A friend, co-worker, and brother in Christ died this week. Today we
hold his funeral. Yesterday my wife and I visited his house and gave
some banana bread to the family. This time of mourning is called a
'haus krai' (house cry) and it is similar to a wake, but with the PNG
cultural adaptation. The idea is to focus a time of mourning, getting
the wailing and the tears out during this time.
This community is giving his body back to the village that sent him, and
in doing so, they are thanking that community for the many years of
service this PNG man gave to our organization. The people here chipped
in food and water as very practical thank you to this village who is
also undergoing drought.
When this community pulls together and reaches out in love, is when it
shines. When the chips are down, these people prove to be wonderful and
loving, and incredible.
At the same time, this Monday there was a very important meeting which a
friend/co-worker was going to, and we prayed as a small group for that
meeting. God did a wonderful thing there. The results of that meeting
were well beyond our wildest wishes and it went really well!
(I can't discuss more detail than this.)
But the point is, that even amidst grief, God is still there and
working. Even among discouragement at the loss of a hard working
brother, God brings encouragement in other forms by relieving us of a
large burden.
I do not know the label for the emotion of being in the middle of
relative upheaval, and yet still knowing God has you safely.
But I know it is a very alive place to be. You feel as if you are truly
living life when you live like that.
Ups and downs, good news and bad, faith, acceptance, grief, excitement,
knowing God is in control and working all around you.
It is truly something else.
