Wednesday

Wednesday Recap

It’s after 9 on Wednesday 8/31 here and though we don’t have any electricity or running water our gracious hosts provided us a generator to run a couple hours a day to charge our computers and gadgets plus a bucket of warm water to bathe with which I just took advantage of (it’s a somewhat complicated process that we don’t need to get into here). Last night I spent writing the tribute to our son and tonight after a full day I have a little time to write a little more about today.

Didier and I had some good conversations last night where I opened up to him and shared some of my feelings and heart to him regarding the loss of my son and some of his story and the story of Joseph and Mark that was posted previously on this blog. He is a tender and sensitive shepherd who I felt bad to make cry and told him this morning I was sorry if I made him sad last night when I started weeping unexpectedly. I told him this morning I want him to have joy in the Lord with me, and that we can be sorrowful yet always rejoicing, not grieving like the rest of the world does who have no hope. Josie helped share the story of Mark Joseph’s name and our family heritage (previous blogs) with Annie on the drive as she speaks mostly French, and she got to see Mark’s American family in a photo album we made for her, a bookmark someone at church made in memory of Mark, and a letter Jaime wrote her thanking her for being such a wonderful mother and not to lose heart. I later got to show Didier the same pictures.

Today we visited the Amani orphanage in town, the place where the Wilmarth’s twins were abandoned. Someday I hope to upload a song the girls at that orphange sang for us. We were blessed to begin to give gifts to the orphanage and Didier’s kids to priceless smiles. I also got to hold baby Marie-Claire / Kivren, who they call “Beni” (blessed) who is blessed to be in the process of adoption for another godly couple.

I was also blessed to get to hold my son’s casket, another one who was blessed “of God” (the meaning of his Swahili name Waleza). It was an honor for me to ride in the back of the van with him, to carry him with Pastor Peter, and to bury him myself. I had written out words to share but they were left behind in the car and God gave me grace to share verbally from the heart at the graveside everything from it I felt was important to share, and to urge any onlookers who didn’t know Christ to trust Him today. I didn’t completely lose it until I said the words at the end “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” with perhaps some of the emotion Job had when he said those words by the grace of God.

Didier and Peter then sang a beautiful song, during which by God’s grace I was able to focus on and comfort Annie more than needing comfort, and beyond my hugs and love, the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 was there in His amazing mercy. Not only is there peace and comfort, there is a joy set before us. My tears that had washed over the casket earlier in the car were now wiped away by God, and as I knelt to kiss and embrace the son I never got to hold, God’s Son was doing even more for me, to Him be the glory.

                                                  Pastor Peter and Pastor Didier singing

Other Evidences of God’s Mercies Being New This Morning:

-          we woke to beautiful African choral music in their sunrise chapel service some 50 yards away

-          the Scripture I had been meditating on last night, Psalm 139:7-16, was playing on Didier’s car stereo as he turned it on for our ride this morning

-          in the Internet café, I noticed a sign above the exit with the words in big letters “God is good all the time.” That certainly proved true today.

It’s nearly midnight now and there’s more to the story but that’s where I must end for now. Please continue to pray … God is working and answering prayers. Pray that Josie and Gabe can get their documents from the embassy very soon (perhaps finalized tomorrow or Friday?). A burden is lifted, and I am ready by God’s grace for what he has for us next to do, in the next page of this chapter. After reading this, I hope you will open your Bible and read Ephesians 3:14-21 and pray for us in light of that passage. There will be more new mercies tomorrow morning (and every morning) from our God of immeasurable love who strengthens the inner man and is able to do exceedingly immeasurably beyond all we ask or think, to Him be the glory.