-Night Cries-

-Night Cries-  10/15

Where I stay is on the Bere hospital compound. The housing compound is sectioned off from the hospital by a gate. The gate separates me from the hospital, but it doesn't separate me from what happens there. Some nights one may hear faint noises of people far off in the distance. The noises can be from people having a game, fun, or people whaling. Each noise means something distinctly different from the other whether it be joy or pain. On this particular night I went to the SM hut to use the restroom. From the SM hut you can see most of the hospital grounds. When I was leaving the hut I heard noises coming from the direction of urgent care. The noises did not sound like rejoicing but rather grief and mourning. I stood in place so that I could make out what was happening and if my ears were hearing correctly. What I saw was women walking out of the hospital gates in a line. Most of the women were carrying something on their head, which could have been anything from food to clothes. The line of 10-15 silhouettes went off into the darkness of the night. One of the local boys (Papa) came over to see what was happening as well. I asked him “where are they going to go now?” He said “they are going home.” His words were so simple, but yet so powerful to me. They were going home. The fight had been lost. Their friend/relative/stranger had died. They were on their way home without the person that was at the hospital. One of the women was going back home empty without their child/husband/relative/friend. The band of women whaling as they went down the street was a declaration to all that would hear that someone special had died and they would not hold in their grief. Death in Tchad is something that is familiar to a lot of people. Tchad is one of the poorest countries in the world, so with that poverty comes people not having long life expectancies. Many of the women have many kids and hope that at least a few will survive. Whaling in the streets to signify that someone has died is a new concept to me, but it isn’t for them. As I walked back to my hut in the moonlit night I could not ignore what just occurred. My heart felt heavy knowing that someone had just died a few minutes ago. I also felt saddened at the thought that there are so many people that die here so often. I don't know who died. I don't know the story of the persons life. I don't even know if it was a male or female, but I too felt the sting of death. Someone would no longer be able to walk this earth anymore because death took their life. Someone would not be able to express their love to that person anymore. Death seems so final. Death brings with it sorrow and pain. In the US we are hidden from death very often, but here it is very real and apart of life. If you make it to the next year or day then it's a blessing. What came to mind as I was walking was “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:55. Death can have two sides of it. It can be a sorrowful time, yet a rejoicing time. It is a rejoicing time when we know who died, died knowing Christ. Knowing that the person will not have to be dead forever but will be resurrected when Jesus comes back. In heaven it will be the biggest reunion in history and there will be no more goodbyes after that. These thoughts comfort me at this time. When I hear people whaling in the future I will still feel sorrowful, but I will also have a different way of looking at the circumstance.

May God comfort the family of the individual that was lost. May they be able to see His love despite the death.

-Don't wait till its too late to tell someone you care-