We drove with four Lao men into the forest on a very bad road in order to pick up some wood. Just before we got to our destination we noticed two women on the side of the road, a mother and a daughter. The daughter was highly pregnant and they were trying to get to the hospital for the delivery. The young woman, however, couldn’t go any further. They asked us to give them a lift back home.
We decided to drive them the 30 minutes deeper into the forest. We drove as fast as possible on the very bumpy road. The young woman was, of course, thoroughly shaken. We had hardly arrived at her village, when she got out and crouched down beside the car. She was in so much pain that she could not make it into the house. She refused to be carried.
We waited approximately five minutes while I tried to organize some hot water and get the neighbors to prepare a clean spot for the delivery. The neighbors didn’t show any interest in cooperating. Instead, they curiously looked on and talked to the pregnant woman in a language I couldn’t understand.
After five minutes the woman delivered her baby right there beside the car! With the baby still in her skirt she got up and walked into the house leaving a trail of blood from the car all the way to her bedroom. When I saw the baby in her clothing I feared for its life, as I didn’t hear any crying. I called after her, telling her to take the baby out and to make sure the baby didn’t choke. The 19-year old didn’t seem to be concerned. I followed her asking her to hurry up. Finally, I heard the first cry. When she sat down she saw her little boy.
- Please pray for the many babies born each day in Laos. Very few are born within reach of medical care.
- Pray for the young mothers and young fathers in their big responsibility of parenting with the daily hard work of finding enough food to feed their families.
- Pray for the truth and love of Jesus to reach Lao parents and their children.
