Suffering & Caro's Burial

  Dear Friends,
  Greetings from the land where the sun shines hot and bright. The rains have reduced and it seems the dry season is coming on us. The Christmas season is here and it does not feel like it!
  The church at Lela went through a difficult situation when a member and friend suffered tremendously and died. We wondered why her husband and the family did not step up to the plate and try to at least make her comfortable. We may never understand. We trust she will have a beautiful mansion in heaven that far exceeds her new mud house. We believe she was ready to meet her Maker.

Clara, Caroline, and Glenda at Caroline's new house. 

Glenda ministering to Caro several hours before she died.

Maurice, Caroline's husband

We went to the Maurice's dala the Sunday after she died and had a short service there

Peter is marking the grave with Maurice looking on.

Collecting the coffin from the manufacturer

Loading the coffin to head to the mortuary

Waiting for the body to be placed into the coffin

A time of viewing at the mortuary

Yes, this is the mode of transportation - on top of the van.

Here we come! There was much wailing and crying as we carried the body. Notice the people on the side.

We have safely arrived and were greeted with a tremendous amount of wailing. And we wonder.... Where was this multitude of people while she was still living. One church brother told me, "Our culture loves dead bodies.", when I asked where the people were while she was living.

Inside the house, Maurice is at the end of the coffin.

Young men digging the grave

Viewing outside the house

Caroline was often at church early when she was well. She would hold Elliot and love him since she had no children of her own. This was the second burial that has made an impression on Tiffany.

There was a time of singing.. and some of the ladies were there for the wake. It rained a lot and was very, very wet on burial morning.

At the burial

Maurice on burial day wearing his Wytheville Metals shirt with our nephew Lyndon's name on it.  

Elliot at the burial!

Caroline was a part of the Lela choir. The choir sang at the burial. 

Bringing the body to the tent before the church service begins... The Pastor of Lela church had the message and the Bishop conducted the graveside service.  

Yes Tiffany, her body is in the ground like Wellington's. 

People eating after the burial. The sky was getting dark, and some people hurried away trying to reach their homes before the downpour. Unfortunately, some did not make it before the rain came.

We returned to the dala the following Wednesday. Again, a rain moved in on us that day. Rhoda was with us and took the picture. May each of you find the power of God near you as you serve him!