A SORROWFUL & SURPRISING DAY
Soon after waking up and booting up the PC, we received the news that missionary friend, Tom Foltz, had graduated to heaven. This faithful man of God served his Lord well in Tanzania. It is our prayer that Christ would call out an army to fill the space left in Tanzania.
At midday I biked downtown to the ATM so that I could withdraw enough shillings to make a large advance payment on our electric bill, so that the power is not cut off while we are in the U.S. on furlough. As I was peddling back to our house on Lema Road I noticed a large group of people gathered around what appeared to be the scene of an accident. As I got closer to the scene I saw Jennifer and Kaylie Gnuschke in their vehicle peering down into the ditch and culvert where people had gathered. I also saw a motorcycle. I turned my bike around and caught a glimpse of another missionary friend,Troy Gnuschke, sitting near the culvert. It didn't take long to discover that he had been involved in a motorcycle accident. I praise the LORD that he was wearing a helmet. After two visits to the Shantytown Clinic, with a trip to KCMC for x-rays in between, Brother Troy was diagnosed with some fractured ribs.
If you think that is about enough, well... the story continues... As we were pulling into the hospital for Troy's x-rays, I saw Mama Deo. (Mama Deo is the wife of a man who has done some work around the house for us as a watchman, Alfredi.) Alfredi was admitted to the hospital yesterday with dehydration and who knows what else. As a matter of fact I was going to be making a trip to KCMC sometime today to see Al. Well, Mama Deo was in great distress, and I knew what had happened... Alfredi had died just about an hour earlier. So... After I dropped Troy and Jennifer off at the x-ray division of the hospital I found Mama Deo and accompanied her to the morgue to pay for some things and find out when the body needed to be collected. (The family has to take care of everything over here... There are no funeral homes to handle the morbid tasks that are involved with handling a dead body.)
The saddest part of Alfredi's death is that he died with a great deal of fear, bitterness, and superstition. He was convinced that he was poisoned by a pastor and co-worker, which led to his illness. (However, this supposed "poisoning" occured over a year ago.) Furthermore, he and his wife are of the opinion that he was also being bewitched by their enemies.
I made an effort to comfort Mama Deo; however, it is not in my power to provide solace to one who is entrenched in sorcery. It will take a work of God to dispense light and love that will dispel her darkness and hate.