A God Who Answers Prayers

Having prayers answered is such a rush! Because I think sometimes in the waiting we really have a hard time expecting that God is working, and acting on our behalf. I'm not good at waiting. I am good at worrying.
And what has been interesting about the clinic closure this summer is that I have not been excessively worried about what will be. From the beginning it has been clear that God is so fully in control, that I could not doubt His plans or timing, but that my only posture right now is to trust. And so I have not been consumed with worry, I have not lent much time to it at all. But questions have formed in my mind, wondering how long this could go on. And if my easy expectation of a January departure was simply pie-in-the-sky. I won't tell you that those have disappeared, there are no easy answers.
But yesterday - yesterday we got amazing news, the kind that is so completely orchestrated by God that I can only respond - of course! Of course He was at work, of course He had far better in mind. Of course I can continue to trust Him in these next few months.
Earlier this week the Department of Health officials in Manila met with our staff in the Philippines and admitted that all of the charges they had brought against us were trumped up! All of them! The thing is that several DOH officials have their own "laying in" (birth) clinics that are for profit. And they see the Mercy clinic (not for profit), as competition, stealing from the paying population, rather than giving to the poorest of the poor. But along with admitting the charges - they have given them up, which puts Mercy in the clear!
Here is where we stand now:
- the DOH feels that if we stay where we are we will continue to face a lot of pressure, they are suggesting moving our clinic to another area of the city,
- we are hoping to get the OK to open the clinic temporarily, while we sort out the details of a different location,
- we are working with Filipino doctors and midwives to open a new clinic in Puerto Gelara, an island over,
- the DOH wants to write a memorandum that commits to work with Mercy in the future and to help us run clinics!
So to those of you who have been praying - here is the result of your prayers, your efforts on behalf of the poor!
Now - don't stop, keep praying:
- we want to open our current clinic and provide care for the women of Welfareville, there are still hundreds/thousands of women who NEED a place to be cared for that is safe and free.
- we want to empower the Filipina midwives to serve their people and hope that they can be more and more involved in running these clinics.
- we work with a Filipino doctor who is giving everything to be a part of caring for the poor and he is facing a lot of pressure and embarassment over the state of medicine and politics in his country.
- all of our staff and the medic and children's workers teams will be going to the Philippines in the next few weeks to begin to work and serve, they will be doing a lot of travelling and working with the sick and abandoned.
Thank you - this is your ministry, and God is at work!