Death Has Lost its Sting

This Easter was a true day of celebrating all that Jesus has done for us on the cross. But all the circumstances were so wrong today for a day of celebrating our Savior. I don't think I slept more than 3 hours last night, J woke up with a cough & fever, and we were super late to church. Not a great start to any Sunday, let alone this special day that brings LIFE to our faith! However, the day turned out to be a beautiful reminder of what it means to follow Jesus.

How this day turned out to be so beautiful has a lot do with what we've been going through on a daily basis with the construction. We have been getting to know some of our neighbors near our soon-to-be-home and orphanage. At first, whenever we passed by, even when we would say hello, no one in the family would respond. They would look right passed us as though we didn't even exist. This went on for a few weeks. Later, our van got stuck in the sand right outside of their house. We asked for help and a shovel and the whole family refused and sat back to watch me and Phil struggle to push the van out until we finally were successful.

A few months later, we were walking past the house when we noticed the family's friend had a car. His car, like our own many times before, was buried in the sand. We didn't wait for them to ask - we shoved and pushed the car out, and reminded the family that it's always good to help each other, after all we are neighbors!

Since that day, the family would say hello and help push our van out anytime we are stuck in the sand. (We seriously need to invest in a 4x4 vehicle!!) We occasionally bring gifts for the family - like vegetables they don't grow or a bag of rice or juice - and they occasionally invite us to eat beans & rice with them at lunch time. Our relationship is developing and we are slowly planting seeds about Jesus.

About 6 weeks ago, we learned that one of the children of the house is extremely ill. She isn't really a child - she's 21 - but if you saw how emaciated and weak she is, you may think she's no more than 10 or 11.

The family explained that she first became sick about 4 months ago with malaria and she never got better. This is the story we believed until we saw her today and took her to church. The moment my eyes met her weak body this morning, I had to bite my cheek to hold back the tears. Her breathing was extremely labored and she had no energy. She couldn't walk at all. She looked much worse this morning than the very first time we met her.

I carried her into church after watching her mom struggle to get her out of the van, and I don't think she weighed as much as Jadon. We prayed and prayed for her, and concluded that she is now our daughter. We must help her. After all, Jesus said to love God first, and then love your NEIGHBOR as yourself.

At church, both mother and daughter decided to follow Jesus. Our pastoral staff talked with them and prayed with them, and both agreed to come to church whenever possible. It was so beautiful to watch a mother, desperate for hope, jump right into knowing more about Jesus and committing her life to follow him! Even though the daughter was so weak she had to lay on the floor of the church, she said yes, she wants to know Jesus more. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing hope in the eyes of the hopeless, life in the eyes of the lifeless.

After church, we begged both mother and daughter to let us go to the hospital, possibly to test her for TB, but the mother said no. It's not TB. The daughter said, "I'm positive." We asked if that meant she has HIV. With the last bit of strength in her body, she moaned and shook her head yes. The mother explained that she has to have medications everyday at the hospital for 2 1/2 months, but they haven't been able to do so consistently because of the transport money - 50 meticais per day, approximately $0.88 - less than a dollar. The cost is too great for the family to bear.

This girl literally can not walk from the car into the house. I carried her 3 times today and it was like carrying Jadon. I could feel every bone in her body. I can't help but cry and cry over this beautiful girl. She is ours to care for, and we'll do anything we can to help. We've already arranged reliable transport for her daily so she can get her medications, and we're committed to praying for a future for this new daughter of ours. We see her daily, and we will continue to do so until she begins to get her strength back.

Please pray with us that God will give her back her strength and that the medications will work on her weak body, to give it life again. With people, there are so many things that are impossible, but with God, ALL THINGS are possible! After all, is this not the very reason Jesus laid down his life? He died so we can live!

On this resurrection day, Jesus showed us to have no fear, because he is ALIVE. We have no fear for the future of this new daughter because Jesus has already overcome death and death has FOREVER lost its sting.

***********Note: As you can see, I didn't post a picture of our neighbor here. I don't think she needs anyone to gawk at her, we just need to pray. God will do the rest. When she is in a better state, I'll ask her permission to use her photo so I can introduce you to her properly.