My house helper comes to our house 6 days a week to cook, run to the market, clean dishes, basically be of help however is necessary that morning. She called me at 5:45am last week to tell me that her former husband, the father of her 5 children, and also the man who she was considering remarrying, had died suddenly. M. was in the hospital awaiting surgery to amputate some toes because of his diabetes. He passed away when the put him under, before they ever performed the operation. Life can feel so cheap here. He was likely in no physical condition to undergo the operation, yet it was still a shock that he died.

This death has had numerous implications for our family. Josh got to visit the man at the hospital days before he passed away. I am thankful he was able to share his care and concern for the family in this way. His death means that I have been without a house helper which is a big deal here with so many tasks to complete in a day, but it has been a week of God showing me his grace and provision as well as breaking my heart for the hopelessness of the people here.

First, counting my blessings:

  1. We just welcomed our new teammate who came to help with our children. Josh is in Thailand for a conference and I could not have invested the time necessary showing love and concern to my house helper if it wasn’t for God’s perfect timing in sending Danielle here. The kids love her, I trust her, she has a heart to serve, and I have been free to go and weep with my house helper, visit with her other friends and family, and peel loads of garlic to add to sauces that feed all the visitors.
  2. My second helper who comes a few days a week just to wash laundry has stepped right in without missing a beat to take over some of the household responsibilities while I have to be away and my original house helper is unavailable. What a blessing to have someone who had the time and willingness to help me out in a time of need!
  3. I have had many added responsibilities, but God is sustaining my health and helping me to accomplish each task throughout the day with (mostly!) joy and thankfulness.

Now a reflection on what the actual funeral and mourning process has helped me to be aware of: the amount of people in and out of my house helper’s compound this past week has been astonishing! The vast majority come to stay just a few minutes, offer condolences (“May God give you patience.”) and say some prayers on behalf of the deceased, hoping this may tip the scale in his favor so Allah will allow him into paradise. The problem is, it seems so fabricated. The majority of the people who come seem to be doing it out of necessity. Their words are not filled with any sense of emotion or even a sense that they believe what they are saying to the grieving. Even the prayers they offer up in to bless the deceased man seem hopeless and emotionless, like they know what they are doing is futile but they do it because it’s what is required and expected. Because they want people to do it for them when they die. Maybe it will be enough to get them to Paradise.

Pray for these people who have yet to hear that there is a better Way. There is a sure Way to peace with God both in the present and for all eternity. Pray for many hearts to be sensitive during this time of mourning, longing for something much more fulfilling and life changing than Islam can ever offer them. Pray for God to prepare the soil of my house helper and her family to receive the Word with gladness, that it would take root in their lives and produce much fruit. They are a very religious family but have been around believers and Westerners a lot so they are aware of at least the basics of the gospel and Christianity.