Every day is a gift from God!

Eliphait

Every day is a gift from God….

We first meet Eliphait about a year & a half ago down by the river.. He was a quiet sweet boy who came up to us.  We are white you know & maybe he saw hope in us. He shows us his neck, which is swollen on the right side.  No he didn’t fall, didn’t get injured, just Malad -sick. We saw him again when we returned to live here in Sept.  He just walked up & showed me his neck,  yes it was still there, looked about the same. I didn’t forget him, but just didn’t know how to help or where to go. I did talk to some Drs, but I was new here & adjusting & didn’t really know what to do. Then one day he sought me out – he couldn’t eat – he would vomit & he was having pain. So we had to try to help him – He was so skinny! 

I had a good friend coming to Haiti to work in a hospital with a team in Jan.  We met with the team & had him evaluated. Much prayer was offered up on his behalf. The diagnosis was TB. Better than it could have been – you treat TB with meds for 6 months & your good! He would come by our house often & say Hi – he would come over on Sunday & go to church with us, he would come & just sit. We would pray for healing which seemed slow in coming… but finally after about 4 mo on his TB meds his neck started to decrease........ but then he started to run high fevers & have swollen feet. We would go visit him then, getting lost as we go up ,up, up the big mountain path to his house overlooking the river. 

He became sicker & his mama came one day & said he can’t even walk. He needed a visit to the hospital. Well we never did find out what was wrong because after about 3 days, before any diagnosis was made, she took him home. Yes don’t get me started… I wanted answers. I’m a nurse – what is wrong with our friend. I even emailed some Dr. friends in the states.

Then this Tuesday eve someone came to our door & said “Eliphait died this afternoon !!!!!”  It can’t be true… I had just witnessed a miracle in another girls life today – her life was given back to her from an evil spirit!! 

 God is so good, how could this have possibly happened??

I will try to relay the funeral to you –

We went to visit his mama; up, up, up the mountain early on wed morning. It was about 8am.  I just had to see her. The chairs were set up for visitors would be coming.

The domino table was there too. One old man followed us up the trail – he immediately sat down at the table & the games started. SLAP goes the dominoes. This is what happens at funerals – games being played, usually music blaring on a speaker, food & drink- yes homemade rum –kleren.

As we sat in the chairs, someone offered coffee & bread.. Haitian style.. small cups with sugary sweet coffee. J Mama,  dressed in white-talked to us telling the details. Tears in both our eyes. He had been to the TB clinic Monday for his monthly meds.  The Dr’s looked at him – nothing new. On Tuesday she cooked him lunch – rice & banans   She had work to do – the garden needed weeded –this was their livelihood & survival .

“Thank you mama – it was good” were the last words he spoke to her.

She came back in the house & he was ever so still....... He was with Jesus.

She was frantic – she shook him, she pulled his fingernails...... he was with Jesus..

She was wailing... He was with Jesus   

How could this be??? The shock & grief of a mama. She had 6 other children who had died before him.. How could this be???  Her youngest, her baby, who was supposed to be getting better..

 Bondye konnen   GOD KNOWS .. that was the answer from her friends.. the only encouragement they offered.

Someone came to gather the laundry & take to the river to wash & then returned to hang on the bushes to dry…

Slap goes the dominoes

Soon we were invited to come in the 2 room house to “sit”. The one room, which was where we had always gone into, was where Eliphait ‘s body was laying . We went into the other.. 2 blankets lay on the dirt floor & we sat down beside mama. As tears once again streamed down mama & my faces.. she once again retold the details..

Slap goes the dominoes

This is where she will spend probably the next couple weeks. Friends or family will stay with her & “take care “of her.  Tho I don’t hear many words of encouragement, & not see hugs, & touchy feely going on..Life is hard here.. Death is common..This is life..

Slap goes the dominoes

As we pray with her...hug her...try to share Gods love...Pray for His Peace, the only true comfort .We will return in the afternoon for the “funeral”

4pm was the time for it to be. As we once again head down our side of the mountain & up, up ,up her mountain, the word comes to us that the casket that was gotten was 3” too short! They use a small stick to measure the body & take to the casket store.. well, it was too small. So another trip to town about 2 hours away & then we will proceed. The community was here waiting… sitting on the hillside..

Slap goes the dominoes

The casket finally arrived & the service commenced. Singing & wailing. Praying & wailing. Reading & wailing…..

The dominoes were silent!

Then off we went, back done the mountain to the above ground tomb near the river bed. The bottom of the tomb was dirt & the casket had problems fitting in the space-…. finally after much kicking, shoving & pushing, it made it in & then the end was sealed with a cement wall…

We went on home with much sorrow in our hearts, but knowing this sweet precious boy was healed & resting in the arms of Jesus!

So I remember...Every day is a gift from God....

Every breath is a gift given to me by our heavenly Father......What I do with it is up to me..

Once again the spirit asked me to

   “pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.”    Ish 58:10

2001 - 2013

You will live forever in my heart!