Kids’ Doc in Jos

Wednesday morning we got a wake-up call: a baby had been born Tuesday night, we could come and get her any time. Chaplain Justina of the crisis pregnancy program had talked with Barb the day before when it appeared the baby was coming soon, and Barb and I agreed that we would take the baby while it was waiting for adoption. Baby Tina is the thirteenth baby to arrive in this world with the help of the crisis pregnancy program at Evangel Hospital, called Pro-Life Evangel.

The program was started in November 2004 by Bill and Dorothy Ardill, after seeing many, many women coming to Evangel asking for abortions while we had little to offer besides some counseling. We were not doing abortions, but we did not have a lot to offer these women, either. Many were willing to have their babies, but were pressured by their families and even churches, perhaps indirectly, to “solve the problem.” Since the program went into operation, it has offered free pregnancy testing, counseling and pastoral care, adoption services, support of the new mother and baby with supplies and clothes, housing for needy mothers and post-abortion counseling.The program has just purchased a home where some of the young women can stay for a time, it’s called the Miriam House.

When Barb asked Justina whether the mother was sure about giving up the baby, Justina said yes, the mother’s family was calling the baby “an abomination” and said they would have nothing to do with it. This is the double-standard thinking that so afflicts many churches here and elsewhere, a form of pride focusing more on suppressing the visible results of sin even at the expense of causing more sin and suffering. It’s the same attitude that has caused so much damage in the area of HIV/AIDS. By God’s grace, the hard work of many dedicated people, and the willingness of many to be humbled rather than hidden, the situation on HIV/AIDS has changed in Jos and there is no markedly less stigma than in the past. It’s time to do the same with pregnancy and abortion and, as in HIV, one of the starting points is empowering girls and women, teaching them their worth as God sees them, and helping them learn how to say “no.” [Photo: Justina (left)]

Though I’m not particularly thrilled about having all the stress and strain of another baby for several months (it’s more Barb’s gift), it is truly awe-inspiring to realize that this is a precious little girl who might not have into this world except for the prayers and work of the Pro-Life program, which also depends on people like us who are willing to help for a little while. When our house-helper Sarah heard about the baby arriving she told Barb, “It makes me very happy, because this baby wasn’t just thrown away.”

We’ve named the baby Tina after three special women: Chaplain Justina who has really given everything for this ministry, fellow SIM missionary Christine Rothchild who is one of the counselors, and Dr. Tina Slusher, an American pediatric intensivist who gives up about half of each year to come to serve and teach doctors in Nigeria and other African countries. Baby Tina has been an “easy” baby so far, not too fussy, and the only problem has been that she’s not too interested in feeding. She seems to feel it makes more sense to wake up, cry, take a few sips, then go back to sleep. Barb is already pretty exhausted, though, since she not only has had Tina but quite a few extra commitments last week and this coming week at the end of the school year.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 21st, 2006 at 11:17 pm and is filed under Crisis pregnancy and foster care kids, Mike's jottings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.