A Picture of Unity

It is amazing how quickly time goes here.  It seems so much happens and then I realize – I have not shared any of this!  We have continued to build relationships with the volunteers and the kids at the OVC (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) project.  It has been so fun to watch the kids become more and more comfortable with us.  They are excited to greet us and call us by name.  Many have become affectionate giving numerous hugs throughout the day.  I love observing and learning their unique personalities.  They are absolutely adorable!

A couple of weeks ago, we learned that a volunteer from the project had passed away.  Her name was Sara and she was only 26 years old.  We did not have the opportunity to meet her, as she had been in the hospital for the past couple of months.  Death is a very common reality for this community.  Volunteers are constantly attending funerals of family members and friends.  It seems to have become a part of daily life here, still painful – but common.  We attended the memorial service and funeral.  I was struck by a couple of things.  At the memorial it is customary to greet and pay your respects to the mother and father separately.  Daryl communicated our condolences to the father as a friend translated.  Tricia, Sabrina and I greeted the mother and offered our deepest sympathies.  The pain in her face was heart breaking.  I looked around at the family members and was absolutely moved by their sorrow.  Sabrina asked if she could pray for her and she agreed.  I couldn’t help but touch the hand of the Aunt who was clearly hurting.  She grabbed my hand and we embraced and cried as Sabrina prayed.  In that moment all cultural differences were insignificant.  All that mattered was the pain that the family was experiencing and the love that bonded us as Christians.  It was so natural to grieve with this family, even though we did not know them.

I was very encouraged by the amount of community support that surrounded this family.  Choirs from several local churches came to the memorial and funeral to pay their respects, grieve with the family and worship the Lord.  What an amazing demonstration of the body of Christ!  It did not matter that these choirs were from different denominations or different areas of town.   Their differences did not keep them from building one another up.  They simply came to encourage and love their brothers and sisters in Christ.  I was struck by the sense of unity.  At the funeral, the pastor did a beautiful job of reminding the family and congregation of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.  That while there is pain and suffering now, there will a time when the Lord will wipe each tear from our eyes.  In the midst of intense grief, there was definitely a sense of hope.  Over those two days, pastors and loved ones spoke of Sara’s faith and how she lived out that faith through serving others.  The overwhelming number of people at the memorial and funeral was evidence that she had touched many lives.  This experience reminded me of our unity in Christ and how much we have in common as children of God.      

As some of you know, I turned 26 on March 20^th.  Needless to say, this was an absolutely unforgettable day and like no other birthday I have had :)  I will write more this week and give details on the fun celebration!!!