From Babes to Babies

Mosmira gave birth to a beautiful little girl this week. Johainna is a blessing to her. They live in a simple concrete house with several other families, and they make a living sewing sari wraps for tourists. They are of Muslim faith. And Johainna was given some birthday gifts which touched the heart of her mother and father so very very much.

Her baby was blessed by the gifts of two little girls across the ocean and living in fairly remote areas of California. They are surrounded by livestock and I think their parents make a simple living and work hard too. They are Christian.

Lexie gave up her very own pink and blue and white handmade baby afghan blanket to send to the babies here. Her mom Rachel brought it to a branding to send with me for the next baby born in the Philippines at the Mercy In Action Birth Center. It was Lexie's 10th birthday that very day.

And Jaycee, 6 years old, sewed a flannel blanket with animals and a beautiful purple satin binding to give to a little baby here. She and her mom Kelly have been talking about the babies since they heard me speak on Mercy In Action at church. And she has a new baby sister at her own home!

So now Johainna has two new blankets and a pink hat that was knitted by another wonderful woman from our church who just came up to me on my last day in California and gave hats.

I am humbled by all of you. By the women's groups who gather and make blankets and hats and gather up clothes and vitamins. By each of you who talk of this ministry and pray for us.

But I am especially humbled and touched by the gifts of the children.

Blessed are those who are pure in heart!

Islands & Orphanages

Lived it on 2/15 but Posted on 3/4/09!

I came back to the Philippine Islands. I was in California for but 5 weeks andhave been back here for 2 weeks. Time has a crazy way of not behaving!

Mercy In Action is starting a new clinic in Calapan City, alongside of an orphanage run by the Ruel Foundation, good friends of ours. We visited on our way back to Puerto Galera. This involved another boat ride where I took picture #1, and visiting with the orphans who are great fun to play and work up a sweat with, but who then freeze when they see the camera.

You can see how healthy they look. And yet in the other picture, can you see the tiny skinny baby Director Pauline is holding? He weighs just 4100g, or 9.04 pounds, and is EIGHTEEN MONTHS OLD. So little Bertie is now on a feeding program to safely bring him up to weight and
is held and loved alot. I am sure the healthy little kids I am holding came to Ruel in the same condition....and the baby girl Nicole Vicki is holding is a child whose brave teenage mother carried to term in spite of the fact that she was conceived because of rape. Nicole is now cared for--and it is a tragedy that so many many birth defects and abandonments happen here, and yet redeemed because people care enough to care for them now and work toward adoption into families who have the heart and means to care for them as well.

So as the sun goes down on Tamaraw, my favorite beach here, please continue to pray for us as we finish our work in White Beach, start anew in Calapan City, and maintain our support of the small dear clinics in the Manila slums.

Yes, thank you for your prayers as we gladly pray for you!

Thank You to Our 2008 Supporters!

From Vicki & Scott Penwell, Mercy In Action (reprinted with permission)

Dear Supporters,

A great big Thank You for your generous support of the programs of Mercy In Action in the Philippines . We could not provide health care, food, and other ministry to the poor without your partnership with us.

In 2008 your donations helped us to do the following:

156 babies were delivered free of charge in our Birth Center in rural Mindoro
65 babies were delivered free of charge in our Birth Centers in urban Manila
We provided hundreds of prenatal exams and baby check-ups
A hat was provided to send home with every newborn
We led a feeding program for malnourished school children in a near-by tribal village
5 babies received care or corrective surgery for cleft palette or neural-tube spinal defects
We trained several medical or midwifery interns in our clinics and birth centers
2 widows raising children were given start-up micro-enterprise funding

And there were many, many other things too numerous to count! All the wonderful relationships with people, the small gestures of friendship and support, the prayers and blessings and small financial gifts, and the rich blessing of helping others out of the abundance that God has provided for us. Sincerest thanks for being a part of this work with us here in the Philippines.

Blessings,
Scott and Vicki Penwell