Baby News!

Rather than completely re-telling the story here on the blog, I’ll just copy two emails that we sent out to those of you on our newsletter email list. 

 

Sent on May 27^th: Dear Friends and Family back home,

 We are writing you today with some sad news and asking you to pray for our family.  As we are beginning to draft our next newsletter to you all about our lives and work here in PNG, we were anxiously anticipating telling you we would be coming home for the holidays for the birth of our second child.

  We had our first doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon and after three ultrasounds with two different doctors, unfortunately the news wasn't good.  They said that they couldn't find a baby in the sac - just disorganized tissue.  They expect that I'll start miscarrying sometime soon.  So, we are, obviously, very sad and disappointed since we've been praying for this baby for almost a year now, but even in the midst of our sadness recognize God's goodness in that I shouldn't need a D&C (and thus, a medevac to Australia).  I will go for a follow-up appointment on Friday.  Pray for me physically as I walk this road as well as emotionally for both of us.  Please pray for peace and that God would give us another baby when the time is right. 

~ kara (for aaron and titus, too)

 

 

Sent on June 9th: Dear Friends and Family,

So many of you have been praying for us over the past few weeks, regarding the fact that Kara was told she would miscarry, and we sincerely want to thank you.  Your prayers are invaluable to us.

In order to keep you better informed and able to more accurately pray, we are sending this update to let you know what we found out today.

We went to the clinic this morning for Kara to have another appointment since she has not started to miscarry yet.  We were very concerned, because we were told if it took longer than 8 weeks of gestation, the chances of complications and a possible medevac to Australia for a D & C would rise significantly.  The doctor wanted to have an ultrasound taken to see if there were any changes.  What happened next was nothing short of a miracle.

During the ultrasound, the doctor stood, staring at the screen silently - adjusting her eyes again and again.  Today, instead of "disorganized tissue" or a "completely empty" sac that they'd told us about two weeks ago, there was actually something in Kara's uterus.  About the time that she told us that something was in there, two of the other doctors inadvertently came into the ultrasound room as well.  One of those doctors is the resident expert at reading and interpreting ultrasounds.  She took over and moments later, we were seeing a heartbeat from the baby that is growing inside of Kara!  (This is the same doctor who told us 3 weeks ago that we were definitely going to miscarry within the next two weeks...) So, three of the four doctors that live and work here were in the room at the time, all saw the baby, all saw the heartbeat - and according to measurements that the machine can make - everything is normal for a 10 week pregnancy.  We are still pregnant, and barring other unfortunate circumstances, we are still going to be having a baby! 

Please pray for us (and for those of you who have been on this emotional roller coaster with us):
- we are still shocked, surprised, and completely dumbfounded.  We asked the other week if there was any chance they were wrong and they insisted that NO. They'd used two kinds of ultrasounds and had two doctors look before and there was nothing there - Kara should miscarry within a week or two.  This is, without question, a miracle!  The doctors said they'd "Never been so happy to be proven wrong" and insisted that two weeks ago, what was a completely empty sac and thinning uterine lining, now holds a living baby!  Pray for peace and that the reality of a baby, who was not there but now is, will sink in. 
- Praise God for this miracle!
- Pray for the clinic staff who will be taking care of us - that the Lord would continue to lead and guide them - and that the machines would be accurate.
- Pray for the child to be healthy - Kara is concerned because she took some medications last week that, had she known she was pregnant, she would have avoided.
- Pray for our future plans here - getting ready to have another baby can sure change a family's plans - particularly when you have to leave the country to do it!

In shock and awe of our God of wonders (Ex 15:11)...
- the Willems

 

Wow --- isn’t God incredible?!