’s rampant, and it’s everywhere.  May God give a vision and burden for people to respond and to help see the healthcare standard in Burundi raised, and mama’s and babies saved.  We can make a difference… we absolutely can.

Isai has been doing a crusade with a friend’s ministry here in Burundi and got to teach and minister in Bubanza and Makamba for 2 days each!  He was a little hesitant at first because of me getting a C-Section, but this opportunity was something he has been looking forward to and anticipating for quite some time… God is doing so many amazing things, and we can’t wait to have him back with us tomorrow!  We are so grateful to have Isabella with us safe and sound, ready to begin the transition of our home and also the children’s homes this coming month… with our very own transport truck!  We just got news that a wonderful church in Swiss wanted to buy a large transport truck for materials to assist us in saving on construction costs.  Isai has been praying for and needing something like this for quite some time, we were so touched at their desire to help!  Please continue praying for all of us here in Burundi!  All our love...