Here I am-week 1

March, 2010: Okay God. So, I know you have been asking me to stay in Cebu for a couple more months. I get that, but here's my problem; the girls and Rhonda are leaving, so I will be all by myself, and even if I had somewhere to stay, I really have nothing to do! I mean I was here to help Rhonda, so when she's gone, my mission will be finished also. Okay, how about this; if you tell me clear as a bell, 100% clearly, that you want me to work in a specific ministry, if you show me this ministry so clearly that there is no doubt in my mind...okay, I'll stay.

Only a few weeks after I started praying this prayer, Amber and I went to Glory Reborn for a baby party, ended up staying the entire day and saw two live births. After that day, I knew positively, so surely I didn't even have to think about it, that this is where God wanted me. I started my first shift the week I moved to my new home in Bulacao.

My first week was a bit overwhelming. There were no births when I was there, but I think in a way that was God's provision, letting me ease into it all! The shifts are 12 hours long, and I work about 2 days and 2 nights a week. I spent quite a bit of time memorizing lists of words for body parts and medical terms which Ate Anita kindly wrote out for me. Also things like normal body temperature, Blood Pressure, Pulse, (for adults and babies), Respiratory Rate (for babies), and the names of all the nurses and midwives at the clinic! All the vitals seemed to confusing and hard, would I ever get it!?

I also got frustrated by the language barrier. All these things would be so much easier in English! All the staff can speak English, but they only spoke it with me, so all I heard all day long was Cebuano. Sometimes I felt like I would do anything just to know what was going on!

I did enjoy helping with pre-testing for the expectant mothers. Finding and listening to a baby's heart rate for the first time was an amazing experience. The poor mothers had gel all over their stomachs by the time I found it, but I did! Finding the size of the fundus, or mum's belly, was so frusterating too, how are you supposed to know that's where the top (or bottom) of the baby is?

When there weren't too many patients, I went around and did blood pressure on anyone who would let me, and good thing I was practicing, if I'd been right in my measurements, they would all have died of hypertension post haste.

It's always hard to transition, and I knew things weren't going to be easy. But no matter the challenges, I had the security that I was where I was supposed to be, and that God was with me no matter what!

love,

Amberkay