Life and Death Before Birth
I received a call on Saturday from E informing me that she felt something was wrong with the baby inside of her and was going to the doctor.  After a time together, the doctor told her the baby had died and that they would need to do a C-section.  As we prayed for her, we really wanted to encourage her to have some sort of a memorial for the baby, as it is almost full term.  She was not sure what they would do.

Sunday afternoon, we were told that she did deliver the baby naturally early Sunday morning and the baby was still alive.  The baby lived for an hour or so before dying.  We are not sure what happened, but the doctor simply said that the baby was quite weak and probably would not have lived even if reaching full term!  We are not sure what this really means.  Maybe this was the doctor's way to "encourage her!"  However, she did have a good day Monday and will go home Tuesday.  

E is concerned about the fact that the whole village is watching her.  She is the longest and most vocal Christian.  Will they see this as the "spirit's" way to get back at her, since she is not making sacrifices to the family spirits?  Is it retribution for all the travel and business that she has been involved in?  How will God be glorified in this time?

• E's prayer is that she would be "human" before them, but also that she herself would grow in the knowledge of God's love and faithfulness to her.
• We also pray that in this busy time of weaving, she could take the needed time off to grieve...something Asian's aren't really good at doing. 
• And lastly, that the sanctity of this little life would be honored. God gave this little life to them. Pray that the truth will be acknowledged in an appropriate and God honoring way - that the baby was truly a person, who now has gone to God's side. Most Thais believe that an unborn baby is a "thing" until it is born.