Tribute #1: MY LITTLE GUY
Born somewhere between 2005 and 2007 he lived with his mother and father. His older brother was there, perhaps others. I'm sure as he learned to walk, he learned to work at the same time. Hauling water, gathering fire wood, cooking over the fire, working in the field. I know he loved his sudza (similar to corn flour grits) and dried fish. I don't know when he started to be sick. Too early though, I know that. I wonder if he ever got to be a kid, carelessly playing, learning, loving life? When I first met him I pegged him at age 4. I was several years off-- blinded by his malnutrition, skinny legs, tumored face and broken soul. By this age he likely had already cared for and watch his mother and father die. And then, finally, grandma was called in-- to step up to care for this critically ill child. She did the best she could despite being sick herself.
Dear friends, he wasn't just a sickly child. That's not his story. He was who wiggled into my heart and the hearts of everyone who got to meet him. He had a tenderness, a gentleness that was paralyzed by a disease that held him back. He was so excited to receive an audio player with Bible stories and songs of faith. Within weeks he had all the songs memorized. And in a few months he was reciting a-long-with the 2 hours of Bible stories-- delighted to hear the word of God in his mother tongue for the first time. His grandma never took him with her to church. He listened to his player so much that within a year the speaker was worn out, we replaced it for him. The thing that grieved me so much about my 2 year involvement in his life was that he wanted his situation to be different. He didn't want to not be able to help his grandmother. He wanted to go to school. He wanted to play with friends. Of course he didn't want to be excluded from other children because he wasn't well. He wanted more than anything for his situation to be different. When asked what we could pray for, he requested, "Please pray that I don't have to take my tablets anymore." I cried with him many times because I too wanted his circumstances to be different.
There were periods when we had glimpses of all that he was meant to be. When he was well enough to be vivacious and full of zeal. Like the time when we came to visit and he was "out" but, as we walked to his house we heard his audio player playing and he came running from behind us. Chad called out, "He's coming from behind you." There he was, chasing us down, winded but ready for his visitors. Or, the time that he saw us walking up to his house and he came out of the veranda chanting, "Sister Dara! Sister Dara!" We would sing, we would dance, we colored and told Bible stories. His million dollar laugh and smile was worth anything that I may have had to sacrifice to be in Mozambique and to start a palliative care program.
We sat with him for hours at the hospital waiting to be attended. We fought to get his cardiac situation checked into. The doctors did all they could. Grandmother did the best she could. He gave us memories and confirmed again and again that yes, this work is worth it, even though it's hard.
I didn't get to see him in his last days. He couldn't hold on until we got back despite asking when Sister Dara was returning. He was fully aware of his situation of injustice until his last breath. The morning before he died he told his grandmother, "Vovo, I'll never live old enough to build you a new house (as would be culturally expected of him)" his was tired of the fight. He passed away a couple hours later.
Our team grieves over this lose. My heart will weep for years because of the love I got to experience for this one. And, may I tell you what a blessing it is that one soul from Remer, Minnesota gets to tell the story of one soul in Cafumpe, Mozambique. Two distant worlds with one loving Father-- caring equally for each of us.
My little guy, I'll see you on the otherside! I'm so glad you're no longer in pain. Tell Jesus we can't wait to be with you both and oh, will we dance!
No, he was not a number.
2 comments:
Wonderful tribute Dara. Thank you, your family & co-workers for being there to love he & his family well & to remind the rest of us that though he was far away, he was not a number! Thank you for telling his story!!
Thank you,Dara, for sharing his story, his life with us and for being there for him. My heart broke as I read it but now also rejoices that he is with The Lord. Thank you for sharing Christ with him....he's truly home and living to the fullest now. Love you guys!!
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