Archive for February, 2010

Just a quick note to update folks on the baby. He was born early Monday morning at 1am on Feb 15th – same as Hannah’s birthday! His name is Simon Walter Liddle. Walter is after his grandpa Miller, who served in the Peace Corp in Tanzania in the 1960’s and Monica just thought up Simon and it seemed perfect for him! He is 6lb 10oz and 19″ long and is healthy and well. So is Hannah and Monica is doing well too. I’ll let Monica retell the story later…Our gratitude for all the prayers and support of all our friends and family.

It is February 13, and 2 days away from Hannah’s 6th birthday.  She just lost her first tooth 2 days ago.  It also happens to be 2 days away from Hannah’s little sister/brother’s due date….an unexpected addition to our initial plans to come to Timor last spring/summer.   Pastor Kathy just laughed when we told her our situation (thanks for keeping our secret for so long, Kathy), and said, “Oh, God does have a good sense of humor!”  Teasing that we are handed a lot of things at once: the opportunity to live in East Timor as missionaries, doing the work we felt/feel called to do, and blessing us with another child, at the same time! 

I have received the spread of responses to having a baby here in East Timor, and, for choosing to stay in Lospalos and have a Timorese midwife attend me for birth.   My parents have dealt with the mixed emotions of excitement of receiving a new grandchild, and the disappointment and fear of having me so far away, and in Timor.  I have met many malay (foreigners) here in Lospalos and also in Dili, and they all are a bit surprised that I do not want to go to Dili Hospital to have a baby (even though it is a 5+ hour drive).    It seems that here, in ways, I am dealing with some of the same psychology I dealt with in my practice in Duluth…..fear and distrust of Birth.

To be sure, I am not taking my situation lightly.  I liken the possibility of the need to drive to the hospital in the city of Baucau to this: helping women in Grand Marais, a 2 hour drive from Duluth, and the Big Hospitals with emergency capacity.  Like in Grand marais, there is a small hospital here in Lospalos.  Cuban docs and Timorese staff, including 6 or 8 midwives, are available.  Baucau has resources I might need, but probably won’t.

Mostly, I feel fortunate and blessed that I have had a healthy pregnancy (yes, even here, in the two-thirds world).  In a ddition to the midwife who will attend me here in LP, I will have the support of so many midwives: Jana, Deb, Caralee, Gail, Jacinta, and others.  I appreciate and look for your continued prayers, friends, as the birth day draws near.  Monica