We have had our doors open for almost six months now, and we praise the Lord and give Him all the glory for all that has been accomplished so far!
Mamas have received excellent pre-natal care, loving attention during labour and birth, spiritual encouragement through God's Word, and careful post-partum and lactation support.
Our Mexican doulas have been thoroughly trained, and have gone far above and beyond the call of duty -- embracing the vision of Casa Compasiva, and showing creativity, initiative, and responsibility. They are wonderful! We are almost halfway through our first year of Bible studies, grounding the doulas and other staff in foundational doctrine and equipping them to be able to disciple others. Our entire staff--from our beloved Mexican doctor to the cook/cleaning lady-- are united in love and respect for each other and for the women we serve.
Casa Compasiva has formed agreements with various doctors, hospitals, and medical labs, allowing us to offer reduced rates for care and consultations that are beyond the scope of our practice. We have systems in place that will allow us to give on-going support to our ladies in the event of complications necessitating their transport to another facility.
The actual physical plant of Casa Compasiva has undergone many changes and upgrades. Although much remains to be done-- and we eagerly await the arrival of Greg Norris, our maintenance manager, to do it-- still the Casa has been transformed into a cozy, homelike yet functional birth facility. In short, miracles are happening at Casa Compasiva as Oaxacan women and their families are experiencing a level of quality care and personal attention unheard of in the current health system. Lives are being touched with the love of God and His message of hope for sinners through the saving work of Jesus is being proclaimed and received!
With all of this good news, what could possibly be lacking? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you in two little words:
prayer and money
Precisely because of our success on a number of levels, the enemy of our souls views Casa Compasiva as a serious emerging threat to his control over Oaxaca. And rightly so! Our purpose has never been to simply improve the birth outcomes in Oaxaca, but has always been to use quality midwifery care as a tool to expand the kingdom of God. A full-blown Casa Compasiva long-term success would have a devastating impact on the stranglehold that Satan has for so long enjoyed here. The implication, of course, is that since Casa Compasiva is a threat, then Casa Compasiva must be neutralized.
“We are not unaware of his schemes”(2 Cor. 2:11), thus we are asking for, pleading for, begging for your covering of prayer over Casa Compasiva.
Some of you have already signed up to be prayer partners for Casa, and yet we have been remiss in not sending you timely updates telling you how to pray. Please forgive us and understand the time constraints under which we are labouring (pun intended). :) We are committed to doing much better in this area of communicating our prayer needs since we are becoming very aware of the opposition pitted against us. “A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (1 Cor. 16:9) So we will try to do better and we ask you who are already partners to renew your efforts, and those who are not yet partners to commit to strengthening our efforts here by your prayers.(Besides the general Casa needs, we must also develop a sponsorship program whereby every woman we serve is covered in prayer throughout her entire pregnancy, birth, and post-partum period. Details on that to follow soon!)
The other little item that we need is money-- lots of money! To date we have been operating almost exclusively on several large-ish gifts from several interested donors, but the truth is that the money is quickly running out. Our income from births has not yet begun to come anywhere near to covering our expenses, although that is certainly the long-term goal. In the meantime, other ways must be found to supply the daily, weekly, and monthly operating costs.
We have never made emotional appeals for funds, preferring instead to allow God to impress the needs of Casa on the hearts of those He has chosen to give. And yet at the same time we feel that we must supply you with the truth of our financial situation, and the truth is that without a fresh infusion of funds very soon we will not make it to our first year anniversary. Truth. So there you have it. If you would like to participate in the on-going growth and development of Casa Compasiva as a vital ministry to the women and families of Oaxaca, then please contact us or check here for information and giving options.
One-time gifts--both large and small-- are needed, as well as committed financial donors who can partner with us on a monthly basis.
As we near the six-month milestone, we rejoice greatly in all that has been accomplished to the glory of God, and we look forward to going on from strength to strength with our committed prayer and financial partners in place. Thank you for joining us!
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