Presentation
A young girl sat quietly on a bench in the welcome area of the infants in distress office, a tiny baby cradled delicately in her lap. Her young husband sat beside her, twisting his hands as if this whole thing was very unfamiliar to him. I could see the light in their eyes mingled with uncertainty and wonder. One question confirmed what I already suspected.
"First baby?" I asked with a smile. They both nodded.
"How old is he?" I asked, holding out my hands to take him for a moment.
"Seven days."
She had come to our infants in distress office to ask for milk because her baby wasn't breastfeeding very well. With a simple assessment, I could tell that she was producing a more than sufficient supply of milk; she needed some help with latching. With Rebeca's help, we explained the incomparable value of a mother's milk (much better and cheaper than the powdered milk she wanted from us) and that we wanted to give her the tools to help her nourish her baby. After a breastfeeding education session, we gave her a new Avent bottle so that she can express and store extra milk just in case she continued to have latching problems. "Even though we aren't giving you powdered milk," Rebeca said, "we still care for you and your baby. If you have any more problems or worries, don't hesitate to come back. Until then, we will see you in a week and check on how baby is doing."
We learned the baby's name was Presentation, named after the catholic saint on the day which he was born. That reminded Juliette of Jesus' presentation at the temple when he was eight days old, almost the same age as this baby boy. Prompted by their faith and the Holy Spirit, they pulled out a Bible from the desk drawer, turned to Luke, and read the story of Jesus presented at the temple to Simeon, who proclaimed that his own eyes had now seen the glory and salvation of Israel.
Right there in the infants in distress office, the gospel was shared. A baby and young couple were loved and encouraged. Education was given. A clean, quality bottle was shared. A promise was made to be there in times of need. This is the infants in distress program at work.
Pray for us. Pray for the babies enrolled in our program and the families to which they belong. Pray for the many other people who come in and out of the office. Pray for the countless other families and orphans who are still looking for a help and a solution. Pray that God would give us an endless supply of love and comfort to share with these families. Pray that Jesus would shine through and be shared with every person who comes in contact with us. Pray that God would bring us the hungry and thirsty and that Jesus Christ would be known, loved, and adored as the Father of orphans, the one who sets the lonely in families, and the Hope of the world.
"First baby?" I asked with a smile. They both nodded.
"How old is he?" I asked, holding out my hands to take him for a moment.
"Seven days."
She had come to our infants in distress office to ask for milk because her baby wasn't breastfeeding very well. With a simple assessment, I could tell that she was producing a more than sufficient supply of milk; she needed some help with latching. With Rebeca's help, we explained the incomparable value of a mother's milk (much better and cheaper than the powdered milk she wanted from us) and that we wanted to give her the tools to help her nourish her baby. After a breastfeeding education session, we gave her a new Avent bottle so that she can express and store extra milk just in case she continued to have latching problems. "Even though we aren't giving you powdered milk," Rebeca said, "we still care for you and your baby. If you have any more problems or worries, don't hesitate to come back. Until then, we will see you in a week and check on how baby is doing."
We learned the baby's name was Presentation, named after the catholic saint on the day which he was born. That reminded Juliette of Jesus' presentation at the temple when he was eight days old, almost the same age as this baby boy. Prompted by their faith and the Holy Spirit, they pulled out a Bible from the desk drawer, turned to Luke, and read the story of Jesus presented at the temple to Simeon, who proclaimed that his own eyes had now seen the glory and salvation of Israel.
Right there in the infants in distress office, the gospel was shared. A baby and young couple were loved and encouraged. Education was given. A clean, quality bottle was shared. A promise was made to be there in times of need. This is the infants in distress program at work.
Pray for us. Pray for the babies enrolled in our program and the families to which they belong. Pray for the many other people who come in and out of the office. Pray for the countless other families and orphans who are still looking for a help and a solution. Pray that God would give us an endless supply of love and comfort to share with these families. Pray that Jesus would shine through and be shared with every person who comes in contact with us. Pray that God would bring us the hungry and thirsty and that Jesus Christ would be known, loved, and adored as the Father of orphans, the one who sets the lonely in families, and the Hope of the world.
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