October is my most favorite month, hands down. I love the season change, the weather change, and especially the changing of the leaves here in WV. I also am in love with all of the fall movies on the Hallmark Channel. October brings all the feels. October is also National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. I know that some of you may get tired of hearing about this, but it is real. It is hard. It is a part of life that never goes away. It needs to be talked about. Many women and men carry around such hurt and grief that accompanies the loss of a child. If you've known us long, you know all about Baby Faith. But I know we have a lot of new friends, so I would like to share a little bit about her and how she changed our lives for the better.
Faith was our third child, who was diagnosed with a fatal birth defect originally at 10 weeks gestation, then confirmed at 12 weeks. We were relentlessly urged to terminate the pregnancy because there was no way she would survive. We know that God is the creator of life, and He did not make a mistake when He created her. With much prayer, a lot of support, loving doctors, and a God who never leaves us, we continued with her pregnancy, trusting that God would have the final say. Her life would be completely in His hands. We had to trust Him with the outcome. For 9 months, we lived on an unforgiving roller coaster with many ups and just as many downs. There was no way to know exactly how her birthday would unfold, but God knew before He even created her. On May 19, 2011, Faith was born at 39 weeks, with a much more extensive defect than previously thought. There was nothing that could be done for her. I held her in my arms for the 42 minutes that her heart beat. She left my arms and met the Creator, the One who would carry us through the months that followed. While that was the absolute hardest thing I have ever endured, it is also one of the most beautiful. We learned so much about Jesus; about his love for us and for Faith. God taught us, through Faith's life, that every one has a purpose. No matter how short our time might be on this earth, we are each divinely created for a purpose that was set forth by God himself. Every one deserves a chance at life, even if it means we walk the darkest path of our lives. God used Faith to strengthen our faith in Him, to never take a moment in this life for granted, and to live life with a love for people, that they may come to know Jesus Christ. Life is real. Death is real. Jesus is real. The story of Faith deserves so much more than a paragraph, and if you want the entire story, we wrote a book, Our Faith Renewed. You can get it here. I am a terrible salesman, and truthfully, if you would like a copy and the cost is an issue, please email me. I will be happy to send one to you. Our story is a story of Faith, Hope, Love, and LIFE.
The reason I am sharing this with you today, is that our family has a chance to walk and raise money for the Women's Care Center in Parkersburg, WV. The walk is Sunday, October 8th. We are walking in honor and in memory of Baby Faith. Let me tell you why these centers are so important. This particular center, just in the first half of this year, has served 445 patients, given 249 pregnancy tests, performed 173 ultrasounds, shared the gospel of Jesus Christ 174 times, and has seen 4 people give their lives to Christ. They also offer post-abortion help and counseling for those in need. Just as Jesus offers hope, love, and salvation to all, this center is bringing hope, love and the gospel to all. Will you help us be the hands and feet of Jesus here in WV and support our team in the walk? You can give online here. At the bottom of the form, you can specify which individual or team you are sponsoring. We are the registered as Rob and SaraBeth Vaughn {Team Baby Faith}. You also have the option to add "in honor of" or " in memory of".
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Help give these babies a chance at life!
