National Health Day in Indonesia

Did you know that 134,000 kids under that age of 5 die each year in Indonesia? That means a child dies about every four minutes, many from preventable causes. For me, the picture above represents that statistic in a very personal way. She is Katarina. She was a patient at Bethesda during the summer of 2006. She had tuberculosis (TB) and other problems. We tried for several weeks to save her life. We inserted a feeding tube and gave her medication for the TB. In the end though, she passed away. There are almost always kids like Katarina being cared for at Bethesda. Being a child under five is hard in Indonesia, especially in the rural areas as the statistic above shows.

Today, November 18th, is National Health Day in Indonesia. This year the government is using the day to promote the health of women and children across the country. They are partnering with organizations like World Vision and other NGOs to try to reach the Millennium Development Goals and save the lives of moms and kids around the country.

Birth Story from West Kalimantan

This is a birth story from West Kalimantan, where I will be serving. A big thank you to Nicky Poarch, who serves with New Tribes Mission who shared this story with me and now you!  

I knew that Biet's mom was going to give birth any day.  I have become close with her three daughters and little by little have been building a relationship with their parents.  Her husband is one of the head shaman in the village, holding close to the animistic ways and making sure these ways are followed especially in their home.  Over the course of Biet's mom's pregnancy, I had bought her some prenatal vitamins, taken her blood pressure, and visited with her.  

Finally the night came when she started her labor pains.  A friend came and told me.  A big dilemma went on in my mind...should I go, should I stay (I'm easily grossed out!)?  Finally, I decided to go.  When I got there, I was surprised at how many people were in the home, in her room, giving her advice, rubbing her feet, rubbing her back, making sure incense was burning, and finally...feeding her a bit of porridge (they say) to help her have strength.  After an hour of sitting there sharing birth stories with the other ladies in the room, Biet's mom's water broke.  After this happened....everything changed!

People started yelling - "OPEN ALL THE DOORS, PULL OUT THE NAIL OUT OF THE DOORWAY!"  They were walking quickly back and forth in front of the room where her Biet's mom was starting serious labor.  They started chanting.  The old lady next to me told me to take the batteries out of the lantern and put them back in.  I knew what she asked me to do and I knew the reason why, but I just acted like I was involved in seeing the birth...

Opening up all the doors, taking out the batteries in the lantern, pulling out the nail in the top of the doorway assures a smooth birth and the child wouldn't tarry in coming out.  Chanting is a way of asking or summoning the spirits.  

The final act was when the mother in law came and broke a glass jar right in front of Biet's mom!  CRASH!  I knew this was also an act done to appease the spirits.  

Finally the baby was born.  Another girl for the family!

If you weren't there praying for me...

were the words I was greeted with when I went back to visit Biet's mom and her newborn daughter.  I discovered then that Biet's mom had a hard time delivering the afterbirth.  I had left the house the night of the birth, soon after the baby was born, I had already been there for three hours.  Before I left I had told several people that the reason I wanted to see the birth was so that I could pray the whole time.  I also told them that I'd continue to pray after I went home (I was leaving early according to them, but I was tired).  

After I left that night, trouble started with not being able to deliver the afterbirth.  They even started down river (in the middle of  the night) afraid Biet's mom would bleed to death.  But almost immediately after getting in the boat, she passed the afterbirth and was able return to her home.  

When I went the following day to visit, she told me that she knew because I prayed that she was alive and the baby too.