Working at Choma General Hospital yesterday was an eventful day. After working with the students, I was able to observe the first mortuary I have seen here in Zambia. It is connected to the hospital. When a patient dies, the body is moved to the mortuary. The family and friends have an outdoor viewing area where I watched them dance, sing, mourn, cover themselves in ashes, and then sit and wait. I am not sure I understood all that was going on, but eventually the body was carried to a truck and the entire group of people, over 100, followed in a procession singing and chanting into town.
From there, I went to the maternity ward. The students had left for another procedure, so when a woman came in, I was able to help her through labor and deliver her baby girl. Astridah, a 21 year old, was grateful for a healthy baby girl and gave me the honor to name her. Hannah, God’s promise.
We came back to our lodging for lunch and when we returned to the hospital, we learned that a young boy the students were caring for in the morning (he was burned over 50% of his body) had suddenly collapsed and died.
A typical day here in Zambia, incredible pain, followed by the miracle of new life. Unexplainable events that we witness in wonder. My reading this morning came from Hebrews 11. How fitting for a day when I wondered what God is doing.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
And so by faith, I believe that…
God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11: 40
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