S. N. BLYDEN/HERALD STAFF WRITER

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Stephanie Williams kisses her 6-day-old baby girl, Gabriele Victoria Williams, who was born in a local church Wednesday. Advertisement

ROANOKE RAPIDS - On Wednesday, Gabriele Victoria Williams made her way into the world, but not at your normal birthing facility. Gabriele was born in a local church, and family members and a pastor say, "She was sent by God."

"Oh, I could not believe what I saw, but the Lord had a plan," said Pastor Gabriele DeBrow of The Good Shepherd Ministry, located at 104 Crumtler Court, as she described the experience that ended with a healthy baby girl being named after her.

"The baby was still in the embryonic sac but I told Stephanie (the mother) to give me one good push and the baby came right into my hands."

DeBrow is a native of Germany who has been living in the United States for 20 years. She said she came into the ministry with God's plan, intentions of helping young mothers with their children and providing as much spiritual support as she possibly could.

"I have given birth to four other babies before and I just let the Holy Spirit lead me to do what I had to do," she said. DeBrow said Williams had already gone to Nash General Hospital in Rocky Mount to check on the baby. Because Williams is 40 years old, she wanted to be around specialists while pregnant with baby Gabriele.

When Williams went to Nash on Wednesday because of continual labor pains, they sent her back home because she had only dilated 2 centimeters and told her to come back within a couple of days, DeBrow said. "But the baby, she did not want to wait."

DeBrow said Williams showed up with another church member ready for labor. "I told her, 'No! You can't have the baby yet, you have to go to Nash.'" The building where they have services is a house, and Williams was placed on the couch.

"So, I'm getting myself together. I am dressed from head to toe and just as I was about to put the spritz on my hair, I heard this scream, 'I think the baby is coming!'" DeBrow said she then rushed from the back room and she and her son, Marcus, laid Williams on the living room floor.

Marcus called 911 and the dispatcher gave delivery instructions to the pair. Still, after the baby was delivered, she did not make a sound. "I had one hand behind the baby's head and the other hand on her behind. I patted her bottom and rocked her and kept telling her, 'Please baby, please cry ... do something, but she did not make a sound," DeBrow said.

"When I leaned her head backwards, I could see that the umbilical cord was crisscrossed around her neck. I told the Lord that it was only me and him and for him to guide me." DeBrow said she pulled the cord over the baby's head and, "That's when I heard a cry that sounded like a little kitten."

"The baby was all cleaned up and that's when the cry got stronger. It was all over from there. I just want to give God the glory," DeBrow said.

"I feel truly blessed that me and my baby are alive," Williams said. "I don't know what I would have done if she (DeBrow) had not let the Holy Spirit use her and having an open ear."

Williams said Gabrielle is doing fine and is expected to go home soon from Halifax Regional Medical Center.