A week of babies

Ngolala is full of new life and it has been so neat to see the hope and joy in a new life being born, in contrast to the despair of death that is all too common in this place.

Last Sunday, early in the morning, our friend, Aunty Batu, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. We were able to see her later that day. Holding that precious new life brought tears to my eyes. Babies in Sierra Leone are not given a name until one week after they are born, so the baby naming ceremony took place the following Sunday at church. Aunty Batu told me that they had decided that they wanted to name the baby after me. I felt so honored and humbled that this child would have my name. I may be a little biased, but to me, Baby Sarah is just about the cutest baby in all of Africa.

Last night (Sunday) we arrived home from Ngolala and Nurse Jennifer asked us if we wanted to come and watch a baby being born. Feeling a bit queasy, we decided that we did want to watch. It was a difficult pregnancy because the woman was too afraid to push. She had been in labor over 24 hours and the nurse was afraid that she would loose her baby. Thankfully, she calmed down and she had a baby boy at 10:01 in the evening. To spare you all the details, I'll just say that I am thankful that I never have to have a baby in a small clinic in the middle of the bush of Africa!!! It was amazing to watch this small life come out into this world.

In contrast to all the joy of the babies being born, Thursday night the nurse came knocking on our door and told us that there was an emergency pregnancy and that she needed us to drive her to a village about 15 minutes away. There was a lady who was having a difficult time giving birth. I felt a bit like an ambulance driver as we rushed to the village. By the time we got there, she had already given birth, but the baby was stillborn. The baby had died in her womb 2 days before and was breech, which is why the pregnancy had been so difficult. I can't imagine the anguish of going through all that pain to find out that the baby was dead.

It really is only by the grace of God that babies survive here. Each life truly is a miracle and a testimony of hope.