Small World Part II

continued....

Flash forward two months.
Nolan's parents were here visiting for a couple of weeks, and they along with Nolan and the boys went over to a nearby island for the day.  On the boat they met a pearl vendor.  A Badjao pearl vendor.  Not Jakilee.  This man is named Lando.  They struck up a conversation and soon learned he too is a Christian, and his wife is pregnant with their second baby and is planning on coming to the clinic where I work to deliver their baby.  Nolan's parents bought a few sets of pearls.  And Lando gave the boys some cross necklaces.  Nolan and Lando exchanged numbers, and Nolan told Lando he'd tell me to keep an eye out for his wife when she came to the clinic.

When Nolan told me the story later that day I was intrigued and agreed to keep an eye out for the woman.  In the meantime, Nolan and his mom had been to the market, and he came back reporting he saw a Badjao woman who looked a lot like Rosalina while they were there.

Our family with the shell vase

The next day I received a text from my friend who had delivered Jakilee and Rosalina's baby saying she had heard from them that they were coming to the clinic, and they wanted to visit with her and me later in the day.  Small world I thought to myself.  Later in the day I headed up to the clinic to meet them.  I was so surprised to find they had brought my friend and I each a beautiful shell vase.  On the outside I gushed my appreciation and genuine gratitude at their thoughtfulness, while on the inside I was a little embarrassed.  All I did was buy some pearls.  I didn't deliver their baby or go to their village to comfort them in their grief.  But in their minds I had been God's answer for their provision when they needed to pay a hospital bill and for other needs in their community.  Nolan and I have been blessed with the generosity of so many and we often pray that God will help us steward His provision in a wise manner - this is just one of His wise answers.  We could have gotten pearls in any mall or small shop here, but we really felt we should buy from them to help their family.  God knew what they needed.

As we visited at the clinic that day - in my hesitant Visayan - I learned that Lando is Rosalina's brother - and indeed Rosalina had seen Nolan at the market the day before.  (Keep in mind this is a city of 1.2 million people.)  I told Rosalina that I would be excited to meet her sister-in-law at her prenatal appointment, and I would try to be her midwife.  Then I realized, the Badjao don't come to our clinic for their prenatal appointments.  Instead, we have an outreach that goes to their community every two weeks and works with an established medical clinic to provide prenatal care.  They only come to our clinic for the actual delivery.  I am not on that outreach team - but decided to ask if I could join them for the upcoming visit.  The supervisor agreed.

After our meeting I returned home to get ready for night shift.  Lo and behold, about 3 in the morning, in walks a Badjao group with a laboring woman - whom became my patient.  The labor and delivery were easy, and I was pleased to find out that two members of the "support team" were Lando's wife's younger sister and Lando's mom.  The laboring woman - another member of the small Christian community among the Badjao.  What a small world indeed.

So, now I am awaiting our outreach to the Badjao community.  So I guess I will continue this story once again.

To be continued....