First and foremost, I (with much help from my wonderful husband!) published many new updates to my website! So check it out! www.newbirthmidwifery.com I welcome suggestions and constructive criticism :)
I love being married - when I get discouraged, I have Cullen in my court, fighting for me, and encouraging me like no one else could. When I get impatient (which can happen often since I am not very patient!) he encourages me by reminding me of all the progress I have made in promoting New Birth Midwifery.
I got a lot of great promotional materials for next to nothing thanks to vistaprint's online sale/try things for free deal. So that has been helpful. I have been able to go to coffee shops and other places to put up business cards and informational flyers on midwifery.
But best of all, I have met with 3 moms-to-be about becoming potential clients and those have gone very well. I have a few more to meet with this week before I go on vacation with my family, and I know that personal referrals are going to be the best way for me to really make a go of my business. So - if you know of a mom-to-be who is looking for a natural birthing option who lives within 1.5 hours of me (or who lives in some far-reach country (I will travel to far places to deliver babies!) please tell them about New Birth Midwifery!
On a more personal note, I have been asked to be an advisor for a freshmen cell group at Bethany this year! Julie is their mentor, and having been a mentor at Bethany (2008-2009) I am so excited to be an advisor (basically go to cell groups and do one-on-ones with the mentor each week) this year!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
There's No Place Like Home...
The advantages and and joys and of giving birth where you live.
By Pam England
"I know that I'm healthy and everything's going well with my baby and I know everything's going to be fine."
Those words, uttered by an extremely pregnant Dawn Louro on CBS's Morning Show in February, sound more innocuous than momentous. But in some ways, they are revolutionary. Because Ms. Louro's calm assessment of her pregnancy came only weeks before she gave birth on television, before an audience of millions. At home.
In some circles, laboring or birthing at home is considered quite radical. Most first-time mothers probably doubt that they know enough to give birth anywhere, much less at home. They are surprisingly out of touch with the innate, miraculous processes involved in giving birth. Even though those mothers do not know birth technology either, they know it is out there. Daughters of our technological age, users of cellular phones and computers, understandably have faith in technology.
In addition, women who plan to labor and give birth at home typically get little support and a lot of anxious skepticism from those around them. Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that so few women today give birth at home.
But that may at last be changing and more than 20 years after Mothering first began writing about the possibility and the pleasures of delivering your child in his or her own home. Oprah Winfrey has done shows about alternatives to hospital birth. Chris Bohjalian's book Midwives has been a national bestseller. And then there was Ms. Louro's labor. "I just want it to be in my own home environment," Mr. Louro told the CBS correspondent. "I want to be able to get up, walk around, and have my whole family around me after the baby is born."
As a childbirth teacher, one of my greatest challenges is to inform people objectively about their choices and give them respectful support in their decision-making, so they are not left feeling coerced or guilty about whatever informed choice they eventually make. That is what I wish to do here. Homebirth may not be right for you, for reasons of physical health or personal philosophy. It also may be the perfect choice for you, but one you hadn't considered until now. In a childbirth class I taught recently, the topic arose spontaneously. A couple, one of whom was a physician, said they were thinking of a homebirth. The class erupted into animated discussion, provocative questions, and a sense of hopeful excitement.
At the end, one mother turned to me and sighed happily, "I feel more relaxed just knowing that a homebirth is a possibility," she said, "whether or not I choose it."
IS HOMEBIRTH SAFE?
The Farm is a 1,700 acre commune in Summertown, Tennessee, founded in 1971 by Stephen and Ina May Gaskin. The trained and skilled midwives there have professional consulting relationships with physicians and refer mothers with complications or risk factors to the hospital.
In 1992, a major study compared 1,700 homebirths attended by The Farm midwives to a sample of 14,033 physician-attended hospital births. The findings were dramatic and heartening: The cesarean rate among mothers who received prenatal care at The Farm was only 1.5 percent compared to 16.5 percent in the doctor-attended group. The transfer-to-hospital rate was 13.5 percent. There was no significant difference between the two groups for perinatal death, bleeding, birth injury, or respiratory distress syndrome.
This excellent outcome for those choosing homebirths has been found in other studies as well. In a famous 1977 project, Dr. Lewis Mehl studied birth outcomes from the medical records of 1,146 elective homebirths in the San Francisco area. The results: the perinatal mortality rate among women who elected homebirth was 9.5 per 1,000 births and compared to a rate of 20.3 per 1,000 among California women who gave birth in the hospital. In other words, as Dr. Mehl concluded, "the [homebirth] outcomes were better than average and the complications rates lower than expected."
And then there are the subjective, anecdotal reports from women who have chosen a homebirth. According to a wide-ranging 1992 survey, "91 percent of . . . women who had had their last baby at home said that they would prefer to have their next baby at home, compared with 15 percent of those who had had their baby in a hospital. Among the few women who had experienced both a homebirth and a hospital birth, 76 percent preferred giving birth in their homes."
THE ECONOMICS OF HOMEBIRTH**
Homebirth is significantly cheaper than a hospital birth. But that doesn't mean it will save you money. Why is that? Consider the following: In 1997, a normal hospital birth cost between about $4,000 and $6,000, with a complicated birth costing many thousands more. In comparison, most homebirth midwives have an inclusive fee of about $2,000, which not only covers labor and delivery but also all prenatal care and several postpartum visits.
In some states, homebirth midwifery is covered by private health insurance. Unfortunately most HMOs do not yet reimburse licensed homebirth midwives, which in effect limits consumers' freedom of choice. It is extremely difficult for some people to make a "choice" which requires substantially greater out-of-pocket expenses.
If your healthcare coverage is limited only to in-hospital birth, write the benefits manager at your place of employment; they seem better able to exert leverage on insurance companies and HMOs than can individual consumers. Issues like this also are being considered in some state legislatures. Write a letter to your local representative or call and make your opinion known.
FINDING A MIDWIFE
Rare is the doctor who will actually attend a homebirth. But a few do. To see if any practice in your neighborhood, contact HomeFirst Health Services through their Web site: www.homefirst.com.
It's extremely likely, however, that you'll need to find a midwife to attend your birth. Midwives come in several varieties. Nurse midwives have an RN and have completed postgraduate training at an institution accredited by the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM). Direct-entry midwives have trained as midwives but without obtaining an RN (which is the usual route of entry in many countries overseas, including most of Europe). The Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) has begun accrediting direct-entry midwifery training programs. Two other organizations offer certification to direct-entry midwives: The ACNM and the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM). Not all midwives are certified.
How can you find a midwife who is compatible with your personality and birthing goals? Begin by asking friends or acquaintances who've had a successful homebirth for a recommendation. You can also contact one of the national midwifery agencies for referrals (see below). But most important is to meet and develop a rapport with any midwife you're considering. She will, after all, be key to the success of your home delivery. You should feel you can trust and rely on her. And, as her client, she will probably wish to feel the same towards you.
THE LAST WORD
Almost every homebirth that I have attended has been a profound experience for everyone involved, including me. After the last such birth, I formulated a few principles regarding homebirth. They can, I think, stand as a summation of why the experience affects people so powerfully, and why it is a moment few new parents ever will forget:
- Pregnancy and birth are natural physiological events, so normal birth does not belong in hospitals.
- The natural course of labor is already perfect, and should be interfered with as little as possible.
- Pain is part of an essential and healthy feedback mechanism in labor. Women can learn to cope with it, especially with the proper encouragement and support.
- Medical management of pregnancy and birth should be limited to those which are medically complicated.
- Unnecessary medical interventions complicate normal labor, creating additional risk and the need for more intervention.
- Comfort and security help mothers cope with labor. Comfort and security exist at home.
Pam England is a certified nurse midwife in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she directs the Art of Birthing Doula Training Program. This story was adapted from her book Birthing From Within (Partera Press, 1998). To order a copy, call Partera Press at 505-268-8206 or visit the Web site: http://www.birthpower.com
To Learn More
These are a few excellent books and articles that address homebirth:
Declercq ER, Paine LL, Winter MR. "Home Birth in the United States, 1989-1992. A Longitudinal Descriptive Report of National Birth Certificate Data," Journal of Nurse Midwifery, 1995; 40 (6): 474-82.
Duran, AM. "The Safety of Home Birth: The Farm Study," American Journal of Public Health, no. 82 (3):450-453.
Goer, Henci. Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities: A Guide to the Medical Literature (Bergin & Harvey, 1995)
Hannon, Sharron. Childbirth: A Source Book for Conception, Pregnancy, Birth, and the First Weeks of Life (M. Evans and Company, Inc., 1990)
Mehl, Lewis, et al., "Outcomes of Elective Home Births: A Series of 1,146 Cases," Journal of Reproductive Medicine, no. 19 (5):281-290.
**Editor’s Note: The numbers quoted in this article for the costs of a hospital birth and a home birth are out of date as of 2005. The latest statistics from 2005 (World Health Organization)on a hospital birth are as follows:
• Uncomplicated vaginal birth = $7,000
• Complicated vaginal birth = $9,000
• Uncomplicated C-Section = $12,000
• Complicated C-Section = $16,000
These prices are just for the hospital stay, and do not include doctor’s fees for being at the birth which start at $1,500, and also does not include prenatal care or newborn care.
A midwife in MN generally charges between $3-4,000 which covers everything - prenatal care, newborn care, labs, 24 hour access to your midwife, continuity of care, at least 1 if not two assistants at your birth and more. The only things it doesn’t cover are:
• tub rentals or purchases which can be between $1-250
• Your homebirth box which has all the disposable items you need for your birth like chux pads etc which will be about $75-125.
• Your midwife may also ask that you buy old picnic table liners from a dollar store to put under your tub to protect the carpet, and you will want to have old sheets and towels. (but that is usually purchased for less than $25)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Website!
My new website is up and running! Please take a minute to check it out: www.newbirthmidwifery.comI have now ordered business cards, am in the process of making brochures and researching marketing strategies as to how to get my name out there. P.S. These are not the things you learn in midwifery school, so it's a trial and error basis!
I am renting a booth at this event called "Just Between Friends" in Eden Prairie from August 11-14, and would love to see you there! It's a garage sale put together professionally so it is almost like shopping in a department store but getting garage sale prices for gently used (or sometimes new!) items. Their website is www.jbfsale.com This would be a great place to get some great deals on maternity clothes, baby and kids clothes along with having the chance to talk to me about midwifery, home birth and I'm sure other vendors as well about relevant products or services. I will also plan to have a drawing for a pretty great prize (to be determined) if you come and sign up at my booth.
Hope to see you there, and please remember to check out my website!
Monday, June 28, 2010
A New Start
Some of you know that I was working at a free standing birth center in MN recently. Some of you may not know that I am no longer. It's a very long story, but the jist of it is that it wasn't the right fit for me at this time in my life. It was a time of Cullen and I doing some deep soul searching, talking to trusted loved ones, and praying hardcore about our future.
In the end, we decided that I would be done working at the birth center, and would start my own midwifery business. The peace that came flooding in over the next couple of days after Cullen and I made that decision astounded us. Really, we shouldn't have been at peace with me leaving a steady paycheck and starting a business that in time will be profitable, but in the beginning will mean me needing to take on jobs that pay less than we are used to me earning and aren't steady due to the nature of midwifery and me needing to have flexible employment. But God is abundantly faithful and provides for his children in ways beyond our wildest imaginations, and is proving that to us in the daily walk of life now.
The name of my new practice is New Birth Midwifery. I am really excited about this because it has a double meaning, showing the new birth that we have in Christ when we are born again (2nd Cor. 5:17), but it also has significance for those who do not yet know and believe who I hope to reach out to as well in this business. The fact is that most women still go to the hospital to have their babies. Actually, about 95% do. The hospitals in general are starting to realize that pregnant women are not sick and should not be treated as if they are, however, it is hard to change policies that have been in place for long periods of time. Some hospitals now have "birth centers" in which nurse-midwives do most of their care, this is a huge step in the right direction, however, there are still other options out that that will allow a woman to be more involved in her care, that will gently encourage her to be pro-active in becoming knowledgeable in her pregnancy and birth along with her husband and family.
Of course I could talk about this subject for hours, and write pages on it, and maybe as I continue to write, it will eventually amount to that, but for now, I will sign off on a happy note, knowing that all is well and hoping that if you're reading this and live in MN (within 1 1/2 hours of the Savage area) and are pregnant and want to talk about your options you will call or email me. If you know of someone who you think might be interested in midwifery care, please send them the link to this blog. I will be putting up a website soon, but for now, this will do.
In the end, we decided that I would be done working at the birth center, and would start my own midwifery business. The peace that came flooding in over the next couple of days after Cullen and I made that decision astounded us. Really, we shouldn't have been at peace with me leaving a steady paycheck and starting a business that in time will be profitable, but in the beginning will mean me needing to take on jobs that pay less than we are used to me earning and aren't steady due to the nature of midwifery and me needing to have flexible employment. But God is abundantly faithful and provides for his children in ways beyond our wildest imaginations, and is proving that to us in the daily walk of life now.
The name of my new practice is New Birth Midwifery. I am really excited about this because it has a double meaning, showing the new birth that we have in Christ when we are born again (2nd Cor. 5:17), but it also has significance for those who do not yet know and believe who I hope to reach out to as well in this business. The fact is that most women still go to the hospital to have their babies. Actually, about 95% do. The hospitals in general are starting to realize that pregnant women are not sick and should not be treated as if they are, however, it is hard to change policies that have been in place for long periods of time. Some hospitals now have "birth centers" in which nurse-midwives do most of their care, this is a huge step in the right direction, however, there are still other options out that that will allow a woman to be more involved in her care, that will gently encourage her to be pro-active in becoming knowledgeable in her pregnancy and birth along with her husband and family.
Of course I could talk about this subject for hours, and write pages on it, and maybe as I continue to write, it will eventually amount to that, but for now, I will sign off on a happy note, knowing that all is well and hoping that if you're reading this and live in MN (within 1 1/2 hours of the Savage area) and are pregnant and want to talk about your options you will call or email me. If you know of someone who you think might be interested in midwifery care, please send them the link to this blog. I will be putting up a website soon, but for now, this will do.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Long Delays
Well, it's not even so much of a delay as almost a whole new life I'm writing from now because it's been so very long since I've last written. About a year now I would suppose! I used to be such a faithful blogger (at least once every other day if not more!) while I was in the Philippines, but then I came back to the U.S, and I became a mentor. For some reason, I just didn't feel it was appropiate to share the intimate details of my mentee's lives online...
Anyway, I am writing on the weekend of graduation of my girls. It has been a fun, challenging, wonderful, sometimes hard year, but one that I know has grown and stretched me more than I could have ever imagined. I am so thankful for how it has brought me to a place of even deeper desire for God and readiness to go, do, or wait and stay as He calls.
The pressures continue to abound as to the next step in life, sometimes they are from outside sources, well meaning people in my life who want to know the next step, but other times they stem from my own anxious heart that still has a hard time with the "be still and wait for Him" part. I have always (well for most of my life) been ready and willing to go, but not so excited about the waiting part. It's funny to think that God doesn't do things the way that we expect Him to, and so that means that when we think we are ready, he says we are not, and we need to stay. It's not that he wants to frustrate me with the process, instead he knows the big picture and knows that His plans for me far exceed anything I can plan or imagine.
I am getting married in less than 1 month now, and that to me blows my mind. This time last year, I had just been dating Cullen for one week! And now I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him. I am so blessed. Once again, by my simple obedience to coming back to Bethany, moving back into the dorms that I lived in before as a student when what I really wanted to do was to be overseas delivering babies and taking care of poverty stricken mothers, I was blessed beyond measure. I had no idea that my coming back to the U.S. at that time would mean marriage in just 1 short (and yet looooong) year! It would be so much easier to obey if I knew the blessings that are in store for me, however, if we knew the trials that lay ahead would I also be so quick to obey?
I am in the middle of stressed out madness, busy beyond belief, but in everything God is good and faithful. I wonder though how brides handle the planning process if they don't enjoy planning parties or events? I do enjoy that kind of thing - or I did before I decided to try and plan a "party" for 350 people, maintain and grow a healthy relationship with my fiancee, love God, love my family, love my girls (all 7 of them!), nanny and do all the things that mentors do. If it can burn me out, I feel sorry for those who are not planners by nature.
I feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but I vary between being excited that it is finally visible to being anxious that it is approaching too quickly and I just don't have enough done or figured out yet! Now is the time for little details, and as much fun as it is to figure it out, I would enjoy it so much more if I had more than 24 hours in one day :)
See, now most of you probably have stopped reading by now, and I don't blame you, but as I type I realize just how soothing this is, and how much pressure it can relieve just to write out what is pent up inside rather than trying to find room for it there. And besides, it has been about a year since my last post, so I don't feel too bad.
I go on the mentor retreat tomorrow, and I am very excited about that, it will be a time of fellowship where the old mentors are able to pass on the baton to the new ones who are excited to take our place. After this week, I have a day and a half off before I start my new full time job as the kitchen PT supervisor! It's really because I'm a glutton for punishment I think that I've accepted a job that gives me full time hours for 2 weeks before my wedding, gives me the week before my wedding and one week after off and then back! It is a new exciting adventure that I am truly excited to venture out on, but the timing is crazy. The reason why I have to start now is because the new students (BCOM) arrive on August 24th, and Leah needs me in the position to be completely trained and prepared to accept them and work with them for a week so they know me before I take two weeks off for the wedding. Phew. Good thing I work well under pressure! I've only had 3 or so meltdowns since I've been planning this wedding since February - the unfortunate part is that Cullen has borne the brunt of those, but he still loves me, and for that I count my many blessings.
And here, I will end for now. I hope to blog more often in the weeks to come.
Anyway, I am writing on the weekend of graduation of my girls. It has been a fun, challenging, wonderful, sometimes hard year, but one that I know has grown and stretched me more than I could have ever imagined. I am so thankful for how it has brought me to a place of even deeper desire for God and readiness to go, do, or wait and stay as He calls.
The pressures continue to abound as to the next step in life, sometimes they are from outside sources, well meaning people in my life who want to know the next step, but other times they stem from my own anxious heart that still has a hard time with the "be still and wait for Him" part. I have always (well for most of my life) been ready and willing to go, but not so excited about the waiting part. It's funny to think that God doesn't do things the way that we expect Him to, and so that means that when we think we are ready, he says we are not, and we need to stay. It's not that he wants to frustrate me with the process, instead he knows the big picture and knows that His plans for me far exceed anything I can plan or imagine.
I am getting married in less than 1 month now, and that to me blows my mind. This time last year, I had just been dating Cullen for one week! And now I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him. I am so blessed. Once again, by my simple obedience to coming back to Bethany, moving back into the dorms that I lived in before as a student when what I really wanted to do was to be overseas delivering babies and taking care of poverty stricken mothers, I was blessed beyond measure. I had no idea that my coming back to the U.S. at that time would mean marriage in just 1 short (and yet looooong) year! It would be so much easier to obey if I knew the blessings that are in store for me, however, if we knew the trials that lay ahead would I also be so quick to obey?
I am in the middle of stressed out madness, busy beyond belief, but in everything God is good and faithful. I wonder though how brides handle the planning process if they don't enjoy planning parties or events? I do enjoy that kind of thing - or I did before I decided to try and plan a "party" for 350 people, maintain and grow a healthy relationship with my fiancee, love God, love my family, love my girls (all 7 of them!), nanny and do all the things that mentors do. If it can burn me out, I feel sorry for those who are not planners by nature.
I feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but I vary between being excited that it is finally visible to being anxious that it is approaching too quickly and I just don't have enough done or figured out yet! Now is the time for little details, and as much fun as it is to figure it out, I would enjoy it so much more if I had more than 24 hours in one day :)
See, now most of you probably have stopped reading by now, and I don't blame you, but as I type I realize just how soothing this is, and how much pressure it can relieve just to write out what is pent up inside rather than trying to find room for it there. And besides, it has been about a year since my last post, so I don't feel too bad.
I go on the mentor retreat tomorrow, and I am very excited about that, it will be a time of fellowship where the old mentors are able to pass on the baton to the new ones who are excited to take our place. After this week, I have a day and a half off before I start my new full time job as the kitchen PT supervisor! It's really because I'm a glutton for punishment I think that I've accepted a job that gives me full time hours for 2 weeks before my wedding, gives me the week before my wedding and one week after off and then back! It is a new exciting adventure that I am truly excited to venture out on, but the timing is crazy. The reason why I have to start now is because the new students (BCOM) arrive on August 24th, and Leah needs me in the position to be completely trained and prepared to accept them and work with them for a week so they know me before I take two weeks off for the wedding. Phew. Good thing I work well under pressure! I've only had 3 or so meltdowns since I've been planning this wedding since February - the unfortunate part is that Cullen has borne the brunt of those, but he still loves me, and for that I count my many blessings.
And here, I will end for now. I hope to blog more often in the weeks to come.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
March 2009 Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
It’s March 2009 now, and I have so much to share, I’m just about ready to burst! The most exciting news that I have for ya’ll is that I am engaged to be married to Cullen this fall! We are working out the details on a specific date still, but it’s looking like it will be September 12.
Cullen and I met online last May, and met in person last August when we both got to MN. I had been in the Philippines for 2 years getting my midwifery training, and he had been working as an electrical engineer in South Dakota and had been transferred here. We both were thinking that we would just be good friends, and I was hoping to make the move easier on him by introducing him to a good church (Bethany) and my friends so it wouldn’t be so lonely for him since he was relocating by himself, but God had other plans, and both of us have been very happy for that!
So we had been dating for 6 months, and he went out with my dad to a motorcycle show and at lunch (with my brother present as well!) asked my dad for his blessing to ask for my hand in marriage. I thought he would wait for a while to propose, but later that week, Friday actually, he brought me back to the park where we had first discovered we liked each other and got down on one knee. I was shocked, not expecting it at all, (I knew it was coming, but not so soon) and I was on a steady dose of cold meds so my brain was cloudy, but it was perfect, well except for him not hearing me say yes since I didn’t have much of a voice! But I clarified that quickly.
Another very exciting piece of news that I wanted to share with ya’ll is that Cullen and I will be leading a missions trip to Nicaragua this April! Cullen has less missions experience than I do (well, a lot of people do considering I was raised on the mission field!) and we wanted to do a trip together that would allow us to see each other in the missions setting, and find out what part missions will play in our future.
At first I was having a difficult time recruiting people to go with us, but when I sent out an email to the Bethany students here, all of the sudden I had more interest than I ever thought possible! We now have 10 committed team members, and a possibility for up to 19 total. Wow. God is working for sure, it’s not normal for this many people to be excited to give up their one week of vacation to go share the Gospel, and be His hands and feet.
We are able to visit the city dump and orphanage and get kids excited to come to the camp that we will be hosting for 3 days. Many of the kids we will minister to are not able to go to school because they don’t own the one pair of closed-toe shoes that is required for admittance. We will also be able to help do some construction and medical/mercy ministry to the families that live near the base. Adam and Rachel Todd are the missionaries that run the base, and they are graduates of Bethany.
The total trip cost will be about $950 per person, and this will cover airfare, food, lodging, transportation and teaching/construction supplies for the whole time we are there not only for the team members but also for the kids we will be ministering to.
Even though this team is made up of many Bethany students, most of them have not been overseas yet, and this will be a wonderful teaching opportunity for them as well to understand what missions is like, and help prepare them for their upcoming 16 month internships.
I would now like to close this letter by asking that you consider supporting me and the team either financially or by giving kids clothing, shoes, art/school supplies or sports equipment (that isn’t too big to pack) and also in prayer. If you choose to support me financially, the check can be made out to Bethany Church with a post-it note designating it for my trip to Nicaragua. That way it will be tax deductible. If tax deduction isn’t necessary for you, you can write out the check directly to me. I am attaching a support card which has more specifics for you on how to give.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness to the Lord in all you do, and for loving me and being a big part of my life for so many years now.
Always,
Jenny
It’s March 2009 now, and I have so much to share, I’m just about ready to burst! The most exciting news that I have for ya’ll is that I am engaged to be married to Cullen this fall! We are working out the details on a specific date still, but it’s looking like it will be September 12.
Cullen and I met online last May, and met in person last August when we both got to MN. I had been in the Philippines for 2 years getting my midwifery training, and he had been working as an electrical engineer in South Dakota and had been transferred here. We both were thinking that we would just be good friends, and I was hoping to make the move easier on him by introducing him to a good church (Bethany) and my friends so it wouldn’t be so lonely for him since he was relocating by himself, but God had other plans, and both of us have been very happy for that!
So we had been dating for 6 months, and he went out with my dad to a motorcycle show and at lunch (with my brother present as well!) asked my dad for his blessing to ask for my hand in marriage. I thought he would wait for a while to propose, but later that week, Friday actually, he brought me back to the park where we had first discovered we liked each other and got down on one knee. I was shocked, not expecting it at all, (I knew it was coming, but not so soon) and I was on a steady dose of cold meds so my brain was cloudy, but it was perfect, well except for him not hearing me say yes since I didn’t have much of a voice! But I clarified that quickly.
Another very exciting piece of news that I wanted to share with ya’ll is that Cullen and I will be leading a missions trip to Nicaragua this April! Cullen has less missions experience than I do (well, a lot of people do considering I was raised on the mission field!) and we wanted to do a trip together that would allow us to see each other in the missions setting, and find out what part missions will play in our future.
At first I was having a difficult time recruiting people to go with us, but when I sent out an email to the Bethany students here, all of the sudden I had more interest than I ever thought possible! We now have 10 committed team members, and a possibility for up to 19 total. Wow. God is working for sure, it’s not normal for this many people to be excited to give up their one week of vacation to go share the Gospel, and be His hands and feet.
We are able to visit the city dump and orphanage and get kids excited to come to the camp that we will be hosting for 3 days. Many of the kids we will minister to are not able to go to school because they don’t own the one pair of closed-toe shoes that is required for admittance. We will also be able to help do some construction and medical/mercy ministry to the families that live near the base. Adam and Rachel Todd are the missionaries that run the base, and they are graduates of Bethany.
The total trip cost will be about $950 per person, and this will cover airfare, food, lodging, transportation and teaching/construction supplies for the whole time we are there not only for the team members but also for the kids we will be ministering to.
Even though this team is made up of many Bethany students, most of them have not been overseas yet, and this will be a wonderful teaching opportunity for them as well to understand what missions is like, and help prepare them for their upcoming 16 month internships.
I would now like to close this letter by asking that you consider supporting me and the team either financially or by giving kids clothing, shoes, art/school supplies or sports equipment (that isn’t too big to pack) and also in prayer. If you choose to support me financially, the check can be made out to Bethany Church with a post-it note designating it for my trip to Nicaragua. That way it will be tax deductible. If tax deduction isn’t necessary for you, you can write out the check directly to me. I am attaching a support card which has more specifics for you on how to give.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness to the Lord in all you do, and for loving me and being a big part of my life for so many years now.
Always,
Jenny
Thursday, November 13, 2008
NARM
I just wanted to give a big Praise Jesus on my blog - I passed the NARM (North American Registry of Midwives) examination in October and it is all due to God giving me grace and strength. I am so filled with awe when I think about the journey that He has brought me on and how He has now seen fit to close the official schooling part of that journey (I will always be studying, but no longer in a formal capacity for midwifery) and is allowing me to concentrate on mentoring and discipling the BCOM students here.
Passing the NARM means that I can now apply to be licensed to practice midwifery in any US state where midwifery is legal and where they use the CPM credential as part of the licensing process. I am currently not pursuing getting my MN license because mentoring keeps me pretty busy but I am able to help at homebirths here and there with local midwives in the area and that is wonderful.
Thank you for all your support and faith in me through the past two years of preparing for this test and what lies ahead.
Passing the NARM means that I can now apply to be licensed to practice midwifery in any US state where midwifery is legal and where they use the CPM credential as part of the licensing process. I am currently not pursuing getting my MN license because mentoring keeps me pretty busy but I am able to help at homebirths here and there with local midwives in the area and that is wonderful.
Thank you for all your support and faith in me through the past two years of preparing for this test and what lies ahead.
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