CHAPTER 17 FIRST CHILD BIRTH
Without realizing it, Perry and Leries had already spent more than a year serving as missionary nurses at the Advent Medical Clinic in Sedau, Singkawang. Each day brought with it many unforgettable experiences. At the time, Leries was also pregnant with their first child. However, due to the limitations of the village, she was never able to have her pregnancy checked by an obstetrician, since no such specialist was accessible from where they lived. The only doctors available in the entire Sambas Regency at that time were the Head of the Health Department in Singkawang and an army doctor at the military base (Kodim) in Singkawang. Even a midwife had never examined her. The only one who had ever and consistently checked on Leries' pregnancy was Perry himself. Thankfully, Perry had studied obstetrics for one semester and had enough hands-on experience before being assigned to the Advent Medical Clinic in Sedau, Singkawang.
Nine months passed, and the long-awaited day finally arrived—the birth of their first child. That afternoon, Perry took his wife to the Singkawang General Hospital by bicycle. Upon arrival, Leries was immediately taken into the delivery room, where the midwives and nurses at the hospital began examining and assisting with the birth process. As it was late in the day, the hospital became increasingly quiet, and the corridors grew dim due to a lack of sufficient lighting. Perry could only pace back and forth in the hospital hallway, filled with hope and anxiety as he waited for news about his wife, who was laboring to deliver their first child. At that time, he was not allowed to enter the delivery room to accompany her. His heart pounded, overwhelmed by the mixture of excitement over the baby’s imminent arrival and deep concern for his wife laboring alone.
For Perry, those final moments leading up to the birth of his first child were incredibly tense. There was no one with him, and his thoughts were in turmoil—what if something happened to his wife and child during delivery? What if only the child survived? Such fearful thoughts flooded Perry's mind as he waited for the birth.
When night fell, the atmosphere around the hospital became even darker and more unsettling. Leries’ groans from labor added to the tension and confusion Perry was feeling. He felt an urge to burst into the delivery room, but at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to witness such a scene. In the end, he could only sit with his head bowed, praying and surrendering everything to the Almighty God, asking Him to protect both mother and child.
After several hours, the intense tension finally lifted when the delivery room door opened. A nurse stepped out carrying their tiny baby in her arms. The nurse told him that they had been blessed with a healthy baby boy, and that the mother was also in good condition. Everything had gone well, but the nurse reminded him not to visit his wife just yet, as she was still being cleaned and attended to. Perry thanked the nurse and offered heartfelt praise to God for such a great blessing.
He could not stop giving thanks to God for this precious gift. The fear and anxiety he had felt disappeared in an instant. At last, he was able to see Leries once she was ready to be moved to the recovery room. He immediately embraced and lovingly kissed his wife, who had endured so much. The two of them were overwhelmed with joy. All the burdens they had faced—at work, at home, and throughout the pregnancy—vanished in that moment, replaced by happiness.
Perry gained a valuable life lesson from this experience. In the past, whenever he was sick, many friends would come to visit and offer support. But now, he and his wife had to go through everything alone. Normally, patients would be taken to the hospital by ambulance or by car. This time, however, it was his own wife—heavily pregnant—who had to be taken by bicycle for a 10-kilometer ride to the hospital. Praise be to God, nothing went wrong, for the Lord always watches over His servants who minister to the people.
A week later, his wife and newborn son were discharged from the hospital in good health. They returned home the same way they had come—by bicycle. His wife’s condition recovered quickly, and the baby also grew strong and healthy.
They spent a total of three and a half years serving at the Advent Medical Clinic in Sedau. Their second child was also born at Singkawang General Hospital without any complications. Truly, they felt the abundant blessings of God during their time serving at the Advent Medical Clinic in Sedau. With an average of 30–35 patients a day, Perry and his wife found deep satisfaction in their work. Eventually, they were reassigned to the Advent Medical Clinic in Pontianak.