by Whitney Williams
Post Date:
August 13, 2012

Missionaries 'multiply the Kingdom' with quintuplets

Name: WORLD
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Missionaries Gavin and Carrie Jones took God's command to "be fruitful and multiply" to an entirely new level on Thursday, Aug. 9, when Carrie gave birth to three boys and two girls-a rare set of quintuplets-at a Dallas medical center.

After 27 weeks in the womb, the five babies-Will Edward, David Stephen, Marcie Jane, Seth Jared, and Grace Elise-arrived in less than five minutes, and are all in stable condition. The babies will stay in a neonatal intensive care unit for the next several months until they reach weight, post-birth age, and health markers.

Their weight at birth ranged from 1 lb. 12 oz. to 2 lbs. 11 oz.

"We praise God for His mercy and love in bringing these five new lives into ours," said Gavin and Carrie Jones.

The family, which includes 8-year-old son Isaac, serves as missionaries in Papua New Guinea, north of Australia, where Gavin is a helicopter pilot.

On average, only about 12 sets of quintuplets are born each year in the United States. In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 16 sets of quintuplets.

The Jones family invites those interested to follow the quintuplets' progress on their family blog.

Whitney Williams

Whitney works on WORLD’s development team and has spent more than a decade with the organization in various roles. She earned a journalism degree from Baylor University and resides in Texas with her husband and three sons.