Above and beyond all we can hope or imagine…
(Ephesians 3:20-21)

When I boarded the plane for Kenya on March 1, I imagined and hoped for many things—a safe delivery of a healthy baby for the Guya family, meeting local midwives, seeing wild animals in their natural habitat—but my imagination fell far short of what was in store for me there. If I was to start writing about it all now, it would turn into a book. I am not even certain that I have finished processing everything enough to put some of the most amazing things into words at this time. My hope is to share it little by little over time as I am able to wrap my heart and mind around things. I still begin to cry every time I open up my heart and revisit the incredible things I experienced while with the Guya family. There is one beautiful miracle, however, that I am not only prepared to write about, but outrageously excited to share with you.

It starts with a confession: I did not read December’s Charis e-newsletter. It was a very full month for my family after the birth of my grandson and having him, my son, and daughter-in-love still staying in our home; so I rarely got online. Unlike those of you who did read it, I was unaware of the special connection God was creating between Jannekah and Lilian. (If you have not read Lilian’s story in December’s newsletter, take a moment to read it now before you read the rest of my note.)

Before I left for Kenya, I asked Jannekah to choose a birth assistant for me.  She chose Lilian.

When I first met Lilian, I had no idea who she was, other than the fact that she was a friend of Jannekah’s who was interested in birth. The first afternoon Lilian was at Jannekah’s house, just the two of us were there, without electricity, sitting in the dark & talking. Lilian sat between me and the window, so I could barely see her beautiful, dark features, due to the light shining through as the sun was setting. While I listened to her story unfold, however, I saw the beauty God has so carefully painted on the inside of her.

As the weeks progressed and we spent almost every waking moment together, God revealed to me more and more of the beauty within Lilian. God knitted our hearts together and I grew to love Lilian and her son Surprise very deeply. I miss listening to Lilian’s stories (boy, does she have some fascinating stories to tell!), being greeted by Surprise every morning with his bright smile and exuberant, “Good morning, *Shosho Kristin!” in his awesome Kenyan accent, and all the laughing Lilian and I did as we tried to fill Jannekah’s shoes after baby Adali was born. (It took TWO of us to do the work of one Jannekah!) (*Shosho means grandma.)

Lilian told in December’s newsletter about a kind doctor who helped her when she delivered her son Surprise. Unfortunately, that is not the norm in Kenya. Most women delivering in the hospitals can expect to be beaten with a cane for making noise while laboring. There is rarely kindness expressed to birthing women. Because of the impact of her positive experience, Lilian decided she wanted to be the one to be kind to other girls and women when they give birth. Lilian heard the calling to midwifery and has pursued it, even though she is not able to go to school because she cannot afford the tuition and is unwilling to pay bribes to be accepted into Kenyan schools.

When people ask her what she is doing in life, she tells them she is studying midwifery, even though she is not actually enrolled in school. But that is not a lie! She has been studying midwifery on her own in hopes of opening up a maternity clinic in her area. There is not a good birth option in her area and she has answered the call to fill that gap, not letting the huge obstacles in her life stand in the way. You should see her notebook where she has been keeping notes! Lilian asked her friends who are enrolled in school to get some midwifery papers and tests for her to copy so she can learn. In her notebook, she copied, by hand, papers and tests that relate to midwifery, gave the originals back to her friends, and has used a midwifery textbook her friend Pearl gave her for her birthday last year to find answers to the test questions. She has pages and pages of notes.

As I looked over the excellent work she was doing, I couldn’t help thinking to myself, “I want THIS girl in MY school!” I was blown away by her dedication to her studies. There has been no one holding her accountable other than God and I imagine He is very proud of her diligence and dedication under very difficult circumstances. I didn’t say anything to anyone about possibly enrolling Lilian in the Charis course for midwives for over a week because I wanted to be sure I was hearing from God. As time went on, it became undeniably evident that this was a divine appointment and that God wanted to do a miracle for Lilian and her community through Charis. After checking with some people and working out a few large details, we were in a position to offer Lilian a scholarship.

Lilian, who has refused to lower her moral and ethical standards in order to be successful in Kenya (I could write a book about the disgusting corruption rampant there), accepted our offer with enormous gratitude and is now enrolled as the first foreign national in the Charis school. It looks as if Lucy, a Christian home birth nurse midwife in Nairobi we just recently met, may be able to be her preceptor as she goes through the NARM PEP process; so, when it is all said and done, Lilian will have the CPM credential and will be able to open that maternity clinic and serve the precious women and girls in her community who need her tender, skilled midwifery care so desperately.

While we were able to cover Lilian’s tuition with a scholarship, there are still other things she will need that she does not have the ability to purchase on her own. It is not because Lilian is unwilling to work hard. She is honestly the hardest worker I have ever met. The reason she does not have a well-paying job is that she has refused to sleep with someone to get or keep a job. (Remember, corruption is rampant.) She does small jobs here and there, such as helping to bandage someone’s wounds, to make a little money, but it is not enough for much more than keeping up with her growing boy Surprise’s huge appetite. If you would be willing to purchase a textbook(s) or supplies for Lilian, please send an e-mail to administration@charischildbirth.org. I was able to leave her with a blood pressure cuff and fetoscope to start her collection of midwifery supplies, but there is so much more that she will need.

Lilian is getting ready to take a computer class so she will be able to use the laptop computer she is praying for God to provide. (Computers are much more expensive in Kenya than they are in the US.) Until she has a computer, she will do all her work by hand; which means writing everything twice so she can mail one copy to her coach and keep one for herself, something she can’t wait to start doing.

Over the next few years, I hope Lilian will be able to write newsletter articles about her journey so you can get a glimpse of the treasure she is and what a blessing she is to everyone who has the privilege to know her. My heart aches and longs for the next time I am able to be with Lilian and Surprise. Oh, how I wish I could shrink the miles between us!

God was so very good to me in Kenya. The greatest blessings in this life are our friends… and I now have many friend blessings in Kenya. I will forever be grateful to the Guya family for inviting me into their home and their lives. I love all five of them so very much and am extremely honored that they chose me to be the one to receive baby Adali into my hands as she entered the world.

Please continue to pray for the work the Lord is doing in Kenya through Jannekah and Lilian. They are both on the frontlines of spiritual battles and need supernatural strength and protection as they continue to follow God and serve their communities.

Blessings,
Kristin Schuchmann
Executive Director, Charis Childbirth, Inc.