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Learning the Heart of Our Father… plus update

A Layne Post

Anaya is 12 days old today. Her presence in our lives is already both a blessing and a challenge. Just when my tiredness starts to take over, when it is 3 am and she is wanting her awake time, when I feel twinges of pain reminding me of my labor; Anaya wakes up and gives a little half smile, or giggles in her sleep, and my mercies are renewed. I am filled with more love and ready to lavish it on her. I explained to Anaya during one of our diaper changes how I am beginning to understand the heart of God our father even more because of her.

When I have to let her cry a little, because I know in the long run I am shaping her to be a self-assured and independent…

When I sit outside her bedroom door and ‘collect all her tears‘…

When I desire to pour all the knowledge I have into her…

Those are some of the exact things the Father does/desires for me. This little girl, Anaya, who burst into our lives on the 22nd of February is teaching me so much in such a short amount of time. I told Jon the other day, “You just can’t be selfish with a baby.” It is my love for her that motivates me to keep going, to keep giving. I am so thankful that the Lord loves me in such a way, that even when I am off schedule, off the ‘right path’, His love motivates Him to keep caring for me; to keep cleaning me up. And just when He is getting tired, the morning comes, and His mercies are renewed.

Anaya Hosanna. She causes me to look to God and give a shout of praise, just as the meaning of her name promised. It is my prayer that her life and presence may do the same for many others along the way.

Our peaceful, content girl

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Jon has returned to his visits to the hospital. Our family there joined in our celebration of our new daughter, as her proud Daddy showed photos from her first week with us.

A precious boy we love very much named Alexandre has been sent home. Jon was able to spend a couple days with him before his departure. He is not better. Our prayer is that he will get home, and the Lord will miraculously intervene and extend his life.  We plan to keep in touch via cell phones.

Alexandre = Best smile EVER

You may also remember Lucia and her father Longo, who went home at the end of January. I wanted to update you that she is still alive, and according to her father, doing well. She still has the tumor in her belly, but seems to be thriving at home away from the hospital and medication. We praise the Lord for this, since we were skeptical even of her survival on the journey home; it is truly a miracle. Her father is happy to be working again and providing for his family. When we speak with him, he is always full of giggles.

As for me, my ministry at the hospital has been put on hold for Anaya’s first few weeks. Soon I will begin pumping my milk, allowing Jon to take an afternoon feeding, and I will make 1-2 visits a week, while Jon remains at home with Anaya. At 5-6 weeks we will take Anaya up to the hospital in a carrier/sling and introduce her to our family there. Unfortunately, due to the sheer amount of people, and the fact that it is a hospital, we will not allow her to be held for another undefined amount of time.  You can pray with and for us to have wisdom in this area as the Lord continues to direct us.

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We love you guys and thank you for your expressed joy and celebration in the birth and arrival of Anaya. We look forward to introducing her in person to many of you in the USA at the end of the year.

 

March 6, 2011
Hospital Ministry, Personal
4 comments

One For The Ages

A Jon Post

8:30 AM Tuesday morning we went to the hospital to see our doctor. It was a quick visit, a heart monitor for Anaya to see if she’s ok in Layne’s womb, an ultrasound to estimate Anaya’s weight (9 pounds 6 ounces plus or minus 1 and a half pounds) and a pill for Layne to take that could start labor within the next 3 days.

9:30 AM – back home, resting, a little disappointed and thinking resigned to thinking we’d have Anaya in our hands tomorrow or the next day.

11:30 AM – Layne’s water broke, contractions started

3:30 PM – Contractions stronger, about 2-3 minutes apart

4:00 PM – Contractions had reached 2 minutes apart and 1 minute long, we went to the hospital

5:00 PM – Contractions were almost without breaks, our doctor started saying we should make our way to a delivery room

5:30 PM – In the delivery room, starting to push

6:10 PM – Anaya Hosanna Heller, born blue as a smurf with her umbilical cord around her neck. After a few minutes of oxygen she was a nice rosy pink, she was crying and looking for mom and some food

Today, 5 days in, we are so proud and content to be her parents. Please pray that Layne recovers quickly from labor. We decided beforehand that Layne would try to birth Anaya without pain medicine and, through great sacrifice and pain, she did it. Because the labor went so quick Layne’s body paid a heavy cost and she is still recovering.

We have been surrounded by friends here who have showered us with support and love as our lives adjust so quickly and dramatically to having our daughter. Meals and visits from good friends have been such a support to us.

Anaya brings so much joy to our lives. Our ministry to her has already consumed us and we see no end in sight. Though we continue to pursue our vision to serve and love the people of Mozambique and to place their lives and needs above our own, even that ministry takes second place to the ministry of parenting our daughter.

Here are some pictures of the first few days of Anaya’s life.

We are so blessed to have all of you praying and loving us as we keep trying to live out the call and voice of the Lord.

Don’t forget to vote in the polls about Anaya below the pictures!

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February 27, 2011
Personal
12 comments

A Post in Anticipation of Another Post

A Layne Post

I just wanted to give you guys a short heads up. Our precious Anaya will arrive this week, whether she comes on her own or by induction. If she has not come on her own by Tuesday, we will be starting an induction process. This does not mean she will absolutely come on Tuesday, however, I promise we will update as soon as we can and will include many pictures of our new larger family.

(Honestly, I’ve tried a thousand times to imagine holding our very own baby and kissing her face… I just can’t get there! It seem so unreal; the anticipation is killing me!)

We appreciate your prayers and support, especially with a few extra challenges that will come with birthing in Mozambique. We are thankful to our faithful God and place all our cares in His lap, trusting His perfect will.

February 20, 2011
Medical, Mozambique
3 comments

Music, Cards, and an Incredible Wife

A Jon Post

Some times it feels like a week flies by but took forever to do it. It’s a weird sensation actually. I’m looking back at this week and it felt long (temperatures at or above 100° with coastal humidity that simply cannot be escaped make time slow to a crawl), but when I think about the days and how many there were it seems like they rocketed by. We’ve been splitting our time between two hospitals instead of the normal one. The extra hospital has been some unplanned appointments where we will be having Anaya. There have been some small concerns about high and low heart rates but by the end of the week she settled down and Anaya’s heart rate was at a steady and healthy level.

We took our guitar to the hospital with us this week. We’ve decided to add music as a regular part of how we bring the love of Christ to people there. We sang some English worship songs that we attempted to translate and sing in Portuguese with our friends there. As we continue we hope to add some Portuguese and Shangaan (the tribal language of this area) worship songs to our list of songs we sing with the patients. When someone is close to death they are rarely capable of conversation and we hope that singing the love of Christ to/over them can bring peace and rest where there is only suffering and pain.

“Show me how you shuffle those cards” he asked with a smile. “I want to learn that”. I smiled back and remembered him teaching me a strange little card game yesterday (sort of a mix between War and Rummy). I had picked up the cards in the middle of the game and offhandedly shuffled them during the game. He had noticed.
His request came at a good time because I had been sitting next to his bed asking the Lord what I should talk to him about next. I had been running out of ideas and suddenly he wanted to learn to shuffle cards.
“Hold them like this…” I began, and spent the next hour laughing, shuffling, and hopefully… just for a bit… helping lighten the load of living in a room surrounded by men dying of the same sickness living in him.
Just by teaching him to shuffle cards.

Valentine's DaySo Valentine’s Day is tomorrow.  I really do like Valentine’s Day. I kind of look at like a challenge.
There are two days per year that I have stark memories of since I’ve married Layne: Valentine’s Day and our Wedding Anniversary.
I hope… I really really hope that I keep making specific, stark memories with her for those two days every year for the rest of my life.
The challenge is finding that thing that I can do with her that I will remember. I also try to give her a gift, not diamond earrings, not flowers, but something specific to her and to the memory that we can keep and look back on.
Tomorrow is a good day. I get to make memories with my wife. Nothing could be sweeter.

February 13, 2011
Hospital Ministry, Mozambique, Personal
4 comments

Relational Ministry

A Layne Post

I apologize that this post is late this week. Kind of feels like it fits my current state of being. =) I am now 38 weeks pregnant, and the last week was a rough one for me.  Thankfully, however, the past few days have felt more ‘normal’ and energy has returned.

Most days last week I felt quite rotten and reluctantly made the decision to stay home from ministering to friends at the hospital everyday but Friday. It was difficult for me; however, I felt the need to listen to my body. When I did return to ministry at the hospital, I was greeted by concerned friends, hugs, and encouragement for the last weeks ahead of me. The women have filled me with plenty of advice for my day of labor! Ha!

How sweet it is to have a such a dear support system there among the patients. That is the beautiful thing about relational ministry, it goes both ways. Jon and I constantly pray to the Lord that we can be a blessing and support to the people at the hospital, and yet many times, we are the ones who walk away encouraged and ready to love the Lord even more.

I will continue to ask for your prayers, as our precious daughter will be arriving soon. I would love her entrance into this world to be surrounded by prayer and the presence of our Lord. I cannot wait to introduce her to you!

February 8, 2011
Hospital Ministry
3 comments
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