by Elizabeth Carmichael

Dear Charis Family,

Did you know that Iceland is a GREAT place to give birth and getting even better???  This past month I had the privilege of visiting Iceland for the first time, on my way home from the UK and from Ebony.  It was amazing!!!

As we were driving along, viewing the lava landscape, our guide shared with us about a legend about elves who live along the hills in Southern Iceland.  One legend is about a pregnant human woman who was walking through a cluster of rocks nestled against the hills.  These are called “elf houses” by the Icelanders.  Legend has it that the woman went into labor and could proceed no further.  She labored on the side of the mountain until an elven midwife appeared from the rocks before her and delivered her baby safely, thus initiating the first peaceful contact between the elves and humans.

Isn’t that a fun story????

Here is a little piece from Midwifery Today about birth in Iceland.

Please pray this month for more losses in Ebony.  Some of the violence of the past month will greatly impact programs and training in how to effectively teach childbirth education to semi-literate or non-literate women.  Pray for those who are grieving, but also pray for this wonderfully effective training program to pick back up and be championed by someone in country.

Love and prayers,
Elizabeth Carmichael