DIVINE

My wife and I for the past 2 years or so have sponsored a couple of brothers (George and Divine Mapila) in Zambia, Africa through World Vision where they recieve health care and education and food. Their pictures have been on our fridge. Their lives have been in our family prayers. We've sent some special gifts at holidays and had the boys draw pictures and stuff. But we've never truly met their family.

Anyway... today I got a call from World Vision telling me that Divine got sick and his family took him to the clinic. He was diagnosed with Meningitis and sent to the nearest hospital. I did some research on the web this morning and found that it's a bacterial infection of the spinal and brain cord that eventually infects the blood stream. The infection can kill in hours and some forms have vaccines and some forms do not. I have no idea how often this happens in the world or how many families go to bed wondering if their child might get this bacteria, but today it came to my front door.

So, on May 12, 2006, a little 3 year old boy in a land far from me but near to God died and at this young age- as his name implies- surely went to heaven to dance in new ways. 2 and a half months later a family several thousands of miles away learned of the loss and mourns. I don't have a lot of words left to write. I offer this simple prayer: May the Lord be with and strengthen the Mapila family today and I pray that one day we will embrace. Amen.