April 4, 2013

 Today is Elizabeth’s birthday…number 29.  She also received her mission call papers in the mail…exciting.  She is going to the Texas Dallas mission!!!  We wonder what is in store for her there.  Since she doesn’t like cold, this should be a good place for her.  She was hoping to go foreign and learn a language, but the Lord has other plans for her.  We are excited for her and proud of her. 

This afternoon before we called her, we received a phone call from Sister Cockbain, who is the Relief Society President telling us that Ntombiyakhe, a member of the branch, was having contraction and needed to get to the hospital. Sister Cockbain couldn’t get to her because she was in Bathurst, so we picked her up and took her to the hospital.  We got her there around 1 pm and by 1:25 pm she had the baby.  Rick was in an outer waiting room and I was in a waiting area right outside her delivery area.  The amazing thing here is that there was only one person, a nurse, taking care of her.  She delivered the baby, took the baby to the next room, back to the mom, then back to clean up the baby, then back and forth, etc…..I was the first to hold her.  Yes, a little girl.  The attendant brought her out to me in the waiting area, asked if I wanted to hold her and then just gave her to me, no questions asked!!  A little while later I was able to see Ntombihakhe and give her her baby.  She was so happy and excited to have her finally here. 

 

They don’t really do much with the mom’s to be and new moms.  The room is really quite stark and they are not given any pain meds or any meds for that matter, no IV drip, no monitors.  The lady delivering the baby wore gloves, but there was nothing sanitary about how she did things.  She touched doors and other things before going back to deliver the baby…same gloves.  It is really quite amazing. 

When they say Africa is not for sissy's they really mean it.