Another Wake-Up Call...

Today was yet another day of finding out that someone has passes away.

This morning a lady who lives across the street came to our gate and was gathering mealie meal and or money to take care of her family and her sister's funeral.

One thing that Zambians do very well is take care of each other in times of need and loss. The community has come together to help this family out in their time of need. In America, a funeral is a one day event, here in Zambia, the funeral begins the day the person passes away and goes on until the person is buried. The funeral of my neighbor began on Tuesday. She was a 34 year old woman who was pregnant and had tuberculosis. She gave birth to a baby girl in January. When the baby was 5 weeks old she died of TB. Sprewey passed away on Tuesday from this deadly disease, TB. I also found out that Sprewey has another daughter who is 8 years old who is now without a mother and a sister. Please remember this precious child in your prayers.

This afternoon at 2pm I went to Sprewey's house and sat with about 20-25 of my neighbors. During a funeral the neighbors and friends are to visit the family in the home. All of the furniture is taken out of the sitting room in order that there is enough room for visitors to sit. The ladies all sit in the home in silence or just talk to the family members to share their grief. The men will gather outside the home and they plan the burial.

At 5pm I went back to Sprewey's house to help cook a meal for the family. All of the neighbors pitch in their mealie meal and relish and cook for the grieving family. As I sat around the fire with the women of my neighborhood I realized the love and commitment that Zambians have for one another. As some cooked, others sat and talked, and some prepared bouquets of flowers for the burial. Inside the home the family wept together.

Tonight a fire will be built outside the home and loved ones and neighbors will sing from about 8pm until 5am in remembrance of Sprewey's life. She was a member of the Salvation Army church and no one from the church came, this hurt the family greatly. I pray that we would never forget the importance of being there for those in need or that are grieving.

Tomorrow I will attend the burial, pray that God would use me in a mighty way and that doors would begin to open for me to build relationships with these women in order to share Christ with them.