They Know Death

They know death so well here: a mother, a brother, a friend, a child. Death does not discriminate. It is a part of everyday life and no one can escape its effect. One of the local pastors we are working with has lost a brother and sister, and his mother is dying of AIDS. The head pastor’s wife shared with us the other day about her own parents’ death; they died before she was even married. Death and disease are such common occurrences that I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I’ve prayed over a sick child or heard the tragic story of a lost loved one.

To the people here in Busia, tragedy is a normality. Death comes for us all at some point, so you make the most of the life you have. It’s so odd to watch hope and joy survive within such tragic circumstances, yet it does. In the midst of poverty and disease, Africans possess a joy that I have not seen before. I will never forget the words a pastor told me after listening to a young woman’s tragic story of being orphaned and then coerced into a dangerous marriage. He clapped me on the back and said, “This is Africa.” I was stunned while he just accepted her story. Sometimes you can change your fate, but more often than not you just have to work with what you’ve got. And that is exactly what they do in Busia. They don’t ever complain or say life’s unfair or desire something different. They thank God for what He has given them and plow through the rest with a joyful heart. Though some may look at Africa and see a continent full of needs, they have something that we in America are lacking. Their joy and hope don’t come from their circumstance; it can’t. Although the water is dirty, the electricity doesn’t always work, and their loved ones are dying from an incurable disease; they place their hope in something greater. They believe in a world that is better than this one, and cling to God’s promise for us all.