We’ve just had a surprise visit from a dear, dear friend. We first met Zo Ram Pari five years ago, when she was pregnant and came to the birthing home for checkups. She was here from Myanmar with her husband who was studying at a nearby seminary. Sadly, they suffered a miscarriage, but Pari became interested in learning midwifery to help other women in Myanmar when they went back home.

Midwifery is a key element in a developing country’s healthcare system, especially if it is to meet the needs of the poor. I just want to quote from a recent World Health Organization (WHO) document:

Every minute a woman dies somewhere in the world and many more are left disabled due to pregnancy-related complications, because they lack access to skilled midwifery care. Evidence shows that a midwife or other healthcare provider with midwifery skills offers the most cost-effective, low technology but high quality solution to achieving safe motherhood, a central component of reproductive health. In addition, midwives are crucial to help ensure newborn survival, improve maternal and newborn health and therefore reduce the estimated 7 million perinatal deaths that currently occur each year (http://www.who.int/making_pregnancy_safer/hammamet_call_to_action_2006/en/index.html).

Pari comes from a poor family and has a passion to serve the poor she still lives with and finds herself a part of. Her husband teaches every day and she takes care of their three children (pre-teen to toddler). A meal takes three hours to cook because they use the stalks of rice plants for fuel.

But at night they have knocking on their door, and she whisks away in the dark (she took a flashlight back with her this time to make these night journeys safer) to care for others.

Studying the art of midwifery with us was a bit of a challenge for Pari since she was also learning English at the same time. She spent three years with us and then returned home to Myanmar with her family. We thought we would probably never see her again.

But the seminary her husband studied at brought her back for a women’s conference to speak about how God was using her as a midwife in Myanmar. It was lovely to be together again for more than a week. She told us her stories and her struggles. And we were able to stock her up with medical supplies, thanks to many generous hearts.

At our going-away party for her we had pizza; she’s grown to love it here and can’t get it in Myanmar.