September 2006 Newsletter

Our Third Birthday Glory Reborn is very happy to announce that this September marked the third year anniversary of ministering to mothers and babies in Cebu City, Philippines. In celebration of this anniversary all of the staff and their families shared in a day of swimming, games, and fellowship. With all of our staffs families invited, the party quickly quadrupled in size to be over 80 persons! To add a perfect ending to a wonderful day, four new lives came into the world on our Glory Reborn anniversary date; followed by two more in the wee hours of the morning. I guess the babies were waiting for the perfect day to be born. It couldnt have been a more beautiful Cebu day for swimming and enjoying the life that Jesus has given over the past three years.

…Looking Back…

When I think that Glory Reborn has already been in operation for three years, I am amazed at what we have been able to accomplish and how Jesus has helped us grow. September also marks my sixth year anniversary of practicing midwifery in Cebu City. It was six years ago (September 2000) that I embarked on a journey to learn midwifery in Cebu and serve the poor. I had no idea that these first steps six years ago would lead to celebrating Glory Reborns three years of operation this September 2006. I am reminded of the simple Bible verse that I learned in Sunday school so many years ago, If you have faith like a mustard seed you can move mountains. I dont know that I can say it was totally by faith that I came to the Philippines in 2000, but I know now that every step of the way has been by faith and the grace of God. Being just out of high school and moving to the most dangerous area of Cebu City amongst the gangs and red light district seemed not much like a step of faith at the time but only a wonderful adventure; though Im sure my mom would say that it was more than a mustard seed of faith for her to let her daughter move across the world at 19 years old. Thanks Mom! What I didnt know was that Jesus would use this eagerness to serve the poor as a mustard seed of faith for Glory Reborn to grow from. Sometimes at 3 AM when Im watching a woman labor and my eyes are heavy and roosters are crowing and the disco down the street is blaring, I just have to ask myself, How did I get here? A smile always comes to my face because God has a sense of humor. What you may not know about me (Hilary) as a child is that I told my parents I would do anything God wanted me to do EXCEPT be a missionary! But more than a sense of humor God had a plan, a mustard seed that was planted inside that just needed to be watered. After my time in midwifery school came to an end and I was back in America, I realized that this mustard seed was growing. My heart was still in Cebu. I cant even remember a particular moment that I decided to start Glory Reborn it just always was. At a worship time in San Diego the name Glory Reborn came. With the belief that Gods Glory was placed in each individual and every nation my desire was to see that Glory reborn in the physical and the spiritual. A mustard seed began to sprout in not just me, but also in David. What did God have in store for us in the Philippines? In September 2002 I was back in the Philippines starting the paper work and finding a building for what would be Glory Reborn. I couldnt wait to deliver another baby. It seemed as though I had withdrawals from laboring women in the middle night! Strange but true. My heart was so eager. Filing the paper work and finding the building seemed to be the longest of all my journeys. It was then that I realized this mustard seed of faith. Some days the vision of Glory Reborn seemed so far away. But the Lord was ever at work burning the desire of His heart into mine. The longer it took, the more certain I was that Glory Reborn was supposed to be birthed. My mustard seed of faith was now growing! And then the day finally came in September 2003 for the clinic to open. It was wonderful to be doing births again. It was wonderful to see this mustard seed of faith transformed into a physical building filled with life. And now in just three years these two little mustard seeds have helped to sprout over 857 deliveries.

In my heart Glory Reborn always existed; it just needed some watering for me to see it unfold. This is exactly the hope that we desire to share with each of our mommies and pray over each of their babies. David and I hope that each of you will also be encouraged to water this mustard seed in your own heart and life. Just a few steps out in faith and watch what Jesus can do. He may have you running a full maternity clinic with 18 staff members and over 1,714 patients (if you count moms and babies!)

It is hard to even imagine what could come out of the next three years for Glory Reborn as Jesus continues to expand our vision, but we have great hopes in the things to come. David and I believe it is so crucial to water the mustard seeds of faith in each of our staff members. We are so thankful to Wayne and Carol for sharing in this vision. They will be coming to the Philippines in November to minister to many Filipinos including our own staff. My heart is so excited for what the Lord will do through them to encourage our staff as it was at their worship time in San Diego the name Glory Reborn came to me. We are believing for clear direction for the future of Glory Reborn and for the individual staff members. David and I are also eager to watch our own mustard seeds grow as we officially put our roots in Cebu by moving into a home of our own here. We are truly praying that doors would continue to open for a midwifery school to be birthed here in Cebu as well. We are believing the Lord for a fetal monitor and clinic transport vehicle in the next year to come. Most of all we are eager to continue to see the next hundreds of big and little lives that will be ministered to and birthed through Glory Reborn. One of the most wonderful deliveries Ive ever been apart of happened this month. Rose was a second time patient at Glory Reborn. She had her first baby here in 2004. Now baby girl #2 was coming into the world. As Rose was getting ready to deliver her husband, Ronald, was very interested to be apart of the delivery. Without really thinking I heard the words, Do you want to deliver your baby? come out of my mouth. To my surprise Ronald said yes with a huge smile on his face. We sat on the edge of the bed waiting for baby Trisha Akilah to be born. She emerged beautifully into her daddys hands and gave a good cry. Dad and mom held baby hand and hand with huge smiles on their faces. Later that night Ronald proudly told all our other five post-delivery moms that he got to deliver his own baby!

It couldnt have been more perfect. And after it was all over I thought to myself, thank you Jesus for being like this dad Ronald. Jesus is ever eager to see new life birthed and gently guide us through our first breaths of new air. It is the perfect symbol to our prayer for Glory Reborn in this fourth year. This baby didnt even know how to worry if her daddy would do a good job catching her. No, she just trustfully came, head first, in full confidence that Daddy was there to catch her. Father, teach our hearts to trust You, our Daddy who is always waiting to catch us and watch us grow!

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