If It's A Boy!
It just dawned on us the other day what a miracle it is to have Melody, Mercy, John and Miracle! Oh yes, all the children are a miracle blessing from God, but the fact that we did not shut up the womb after the birth of Amy is truly an amazing thing. I hope someday Adria can write up the birth testimony of each child. That would make twelve major chapters of our life’s work.
Paul after 48 hours labor arrived in this world via a home birth in a small apartment in a factory warehouse being used as a mission station by scores of youth in Bromley, Kent, England.
Regina born in a quaint birthing clinic in Carcassonne, the south of France. Ginger, or Laila as is her Arabic name, born at home in a little white dome stone house just a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean in Zarzis, southern Tunisia.
Aaron born at home in Malta on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex in Mosta, Malta.
Then our fifth child Faith, born in a friend’s home with a midwife in attendance in Anaheim, California—our first American born baby.
Then along came Evie Dawn born Christmas Eve in the wee hours of that icy cold morn in Cleveland, Tennessee. Also a home delivery with a midwife attending.
And two years later our own dear Mary Ruth came to us via a home birth on another freezing cold day in Northern Arkansas, another home delivery! Thank You Jesus! Then between Mary and Amy we lost a child in Laredo, Texas as Adria overdid on the mission field of Monterrey, Mexico.
Leaving the border town and heading to Victoria, Texas Adria became pregnant with Amy Grace. We had planned a home birth out in our nice homes amongst the rice fields of Katy, Texas (extreme West Houston). We had two midwives attending this birth.
I had received a call on Friday April 22 and had to leave the charge of our weekly youth meeting at Grace Chapel Church to another and sped toward our home in Katy to attend the birth of our eighth child.
At midnight Adria was growing tired and her body was not cooperating with the process. Our Chinese doctor who does not believe in home deliveries drove 60 miles round trip to check on us and concluded, “You must come to the hospital to have this child!”
We had never heard this word “hospital” in regard to Adria and babies! It all sounded so strange! The midwives did their best and with a great disappointment we put Adria in the car for the long drive to Memorial Hospital on US Hwy 59.
This was a new experience for us and we were later very grateful for all the Chinese Christian doctor’s foresight! Adria was exhausted with all her hours of labor and her cervix was swollen and would not dilate. Little if any progress was being made to bring forth this child.
Soon, we found ourselves in the operating/delivery room holding Adria’s hand in prayer as nurses and helpers scurried hither and thither. I tried not to notice all this activity, but rather to focus on my precious wife and awed at her yieldedness to God and life!
For the first time perhaps the real seriousness and depth of sacrifice this dear woman had had for me and her God really dawned on me. She had been laying her life down for me for years. I never realized the implications of all these births. We always just felt, “Oh, that’s Adria, she’ll pull through somehow, she always does!”
Often when your life is so favored and blessed you forget what a real miracle it all truly is… Well, we were in the midst of being reminded as our attention and focus was solely upon Him at this moment.
The doctor said to us at this most crucial moment, “We are going to have to take this child by cesarean section!” I only knew that meant “ouch”— more pain… I felt so bewildered at this moment wondering if God had forgotten us and why it seemed He was not at my beck and call as always before! Had we offended Him? How?
No time to discuss, Adria was lying on her back before me about to enter surgery as we held her hand! They had already given her a spinal block to try to see if the labor would progress, but to no avail.
Then much to our surprise and amazement, Dr Tsai then said, “I think 8 children is enough, if you will allow me I can fix her so this will be your last child, and at no extra charge!”
What?! Our resolve to have all the children God wanted us to have was being tested….severely! And at such a time! None of this had ever entered our mind. We were supposed to be at home having a nice new bundle of life in our arms with midwives attending, not here among the glaring overhead lights of a sterile hospital! And now to make a split second decision that would affect all of our future and that of other children?! It was all like a dream, a bad dream! What were we to do? Dr Tsai said we should discuss it, but he would need an answer in a few minutes!
For a praying wife and mother I am forever grateful and so are the lives of four precious children today. In my mind’s eye all I could see was blood, pain and disaster all around as things swirled before us. My thought was, “yes, of course, let’s not have any more of this pain. Adria has suffered enough. Eight children is enough! Let’s just get out of this situation and never come back! Okay, anything to keep this from ever happening again! Sure doctor, let’s fix it for good!”
However, my dear godly wife was much nearer the Throne at this moment than I. She was in prayer and communication with Him. I had briefly left to call home and have Mother please pray for us. It was hard to leave her side, but I knew we needed desperate prayer! Thank God for someone who can lift your situation to the Lord at times like these—one at a distance, not so emotionally involved in the crisis, one who knows how to connect with heaven on your behalf!
That done, I rushed back to Adria’s side and she said… “If it’s a boy! The strain and the stress had worn us so we were willing to call it quits with this childbearing odyssey. I couldn’t believe it! But it was true—our time had come and that’s all the faith we could muster…. “If it’s a boy”. We told the doctor, “If it’s a boy you can tie her up,” we agreed.
In a few minutes I saw a little baby being lifted out of my wife’s body—(thankfully they had put up a small tent from her waist down and I saw none of the actual surgery). There was a lot of blood it seemed, but when the nurse announced a baby girl we were overjoyed, “and healthy.” she added. Dr Tsai turned to us and said, “Well, what is your decision? You have only a few minutes now to tell me. We can make this your last visit to the hospital!”
I looked once more at Adria and her sweet dove eyes, so tired, yet joyful and she said to me, “If it’s a boy!” I then boldly looked the doctor in the eye and said, “She’s a girl, we said okay only if it’s a boy, so put her back together just as she came in! Thank You.” He was dumbfounded that we should resist such a logical and generous offer, but God had spoken and we dare not go beyond the Word of God!
I can’t tell you how thankful I am to have such a loving, caring, self-denying wife! She truly is one of God’s greats. How she held up during this ordeal, I do not know. I was coming apart. Maybe I was going by sight and loosing my faith, but the Lord never leaves nor forsakes us and is forever “a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46)
Now each time I hug or hold little Miracle or noble John, or hug sweet Mercy or lively Melody or precious Amy, I am reminded of the power of a word from heaven…..”If it’s a boy” I am forever grateful and thankful for the prayer over the phone and the word of wisdom.
For the rest of the story you’ll have to ask Adria.
I do want to mention also I can’t tell you how nice it was to see the faithful smiling face of Pastor Sit who came to the hospital just after this experience. He took me out to Denny’s for much needed break and breakfast and comforted us with many encouraging words as only a true pastor can.
As an addendum to this on going story, Dr Tsai has been used by God to help deliver 3 of the next 4 children born after Amy Grace! He even helped name the next child Mercy Katharyn in honor of one of his favorite women of God, Kathryn Khulman. When Adria was pregnant with John he said, “You need 17 like Susannah Wesley!” He had a complete change of heart and turn about and prays for us to this day and occasionally sends a love gift. God Bless him.
to be continued…
PS: If this brief chapter in our life story has been an encouragement to you, please let us hear from you. We plan to do more of the same as “The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad” Psalm 126
Paul after 48 hours labor arrived in this world via a home birth in a small apartment in a factory warehouse being used as a mission station by scores of youth in Bromley, Kent, England.
Regina born in a quaint birthing clinic in Carcassonne, the south of France. Ginger, or Laila as is her Arabic name, born at home in a little white dome stone house just a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean in Zarzis, southern Tunisia.
Aaron born at home in Malta on the 3rd floor of an apartment complex in Mosta, Malta.
Then our fifth child Faith, born in a friend’s home with a midwife in attendance in Anaheim, California—our first American born baby.
Then along came Evie Dawn born Christmas Eve in the wee hours of that icy cold morn in Cleveland, Tennessee. Also a home delivery with a midwife attending.
And two years later our own dear Mary Ruth came to us via a home birth on another freezing cold day in Northern Arkansas, another home delivery! Thank You Jesus! Then between Mary and Amy we lost a child in Laredo, Texas as Adria overdid on the mission field of Monterrey, Mexico.
Leaving the border town and heading to Victoria, Texas Adria became pregnant with Amy Grace. We had planned a home birth out in our nice homes amongst the rice fields of Katy, Texas (extreme West Houston). We had two midwives attending this birth.
I had received a call on Friday April 22 and had to leave the charge of our weekly youth meeting at Grace Chapel Church to another and sped toward our home in Katy to attend the birth of our eighth child.
At midnight Adria was growing tired and her body was not cooperating with the process. Our Chinese doctor who does not believe in home deliveries drove 60 miles round trip to check on us and concluded, “You must come to the hospital to have this child!”
We had never heard this word “hospital” in regard to Adria and babies! It all sounded so strange! The midwives did their best and with a great disappointment we put Adria in the car for the long drive to Memorial Hospital on US Hwy 59.
This was a new experience for us and we were later very grateful for all the Chinese Christian doctor’s foresight! Adria was exhausted with all her hours of labor and her cervix was swollen and would not dilate. Little if any progress was being made to bring forth this child.
Soon, we found ourselves in the operating/delivery room holding Adria’s hand in prayer as nurses and helpers scurried hither and thither. I tried not to notice all this activity, but rather to focus on my precious wife and awed at her yieldedness to God and life!
For the first time perhaps the real seriousness and depth of sacrifice this dear woman had had for me and her God really dawned on me. She had been laying her life down for me for years. I never realized the implications of all these births. We always just felt, “Oh, that’s Adria, she’ll pull through somehow, she always does!”
Often when your life is so favored and blessed you forget what a real miracle it all truly is… Well, we were in the midst of being reminded as our attention and focus was solely upon Him at this moment.
The doctor said to us at this most crucial moment, “We are going to have to take this child by cesarean section!” I only knew that meant “ouch”— more pain… I felt so bewildered at this moment wondering if God had forgotten us and why it seemed He was not at my beck and call as always before! Had we offended Him? How?
No time to discuss, Adria was lying on her back before me about to enter surgery as we held her hand! They had already given her a spinal block to try to see if the labor would progress, but to no avail.
Then much to our surprise and amazement, Dr Tsai then said, “I think 8 children is enough, if you will allow me I can fix her so this will be your last child, and at no extra charge!”
What?! Our resolve to have all the children God wanted us to have was being tested….severely! And at such a time! None of this had ever entered our mind. We were supposed to be at home having a nice new bundle of life in our arms with midwives attending, not here among the glaring overhead lights of a sterile hospital! And now to make a split second decision that would affect all of our future and that of other children?! It was all like a dream, a bad dream! What were we to do? Dr Tsai said we should discuss it, but he would need an answer in a few minutes!
For a praying wife and mother I am forever grateful and so are the lives of four precious children today. In my mind’s eye all I could see was blood, pain and disaster all around as things swirled before us. My thought was, “yes, of course, let’s not have any more of this pain. Adria has suffered enough. Eight children is enough! Let’s just get out of this situation and never come back! Okay, anything to keep this from ever happening again! Sure doctor, let’s fix it for good!”
However, my dear godly wife was much nearer the Throne at this moment than I. She was in prayer and communication with Him. I had briefly left to call home and have Mother please pray for us. It was hard to leave her side, but I knew we needed desperate prayer! Thank God for someone who can lift your situation to the Lord at times like these—one at a distance, not so emotionally involved in the crisis, one who knows how to connect with heaven on your behalf!
That done, I rushed back to Adria’s side and she said… “If it’s a boy! The strain and the stress had worn us so we were willing to call it quits with this childbearing odyssey. I couldn’t believe it! But it was true—our time had come and that’s all the faith we could muster…. “If it’s a boy”. We told the doctor, “If it’s a boy you can tie her up,” we agreed.
In a few minutes I saw a little baby being lifted out of my wife’s body—(thankfully they had put up a small tent from her waist down and I saw none of the actual surgery). There was a lot of blood it seemed, but when the nurse announced a baby girl we were overjoyed, “and healthy.” she added. Dr Tsai turned to us and said, “Well, what is your decision? You have only a few minutes now to tell me. We can make this your last visit to the hospital!”
I looked once more at Adria and her sweet dove eyes, so tired, yet joyful and she said to me, “If it’s a boy!” I then boldly looked the doctor in the eye and said, “She’s a girl, we said okay only if it’s a boy, so put her back together just as she came in! Thank You.” He was dumbfounded that we should resist such a logical and generous offer, but God had spoken and we dare not go beyond the Word of God!
I can’t tell you how thankful I am to have such a loving, caring, self-denying wife! She truly is one of God’s greats. How she held up during this ordeal, I do not know. I was coming apart. Maybe I was going by sight and loosing my faith, but the Lord never leaves nor forsakes us and is forever “a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46)
Now each time I hug or hold little Miracle or noble John, or hug sweet Mercy or lively Melody or precious Amy, I am reminded of the power of a word from heaven…..”If it’s a boy” I am forever grateful and thankful for the prayer over the phone and the word of wisdom.
For the rest of the story you’ll have to ask Adria.
I do want to mention also I can’t tell you how nice it was to see the faithful smiling face of Pastor Sit who came to the hospital just after this experience. He took me out to Denny’s for much needed break and breakfast and comforted us with many encouraging words as only a true pastor can.
As an addendum to this on going story, Dr Tsai has been used by God to help deliver 3 of the next 4 children born after Amy Grace! He even helped name the next child Mercy Katharyn in honor of one of his favorite women of God, Kathryn Khulman. When Adria was pregnant with John he said, “You need 17 like Susannah Wesley!” He had a complete change of heart and turn about and prays for us to this day and occasionally sends a love gift. God Bless him.
to be continued…
PS: If this brief chapter in our life story has been an encouragement to you, please let us hear from you. We plan to do more of the same as “The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad” Psalm 126
