Vincent Bonde's Burial

Dear Friends,
Welcome to our Kenyan Journey!
Between busy schedules, no electric, no internet, taking care of the children, etc., it seems the blogs do not happen as frequently as they should.
The burial for Vincent Bonde was held 8 December at his dala, which is the custom of Luo people. Vincent was blessed with around 90 years which is remarkable in any country but especially in Kenya. He remembered the days before the exchange of money, and he said that money brought problems. He spoke of the good ol' days when there was plenty of food. He seldom attended church since we have been in Kenya, due to his age and physical difficulty. He was a very gracious man who was basically blind. He loved the Lord and the Word of God. His family was very easy to work with during the time of the burial. Although he was the only one of the family that was a member of the Lela church, we felt and still feel welcome there and have made friends.
Unfortunately, the wake the night before the burial was marred by violence. A group of trouble makers approached the dala area after midnight, and the local youth took things into their own hands. One young man was trying to get away but was caught. He was brought back to the dala and amid his cries for help, they ended his life just outside the dala. This was terrifying to the church people who were at the wake. This boy lived near Lela church and was a good friend of one of our members in their childhood days. The area is unsettled due to threats of revenge. We have also heard that two or three others have died from the fight that night. Pray for the Lela community.

~ The Yoders - JoeAllen, Glenda, Tiffany, & Elliot

Jacob marking where the grave will be dug.

One of the scenes in the dala

Burials provide an opportunity to visit.

The tractor and trailer brought many chairs in preparation of the large crowd expected at the burial.

We went to collect the body at the mortuary. The collection of the body was very on time.

We did not need to wait very long.

A brief viewing before loading and strapping the coffin to the top of the van for the final ride back to the dala

Enroute to the dala with a caravan of 6 vehicles

The body was unloaded, carried into the house for a time of viewing, singing, and prayer

before being moved outside under the tent where it would stay for the wake.

The family was very gracious to the church. They had a catering group prepare the food and served us very well!

A few scenes around the dala on Friday afternoon

Preparing lighting for the wake

This was one of the highlights to see. Silpa, a very sweet old widow lady from the Lela church met her blood brother. It was clear to see the affection they still had for each other even though many years had passed since their childhood. Her eyesight has become very poor. She is a blessing! When visiting and reading the Bible, she listens very intently.

Burial day has arrived after nearly three weeks from Vincent's passing.

There were six tents set up with many people that attended.

Of course, a serious sound system was present!

Bishop who is also Uncle, shares some time before preaching.

Who cares if I am in the middle of many, many people!

Wayne preaching with John Omondi translating. The message was powerful. Wayne used a very practical illustration of how important land is in Kenya and went on to share the story of a man that tried to acquire as much land as he could but died before he was able to get it. How much land do we need? Enough to be buried in.