Tale of Two Cities

Today I traveled to Nha Trang, a beautiful city up on the coast, where the 2008 Miss Universe Pageant was held. it was a very nice tropical resort city, with many foreigners and European and American 4-5 star resorts. It is surrounded by mountains on on side and the beach on the other. It is a place were foreign wealth comes to play.

We were there to visit another community that had been started by some local families and are now being supported by some sisters and the local bishop. Originally there were 6 familes that felt the call to take the aborted babies and give them a burial. With that came the opportunity to minsiter to the mothers to be and they have ben able to save some of them.

Over the last year, the local authorities have applied pressure to this group to stop and as a result 5 of the families have stepped aside, leaving one couple in their 70s and the sisters to care for 15 orphans and 7 birth mothers. It was very humbling for us to be invited into this couples home, where they house multiple orphans and birthmothers, while also being the primary support for a community home down the road that they have established with the sisters.

While in their house they brought out picture albums, which much to my horror, I quickly realized contained photographs of their lifes work, which is taking aborted babies and giving them a Christian burial. They prepare the little bodies right there in the living room and make little boxes, then in a ceremony, held a couple times a year, they bury them up in the mountains.

Since 2005 they have bnuried over 18,000 of these preciouse gifts.

I have to say that this disturbed me, I have seen some propaganda from the US depicting abortion, but to see a picture of a baby that was aborted and looks to be near term was tough. But I rejoice in those that have been saved and the dedication this couple has made to do this work in the face of danger,ridicule, and personal sacrifice.

Peace