Thoughts on Being a Mum...

...in a 3rd World Country.


When I was first married, we lived in a small studio apartment on my in-laws' property. I mean small...at least by US standards! It was about 400 square feet (possibly a little smaller) and had one small bathroom (no tub...just a shower) and a kitchenette. I learned really quickly how to creatively organize! It wasn't really hard to live there until our son was born (granted, there was no getting personal space in the house nor was it easy to have people visit, but it worked). But once our son was born, we realized how small our place was...and how hard it is when you don't have an actual kitchen in your house nor a washer. In many countries, families live in tiny "houses" but not just with a family of 3 (and 2 dogs)...many times families of 6 or 8 or 10 live in houses smaller than mine!


Not to mention that my house stayed dry when it rained and I had air conditioning and heating and clean water coming out of the faucets!


Prior to Juanito, I would just carry my laundry or my food for cooking into my in-laws' house. After Juanito, I had to try to figure out how to juggle carrying him and laundry the 200 or so feet into the next house. When I was tempted to complain, I had to remind myself that although I had to walk to the washer, I was still walking to a washer...not to a river in which I would have to wash my clothes. And I had a dryer in which to dry them! So if it rained, my clothes would still dry.


And I had to figure out how to give Juanito a nap while cooking and while carrying all my supplies. It was little stressful! I would load Juanito into the stroller and walk him until he fell asleep. Then I would run inside my apartment, throw all the cooking supplies into the stroller and hurry into my in-laws' kitchen. Usually jars and bowls would be falling off as I walked. But when I was tempted to complain about not having a kitchen in my house, I would remember other moms who had to cook over a fire outside.


And at clean-up time I was reminded again of the amazing blessing of water available in my house.


And washing the baby was a challenge too! The sink in our kitchenette was too small to wash Juanito in...and we didn't have a bathtub, so while he was little, I used a baby bathtub, crammed between the kitchen table and dresser, on the floor. I had to carefully fill large cups and dump them into the tub...all the while taking care that I didn't spill the water (it would soak into the carpet and cause the apartment to stink...I found this out the hard way when I forgot to plug the bath and ended up soaking the floor!).


And when Juanito was too large for the infant bath, we had to take a trip to the in-laws...with all the baby bath supplies! But at least I didn't have to wash Juanito outside!


And these are just a few aspects of being a mom in a 3rd world country. I was blessed with an incredible doctor and wonderful hospital when I gave birth...I was blessed with an education as to how best to care for my child (both when I was pregnant and after he was born). I am blessed with freedom of religion. I am blessed with incredible opportunities for Juanito as he grows up! I am blessed with a husband who has a good job and who provides for us. I am blessed with the opportunity to stay at home to care for Juanito. I'm blessed to live in a relatively safe area and that I don't have to worry about Juanito. I'm blessed with doctors readily available for when Juanito is sick. And the list goes on...


I can try to imagine being a mother in a third world country, but I know that my imagination will never even come close to what these women go through every day. Women who raise their kids in a third world country have my deepest respect! And I learn so much from the example of these joyful moms who raise their kids in situations I can't even comprehend and who all the while praising God! May God bless these incredible women.


Writing this reminded me of a few videos that I had watched which opened my eyes to some of the struggles of moms in third world country. I highly recommend taking the time to watch these.

These three videos show Compassion's work in the Philippines. Please notice the living situations of these families--and the joy that they exhibit!







So why am I sharing all this? First, to remind us to pray for moms in third world countries! While living the apartment, I found it easier to remember to pray. Now that I live in a much larger (at least compared to the apartment!) house, with fewer daily struggles, I forget to pray for these moms. Writing this post and reminiscing has inspired me to lift these moms up in prayer again.

Next, I want to encourage you to make a difference! You can help moms in third world countries...one way is through Compassion's Child Survival Program. You can give a one time gift here.

Another way is through buying jewelry from either of these Etsy shops: Conspiracy of Love & Made From Scratch 4 You. They both have beautiful jewelry and donate the proceeds to the Child Survival Program.

Or for $20 a month, you can help support a center. Eric and I help support a center in Lima, Peru. It's so encouraging to hear updates from the project about how Compassion is coming alongside these mothers and helping them!

Let me introduce you to a few projects that you can support:

First, we have the Mae Jan Church Child Survival Program in Baan Klow Tow, Thailand!


"Baan Klow Tow is a small village located in a rural part of western Thailand. People in this community are extremely poor, and the poverty is especially hard on young mothers. Because of the remote location of the village, transportation to the nearest town is difficult. Only 5% of women have their babies in a medical clinic or hospital."

Next, we have the Santa Fe de Yapani Child Survival Center in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.


"In this community, infant mortality is high. For every 1,000 babies, 83 will die. But infant mortality is just one of the many issues for mothers and babies living in poverty northwest of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia. Sixty-eight percent of families only make $156 per month, which is not nearly enough to provide appropriate care and development for their children."

Then we have the Nyaruhanga Child Survival Program in Nyaruhanga, Uganda.


"The average age at which a woman in this area first becomes pregnant is 16 and she has to travel 3km to receive any medical care. The Nyaruhanga Child Survival Program (CSP) is bringing hope to these women who desperately need it. Women and their children who attend the Nyaruhanga CSP receive many benefits."

And finally, we have the Heroes de la Fe Child Survival Program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.


"Mothers in a small community in Santo Domingo get pregnant at a young age. This is due to a lack of education and opportunity. As a result, they are unable to deliver healthy babies. Most of these infants will grow up with inadequate development. They will also be presented with a lack of education and opportunity. The cycle will repeat."

If you would like to see more Child Survival Projects, click here.

All photos are courtesy of Compassion's Flickr Albums.