In the past few weeks, we've been called to the mountains several times, told that a baby was coming out and we were needed urgently. In each case, the women had no previous prenatal care or checkups.
There is an old faded duffle bag near the door that is packed with instruments, Pitocin, suturing supplies, etc, and this bag.... it has seen a few things.
MaryGrace is a Mangyan mother who had a high fever and was scared to go the local health center for fear of being quarantined for Covid and separated from her family.
We drove over steep and rough roads until we reached the end, and then hiked through thick mud to their hut. It was dark, the air filled with smoke from their cooking fire.. we arrived as her sweet baby girl was sliding out, and quietly checked vitals, stopped the bleeding, and delivered her placenta as she brought baby to her breast. Tears filled my eyes as I watched them; This miracle of life never becomes routine.
We started meds and vitamins for both mom and baby and left them as their bonding began. We did daily checks on them until they were thriving and healthy. Our smiles and joy are wide when one more mom and baby are safe and healthy.
This week, a Mangyan friend called us to come to the mountains to help his neighbors, Sandy and Larry, a beautiful Mangyan couple having their first baby. We were called to their hut two hours after baby was born. He was still laying between her legs, wet and cold. He was alert, eyes hungry. Her placenta had not yet come, and they were wise to call for help. Baby was dried and bundled against his mama's breast.
Upon examining Sandy, I realized that her uterus was now closed, the placenta trapped inside, and she was in imminent danger of hemorrhaging (the number one cause of death in the developing world in women of childbearing age is post-partum hemorrhage).
We gave Sandy an injection, stabilized her, and sent her to the hospital, 1.5 hours away. She began to hemorrhage when she was in the hospital, had surgery for a placenta acreta (A placenta that has grown into the muscle of the uterus), had multiple bags of blood transfused, and she lived.
We just hiked into her village and did a postpartum check, and praised Jesus for life... beautiful life.
Over the past twelve years, we have seen so many of the statistics. We have walked with, touched, held, cried, prayed, and worked hard to save, so so many.
We've fought an uphill battle to build trust, educate, and continually encourage entire communities to pursue wholeness, get early care for their families, to have a birth attendant at every birth, to come for help when something is wrong.
I've prayed through tears and clenched teeth countless times while holding a dead child.... NO. More. Death.
Slowly but beautifully, as we build relationship through respect and honor, we are seeing fruit growing on these trees.
Others have come way before us, planting seeds of faith and wisdom in these communities, and many will come after us. We want to be faithful in every slow, small, steady step we take.
We are overjoyed with every heart that is transformed, every body that is healed, every family that learns to share love, every baby that breathes to live another day.... because it is all Grace and not at all my victory.
For the past month or so, our team has been diving deep into Grace; unpacking and searching-out the inner workings of this thing that is the pillar and tenet of our faith, yet so elusive if we're asked to pin down exactly what it looks like in our lives...
We started out pondering, and then plunged and plumbed depths we've never known, tasted, or understood before. This Grace cannot just be learned just through reading, but must be tasted, experienced, marinated-in.
This Grace we're offered comes in crashing waves and oceans from our Father, and we're invited to enter it's depths and never leave them, but so often we think Grace is just how we come to Jesus for salvation.
We take this one-time dip in it's mysterious waters, dry off, put on our boots and take over from there with our own efforts and self-righteousness.. We turn this lavish relationship of Grace into a performance based, striving-filled, tenuous thing. We sing about it's amazingness while climbing mountains with a lead-weight load of our own burdens breaking us in half and stealing our breath.
I've come to realize that for so long I've had not a clue what it actually means to Grow in Grace and Continue in Grace as Paul encouraged us to... it's becoming really clear why there have been so many seasons of burn-out, emptiness, exhaustion marking my journey: I left the Ocean of Grace and walked a path of I-got-this, or God-needs-me-to-do-this.
I need His grace like air, and when I lean into Him and realize that nothing about this life is what I bring to it, I can begin to grow and continue in Grace because I'm resting in it. Our good Father is lavishing Grace on you today... He has a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light, and it's just the right size for you. Come on in....
For the past four months, we have had a beautiful 26 year old girl names Jessa living with us. She is from an island far south, has no immediate family, and we are honored and filled with Joy to be her family. She is in her third recurrance of Leukemia and battling for her life. We have found a doctor for her here, and are taking her to the hospital (1.5 hours away) several times a week for treatment. The doctor has flippantly said that she has a 1-2% chance of surviving more than a few months, so giving her care is pointless, but we are praying for miraculous healing, and life and know that she is worth fighting for.
In between chemo session, we are also doing injections and IV infusions in our home, as well as plant-based alternative medicine. We're battling for Jessa, and thanking Jesus for His healing that He is bringing to not just her body, but her heart and soul. The finances needed for her care are mounting, and we are peaceful, know that God has brought her to us and He always provides. If you would like to give towards Jessa's care, we would be so grateful!
We continue to carry on with the beautiful relationships God has given to us; our living room home fellowship on Sundays is bursting at the seams, with growth and life. Francis is in the mountains daily, walking beside pastors and Mangyan brothers and sisters, and discipling, treating broken bodies, encouraging hearts. He serves like Jesus..
We are still buying truckloads of rice to give away each week, because there are still so many that are hungry. We will continue until the need ceases. Our team is doing community health-care, checkups, education, and discipleship.
We are also asking for your prayers as we follow God's leading and choose which land to purchase so we can begin building our maternity and ministry center soon! We're excited to step out in wild faith and see what God is doing.
As I write this, two of our three children are sick with high fevers and body pain.. We are in the middle of the biggest surge of Corona virus since this pandemic began and we continue to treat patients every day. Please pray for healing and protection.
We pray for you all so often, and thank God for you- the team of witnesses, encouragers, intercessors, and givers that hold us up. We feel your prayers. Thank you.....we're so grateful for you!
Grace and Peace,
Francis, Leah, Julia, Avea, and Justice Daytec
There is an old faded duffle bag near the door that is packed with instruments, Pitocin, suturing supplies, etc, and this bag.... it has seen a few things.
MaryGrace is a Mangyan mother who had a high fever and was scared to go the local health center for fear of being quarantined for Covid and separated from her family.
We drove over steep and rough roads until we reached the end, and then hiked through thick mud to their hut. It was dark, the air filled with smoke from their cooking fire.. we arrived as her sweet baby girl was sliding out, and quietly checked vitals, stopped the bleeding, and delivered her placenta as she brought baby to her breast. Tears filled my eyes as I watched them; This miracle of life never becomes routine.
We started meds and vitamins for both mom and baby and left them as their bonding began. We did daily checks on them until they were thriving and healthy. Our smiles and joy are wide when one more mom and baby are safe and healthy.
This week, a Mangyan friend called us to come to the mountains to help his neighbors, Sandy and Larry, a beautiful Mangyan couple having their first baby. We were called to their hut two hours after baby was born. He was still laying between her legs, wet and cold. He was alert, eyes hungry. Her placenta had not yet come, and they were wise to call for help. Baby was dried and bundled against his mama's breast.
Upon examining Sandy, I realized that her uterus was now closed, the placenta trapped inside, and she was in imminent danger of hemorrhaging (the number one cause of death in the developing world in women of childbearing age is post-partum hemorrhage).
We gave Sandy an injection, stabilized her, and sent her to the hospital, 1.5 hours away. She began to hemorrhage when she was in the hospital, had surgery for a placenta acreta (A placenta that has grown into the muscle of the uterus), had multiple bags of blood transfused, and she lived.
We just hiked into her village and did a postpartum check, and praised Jesus for life... beautiful life.
Over the past twelve years, we have seen so many of the statistics. We have walked with, touched, held, cried, prayed, and worked hard to save, so so many.
We've fought an uphill battle to build trust, educate, and continually encourage entire communities to pursue wholeness, get early care for their families, to have a birth attendant at every birth, to come for help when something is wrong.
I've prayed through tears and clenched teeth countless times while holding a dead child.... NO. More. Death.
Slowly but beautifully, as we build relationship through respect and honor, we are seeing fruit growing on these trees.
Others have come way before us, planting seeds of faith and wisdom in these communities, and many will come after us. We want to be faithful in every slow, small, steady step we take.
We are overjoyed with every heart that is transformed, every body that is healed, every family that learns to share love, every baby that breathes to live another day.... because it is all Grace and not at all my victory.
For the past month or so, our team has been diving deep into Grace; unpacking and searching-out the inner workings of this thing that is the pillar and tenet of our faith, yet so elusive if we're asked to pin down exactly what it looks like in our lives...
We started out pondering, and then plunged and plumbed depths we've never known, tasted, or understood before. This Grace cannot just be learned just through reading, but must be tasted, experienced, marinated-in.
This Grace we're offered comes in crashing waves and oceans from our Father, and we're invited to enter it's depths and never leave them, but so often we think Grace is just how we come to Jesus for salvation.
We take this one-time dip in it's mysterious waters, dry off, put on our boots and take over from there with our own efforts and self-righteousness.. We turn this lavish relationship of Grace into a performance based, striving-filled, tenuous thing. We sing about it's amazingness while climbing mountains with a lead-weight load of our own burdens breaking us in half and stealing our breath.
I've come to realize that for so long I've had not a clue what it actually means to Grow in Grace and Continue in Grace as Paul encouraged us to... it's becoming really clear why there have been so many seasons of burn-out, emptiness, exhaustion marking my journey: I left the Ocean of Grace and walked a path of I-got-this, or God-needs-me-to-do-this.
I need His grace like air, and when I lean into Him and realize that nothing about this life is what I bring to it, I can begin to grow and continue in Grace because I'm resting in it. Our good Father is lavishing Grace on you today... He has a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light, and it's just the right size for you. Come on in....
For the past four months, we have had a beautiful 26 year old girl names Jessa living with us. She is from an island far south, has no immediate family, and we are honored and filled with Joy to be her family. She is in her third recurrance of Leukemia and battling for her life. We have found a doctor for her here, and are taking her to the hospital (1.5 hours away) several times a week for treatment. The doctor has flippantly said that she has a 1-2% chance of surviving more than a few months, so giving her care is pointless, but we are praying for miraculous healing, and life and know that she is worth fighting for.
In between chemo session, we are also doing injections and IV infusions in our home, as well as plant-based alternative medicine. We're battling for Jessa, and thanking Jesus for His healing that He is bringing to not just her body, but her heart and soul. The finances needed for her care are mounting, and we are peaceful, know that God has brought her to us and He always provides. If you would like to give towards Jessa's care, we would be so grateful!
We continue to carry on with the beautiful relationships God has given to us; our living room home fellowship on Sundays is bursting at the seams, with growth and life. Francis is in the mountains daily, walking beside pastors and Mangyan brothers and sisters, and discipling, treating broken bodies, encouraging hearts. He serves like Jesus..
We are still buying truckloads of rice to give away each week, because there are still so many that are hungry. We will continue until the need ceases. Our team is doing community health-care, checkups, education, and discipleship.
We are also asking for your prayers as we follow God's leading and choose which land to purchase so we can begin building our maternity and ministry center soon! We're excited to step out in wild faith and see what God is doing.
As I write this, two of our three children are sick with high fevers and body pain.. We are in the middle of the biggest surge of Corona virus since this pandemic began and we continue to treat patients every day. Please pray for healing and protection.
We pray for you all so often, and thank God for you- the team of witnesses, encouragers, intercessors, and givers that hold us up. We feel your prayers. Thank you.....we're so grateful for you!
Grace and Peace,
Francis, Leah, Julia, Avea, and Justice Daytec
RSS Feed
