Wonderful News!

Our highlight this week had nothing to do with our mission. On Thursday, March 31, our daughter Mia gave birth to twin boys! You will understand our intensity of our joy better after I explain. 

In December, after waiting three months, we finally got our visas, allowing us to travel in two weeks to Taiwan. We were excited and happy. Just days later, Mia began to have problems with her pregnancy while visiting family in Idaho. The doctor there told her that "Baby A" was doing fine but "Baby B" was badly positioned and dangerously low on amniotic fluid. He initially told her that "Baby B" would likely not make it, which would cause her to lose both babies in miscarriage. He said that she could just wait for them to die, or abort them. 

With this dire outlook, we drove her to her home in California. There, she went on immediate bed rest, relying in faith on Heavenly Father's care. Friends and neighbors helped, and her family rallied around, as Mary, Katie, John and Fabi, and cousin Mykal Urbina travelled to California to babysit Max (age 3) and Maddie (age 2). 

As soon as her doctors would allow, Mia was hospitalized so that the babies would have the best chance of survival. Our family all joined in the effort to support her and the babies; spiritually with lots of prayers, and temporally by taking Max and Maddy into their homes. Andrew and Ashley, Katie and Sam, Mary and Matthew and Paul and Melissa all took turns, which helped immensely. Cody, already stretched by an intense schedule as a resident doctor worked even harder for his family. 

As each week passed, we grew ever more hopeful that the babies would be able to survive and be born without severe developmental problems. After 31 weeks, they would wait no longer, and labor began on Thursday. The doctors delayed as long as they could, and then rushed Mia into the O-R for an emergency Caesarean Section operation. Thankfully, the babies were born without complication just one minute apart. "Baby A" (3 pounds 14 ounces) will be named Andrew and "Baby B" (3 pounds 8 ounces) will be Benjamin. Benjamin was intubated for only one day, after which he joined Andrew on CPAP, which is normal for premature babies. Our hearts soared as we learned the news and got to see the precious newborns via a Marco Polo video from Cody as he visited Mia and the babies in the neo-natal unit. All the family rejoiced with prayers and tears and laughter. Praise be to God for this "tender mercy!" 

I said that this had nothing to do with our mission, which is true except for the deep wish that we were "there" to help during this difficult period, both during the pregnancy and in the weeks and months ahead. With two young children and preemie twins, Mia and Cody will need help. Fortunately, they have a good support system but, oh, how we wish we were there! 

But, we firmly believe that Jesus Christ has called us to serve here in Taichung, and while this is very difficult for us to be unable to help them directly, we trust that as we continue to serve faithfully, He will continue to bless the Darrington family.

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