Funeral for Baby Karlin
Today the entire Chimala Mission family is mourning the loss of a precious little girl. Karlin was the 6 month old daughter of Dr. Peter and Victoria. Victoria works at the Herring Christian School here at Chimala and Dr. Peter is one of our wonderful doctors at the hospital. As you can imagine, Dr. Peter is especially devestated because as a doctor he helps so many and yet could not help his own daughter. All of the other doctors and myself who also cared for her and sat by her side for hours are feeling the loss very deeply.
Baby Karlin became ill on Christmas Eve and did not really respond to any of the treatments which we tried. Yesterday morning, she really took a turn for the worse and we all felt the burden of loosing the battle. I stayed with her for most of the afternoon with our Medical Director, Dr. Mahenge. Dr. Mahenge was actually with her when she finally passed away. He did everything he could. Please pray for the Peter family and for the Chimala family as well.
Today is my first time to participate in a Tanzanian funeral and I will share with you what I can. However, please understand that I do not feel it is appropriate to take pictures at this time and so my words will have to be enough.
I feel so helpless. Dr. Peter lets me hold him while he cries. But there are no words which can really comfort him at this time. He knows that everything was done and that God has a plan, but he still feels the pain so deeply. I cannot know exactly how he feels as my child is alive and well. I know that some of you have experienced such a loss and do understand how much he hurts.
Family and friends have been arriving at the house all morning. Many are bring food, chairs and money to help this family. Friends are digging the grave and a carpenter is working on the casket. The nurses from the hospital and other women from the schools are working together to cook food for everyone. It is so amazing to see all the women making the walk to the water well and then walking in single file with big buckets of water on their heads to Dr. Peter's home. They have five different fires going all with big pots of food cooking on them. One of the lady's was swinging an axe to cut up wood for the fires.
The men all gather around Dr. Peter to comfort him, while family and close friends are sitting everywhere in the house surrounding Victoria, the mother, with cries and comfort. Baby Karlin is wrapped in cloth and laying in her bed awaited the funeral service.
Even tho I know most of the people here, I still don't feel like I fit in. The women are cooking and anyone who knows me, knows I am not a cook and don't feel comfortable attempting to help in this area. I know the men better because I work with the doctors and administration more than the nurses and I attend daily devo's with the guys at the shop. However, there are no other women with the men. They tell me I am welcome to come sit with them, but I don't. So....what can a white woman from the farms of Oklahoma do to help?........she gathers wood!!!
I gathered what I could from around the houses, filling the back of my truck and took it down. Thresa who is here visiting from Oklahoma is helping me. Once we unload this wood, the women ask if I will go get more. I take one of my friends, Leda, with us and off we go. Most of what is on the ground is too green having just fell during the recent rains. We find the left over wood from when the school was in session and decide it will have to due for today. And wouldn't you know it....it begins to pour rain. So, Thresa, Leda and I load the back of the truck again with wood in the down-pour. When we arrive back at the cooking site to unload, all the women are gathered in a huddle under the one tarp for cover. As we unload the wood, they all clap for us and our effort.
We took a brief few minutes to dry ourselves, change clothes and return to Dr. Peter's house. The men continue to gather in the front of the house, while some women are inside singing songs and most are out back cooking. They now have 9 fires going with rice, beans, cabbage, tomatoes and onions, and meat cooking. The car with the casket arrives. My heart continues to break as they pull out a small pink casket with hearts and flowers.
They take the casket in the house and I hear the mother wailing (crying) as the baby is placed inside. The casket is then draped in black and a wood cross placed on top. The casket is then carried to the front of the house and placed on two stools in the middle of all the people. We stand in a big circle for the service. I cannot quit watching Peter. His pain is so visable on his face and in his eyes.
When the preacher is finished speaking, the casket is opened for us to go say "goodbye" to the baby. After we say goodbye, we walk to the cemetary. Oh, and did I mention that it continues to rain.
Upon arrival at the cemetary, the casket is placed next to the grave site. The men gather around the site and the women remain in the back. Mother is placed sitting on the ground just behind her husband. A short service is held, baby placed in grave and grave covered by several men. Someone has made a paper-mache cross to place at the head of the grave.
After the grave site service, we walk back to Peter's house for lunch. The men and women are served separately, men having chairs while the women stand. Many friends and family will remain to visit with the family. I am told the number of people is small due to the rain. However, there are MANY people here. I won't even estimate a number.
Thresa and I have now returned home. I continue to pray for God's blessing on Peter and Victoria. Only he can give them the true comfort they need. There is nothing I can do or say which will help their pain.
Please take time to say a pray for my friends. Thank you and may God Bless you.
.
Baby Karlin became ill on Christmas Eve and did not really respond to any of the treatments which we tried. Yesterday morning, she really took a turn for the worse and we all felt the burden of loosing the battle. I stayed with her for most of the afternoon with our Medical Director, Dr. Mahenge. Dr. Mahenge was actually with her when she finally passed away. He did everything he could. Please pray for the Peter family and for the Chimala family as well.
Today is my first time to participate in a Tanzanian funeral and I will share with you what I can. However, please understand that I do not feel it is appropriate to take pictures at this time and so my words will have to be enough.
I feel so helpless. Dr. Peter lets me hold him while he cries. But there are no words which can really comfort him at this time. He knows that everything was done and that God has a plan, but he still feels the pain so deeply. I cannot know exactly how he feels as my child is alive and well. I know that some of you have experienced such a loss and do understand how much he hurts.
Family and friends have been arriving at the house all morning. Many are bring food, chairs and money to help this family. Friends are digging the grave and a carpenter is working on the casket. The nurses from the hospital and other women from the schools are working together to cook food for everyone. It is so amazing to see all the women making the walk to the water well and then walking in single file with big buckets of water on their heads to Dr. Peter's home. They have five different fires going all with big pots of food cooking on them. One of the lady's was swinging an axe to cut up wood for the fires.
The men all gather around Dr. Peter to comfort him, while family and close friends are sitting everywhere in the house surrounding Victoria, the mother, with cries and comfort. Baby Karlin is wrapped in cloth and laying in her bed awaited the funeral service.
Even tho I know most of the people here, I still don't feel like I fit in. The women are cooking and anyone who knows me, knows I am not a cook and don't feel comfortable attempting to help in this area. I know the men better because I work with the doctors and administration more than the nurses and I attend daily devo's with the guys at the shop. However, there are no other women with the men. They tell me I am welcome to come sit with them, but I don't. So....what can a white woman from the farms of Oklahoma do to help?........she gathers wood!!!
I gathered what I could from around the houses, filling the back of my truck and took it down. Thresa who is here visiting from Oklahoma is helping me. Once we unload this wood, the women ask if I will go get more. I take one of my friends, Leda, with us and off we go. Most of what is on the ground is too green having just fell during the recent rains. We find the left over wood from when the school was in session and decide it will have to due for today. And wouldn't you know it....it begins to pour rain. So, Thresa, Leda and I load the back of the truck again with wood in the down-pour. When we arrive back at the cooking site to unload, all the women are gathered in a huddle under the one tarp for cover. As we unload the wood, they all clap for us and our effort.
We took a brief few minutes to dry ourselves, change clothes and return to Dr. Peter's house. The men continue to gather in the front of the house, while some women are inside singing songs and most are out back cooking. They now have 9 fires going with rice, beans, cabbage, tomatoes and onions, and meat cooking. The car with the casket arrives. My heart continues to break as they pull out a small pink casket with hearts and flowers.
They take the casket in the house and I hear the mother wailing (crying) as the baby is placed inside. The casket is then draped in black and a wood cross placed on top. The casket is then carried to the front of the house and placed on two stools in the middle of all the people. We stand in a big circle for the service. I cannot quit watching Peter. His pain is so visable on his face and in his eyes.
When the preacher is finished speaking, the casket is opened for us to go say "goodbye" to the baby. After we say goodbye, we walk to the cemetary. Oh, and did I mention that it continues to rain.
Upon arrival at the cemetary, the casket is placed next to the grave site. The men gather around the site and the women remain in the back. Mother is placed sitting on the ground just behind her husband. A short service is held, baby placed in grave and grave covered by several men. Someone has made a paper-mache cross to place at the head of the grave.
After the grave site service, we walk back to Peter's house for lunch. The men and women are served separately, men having chairs while the women stand. Many friends and family will remain to visit with the family. I am told the number of people is small due to the rain. However, there are MANY people here. I won't even estimate a number.
Thresa and I have now returned home. I continue to pray for God's blessing on Peter and Victoria. Only he can give them the true comfort they need. There is nothing I can do or say which will help their pain.
Please take time to say a pray for my friends. Thank you and may God Bless you.
.
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