We waited outside the airport in the crazy scene of people fighting over who gets to help with the bags. There is limited money to be made with each group that flies in, it can get competitive.
While we waited, we were blessed to meet and chat with a Pastor from Canada (near Niagra Falls) who said after years of preaching about getting out of your comfort zone and taking risks for God; he decided it was time to do it himself. He has a blog. I need to find the card we have so we can give you the address. He said his wife took a leave of absence, he quit his job of ten years as a senior pastor, and here they are; working in Haiti.
They are currently running Wall's guest house and leading short term mission teams. He was a cool guy and it is always fun to hear stories of how people ended up here, what works, and what doesn't work; when living and serving here. (There is a ton to be learned from anyone who has been here for a season. Troy and I are clueless newbies, so we soak up the knowlege of those more experienced around us.)
Once we got Mom and Dad loaded up we headed north to the Mission. After a quick tour, we went to eat and then came back in time for church.
As we were pulling out of the Mission a tap-tap drove by. Mme Maxo yelled for Troy to wait. The tap-tap was carrying the mother of Midraine. Midraine is the young lady we have told you about. She miscarried her baby and then got a horrible infection that required hospitilization.
Just last week she had been moved to one of the best hospitals in the country. We had heard from Rony on Friday night that she seemed to be doing well after surgery. When her mother got out of the tap-tap and needed support to walk, we knew something had happened. She was totally grief stricken and could barely make it up to Pastor Rony's gate, to tell him that her daughter died this morning.
I am still sifting out my feelings and thoughts about Midraine's death.
Our family, and the mission team had gone to pray for her two weeks ago, pleading with the Lord for healing. Shortly after that she went to a bad hospital for four days before moving to this good hospital, where she had a hysterectomy last Thursday. Rony visited Friday and came back saying things were looking much better for her.
I found myself saying "Why did we waste those days at the bad hospital?" "Why did she wait so long to get help in the first place?" "Why?"
I kept thinking about the mother, losing her only daughter at such a young age. It was a miscarriage, if they were in the U.S., or any developed nation, this would have been an easily treated medical issue....which just brings me back to the "Why?" of it all.
I don't know the answers to any of my own questions. It is one of those things that you file under the "Not for me to understand," heading. I am sad. To watch this family grieve would make you sad too.
It is hard to understand, as are many things. We are resting in the knowledge that we are not expected to understand ... we are simply expected to show love, be kind, and trust Him with the details. He knows. We don't need to.
Later, Midraine's three brothers came to join the mother and they shared their needs with us. They need to get her body from the hospital, (four to five hours away) they need to transport her to a morgue, they need to buy a coffin, and, they need to buy cement to make a grave.
Haitian culture and tradition is to have a funeral and a burial. It is important to them to properly honor their loved ones who have passed away. All of these things cost money. Of course, money is not something 95% of the people here have. Certainly, they don't have $300-$400 U.S. that it costs to bury their loved ones. The average Haitian makes $1.00 per day. The whole situation is very heavy.
The funeral will be on Tuesday. We all plan to go. We learned that Midraine did believe in Jesus and she did believe that He died for her sin, and she did know Him as her personal Savior. The family knows she is in Heaven, without pain, and without poverty.
We were blessed to be able to help them plan for the funeral and to pray with them before they went on their way.
After they had gone, we went to Sunday evening service. The guys performed the song that Britt and Paige requested they do for Grandma and Grandpa. After church we visited, checked e-mail and played games.
Tomorrow we are starting our day at the rock at 6:30 am and then Troy will put dad to work in the new building and I will put mom to work painting. We will report again Monday night.
May the Lord give you peace and joy as you start your week.
In His Grip,
Tara
