Godfrey is still standing strong despite losing both his wife and baby in less than three weeks.
Hello friends,
I just returned from visiting the family of a young boy from our Sunday school who died yesterday . He was only about 12 yrs old. He drowned in a small lake by the side of the road that had formed by rain water. Apparently he thought he would go swimming in the pond. Because the water was quite cold, his legs cramped up and he drowned. His friends had motioned to some grown-ups to come and rescue him, but apparently they didn't take the children seriously - God knows if they would have been able to save the boy. Even now as I write this blog, I am reminded of another church member who recently lost both his wife and young baby in a span of less than three weeks. They had been married less than two years, when tragedy struck. The wife was having problems in her pregnancy and eventually the child died. After the pre-mature delivery the wife remained at the hospital under the Dr.'s care. She seemed to be getting better and then a day later she was pronounced dead.
One of the things that constantly goes through my head while living in Uganda is how often people die of things that are rarely taken serious. Many of these deaths could be avoided, if their was a sense of seriousness that surrounded them (Bystanders, Dr's, Policemen). Many of the schools that transport children to and fro or on field trips are just flat bed trucks with a bar around the back end. They pile them in and make them stand up and hold on to one another to balance. I have literally seen small pick-ups with what looks to be about 25 or so students. But here is the ironic thing, the driver drives like he is in race (with no regard for those in the back). But the real ironic thing is this - the students are happily singing and caring on with no regard for the danger. What are they singing?....well.....something like this (I am not making this up) "Driver, Driver keep driving faster and if we crash, at least we will be in the hospital together". Huh............. hard to figure out isn't it.
I am in no way saying that in the two cases above that (both the young boy and the wife and her baby) the people around them did not care enough or do enough to avoid the tragedy before it took place. But, I often get this underling feeling that seems to be within the culture, that says "Life is tough and you never know when your going to die - so don't take life too serious because if you do, you will be disappointed". And so we end up with a sense hopelessness here - that most people in the first world never live with. Sometimes it hard.....Pray for us as we pray for you.
Hold on to today and live it as if it was your last and when you make it through, thank Him for another one!
