Born at home—away from home

If you’re new, welcome! That little video shocked me - almost 4 million views in a couple days… thank you so much. You can read more about what we’ve been up to on this trip in Mexico here, here, and here.

What a miracle we have to celebrate this week. A tiny, enormous one. And part of the sweetness of it comes from a tough choice we made a couple months back.

You’ve heard me talk about my friend Benny - host, chef, gardener, tour guide, and one of the kindest, most lovable humans you’ve ever met. He makes everyone feel like you’re his best friend. I met him eleven trips to Mexico ago, in April 2024, on a weekend missions trip I almost didn’t go on.

Helen and I instantly fell in love with the people here, including Benny.

But after a few of these 13-hour drives across the border into the desert with two little restless toddlers strapped into their car seats, I must confess that I began to harbor a bit of reluctance. No one ever forced us to go - we always volunteered because we felt attached to these dear people. But I was battling my own selfishness. I’m just being honest.

Then something shifted in me after our trip here in January, the longest one yet.

My in-laws, who help pastor our church and have led this work in Mexico, felt called to move here to Chihuahua for the summer. When I heard it, I knew we had to go with them. Not because they asked, but because I knew we were needed. I realized how small my sacrifice had actually been - a tiny fraction of what our parents and grandparents gave up when they left comfortable lives to build the place where we were raised. Everything changed after that. I got excited about Mexico.

Then came the bigger decision: where to have the baby.

Helen was due July 10th, right in the middle of the trip. I wanted her to feel completely comfortable, and was ready to bring her back to Texas for a month if that’s what she needed.

Some friends of ours from Texas had a baby here in January. They ran into a bureaucratic nightmare getting the passport sorted, but after multiple attempts they got through it, so we knew it could be done. Our midwife wasn’t an obstacle - Helen’s mom, who delivered both our other boys, told us she’d happily deliver it in Texas or in Mexico, where she’d already be for the summer.

So the decision was ours.

A few days later, Helen came to me with her mind made up. God had given her these verses which settled it deep in her soul:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you… When you pass through the waters, I will be with you... Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43)

She radiated with confident faith that God had spoken a promise over this birth in Mexico, and we could trust Him. I was already fully on board. It felt like a privilege, not an encumbrance - a step of faith in solidarity with a group of believers rising up like a road in the wilderness, a river in the desert, serving those who so desperately need it.

So this past Saturday - six days before her due date, after spending the night in Benny’s beautifully restored home - Helen began having contractions. She thought they might pass, but just after we climbed into bed to sleep, they kicked into high gear.

When the clock struck 10:48 pm, July 4th, our baby boy was born. He cried immediately - the sweetest sound a parent can hear at birth. Fireworks exploded in the skies of our home country, celebrating her 250th birthday hundreds of miles north, while we celebrated our third son’s first breaths. A wave of gratitude and awe washed over me in that little bedroom in the desert of Mexico.

He was born at home - away from home.

Lucas and Ezra are already deeply in love with their little brother, though Ezra especially has to be restrained for fear that his affection becomes dangerous. I can’t wait to see all three of them one day soon, dressed in matching overalls and boots, just like my older brothers and I were as kids.

We named him Benjamin Wesley.

Wesley, in honor of my Uncle Wes - and the Wesley brothers, whose lives and message helped change the course of Europe and the rest of the world forever.

Benjamin, in honor of my brother Ben - and my dear friend Benny.

—isaac

P.S. Helen is recovering wonderfully, and we’ve already scheduled our appointment with the embassy in Juarez. We appreciate your prayers that everything goes smoothly with the process of obtaining his US passport. I’ll keep you updated.