It Is Well...

"When Peace like a river attendath my way. When Sorrow Like Sea Billows Roll. What ever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is Well, It is Well, With My Soul."

Today, We had Trajedy strike one of our own. We Are Amani, A place of "Peace". Peace in the Midst of the Storm. It was so needed today.

Our Momma Katherine (Katy) lost her son Jonathan in a tragic freak accident today. Jonathan was one of our Amani Babies that Momma Katherine fostered early last year. As she was working today, she received a phone call from home that NO mother ever ever wants to hear. As Jonathan was outside playing with his siblings in the little neighborhood where they live, he went to the hedge fence and grabbed ahold of the fencing inside the hedge and was electrocuted and instantly sent to the feet of Jesus.

The owner of this fence, thinking she was repelling thieves from her property, stole power from the electric company and in turn took the life of an innocent little 2 year old boy, who had no idea it was about to end.

The saddness and overwhelming grief, we experienced today even amoung the prayers going up was almost more than a person could bear. After calling the power company to come and disengage the electrical wires laced through the fence, the police came and investigated. Standing there holding onto Momma Katherine as she cried to God and grieved the loss, Reporters from the television studio in Kampala and the local Newsman stood around filming us and taking pictures and demanding a "story". We had to ask them to stop many times and finally walked away.

While we waited at the police station for the written report and then returned to the "Morgue" to retrieve Jonathon's body, those responsible for giving a release for the body demanded renumeration before "fixing" the body and releasing it to us. I helped place his little body on the lap of his older brother David in the back of my car for the ride to their small home.

How my heart grieved and cried for momma Katherine as she tenderly laid him on the matt floor of her "Garage home" and lovingly washed his body and dressed him in his "Sunday Best" and tediously and carefully massaged his stiffened limbs to lay him out for viewing. The small one room home only divided by a curtain was filled to the brim with many of the other "baby home mommas" and neighbors and family who had come to spend the night in prayer and support to this family. Katherine continued to cry out to God, call on His name and give her praises in Luganda while sometimes switching to English.

While things like this make me wish I was home, it also reminds me of why God called me here in the first place. These Mommas are our family and I was humbled by this simple and final act of a mother's love for her child, though she did not give birth to him. Grown in her heart and not in her womb.

Monday, will be the soonest we can take him for burial, as we must wait until then for the District Health Officer to write a death Certificate Then we will take him and as many family members as we can squeeze into the cars and take him to the family plot for burial.

I ask that you please pray for Momma Katherine and her family and the mommas and staff of Amani Baby Cottage. This is the first time in the nearly 6 years Amani has been in existence that one of our "placed" children has died, either here or abroad. It will be difficult for them for many days, and the prayers will not cease to bless them. Thank you dear ones and May God Bless you as you remember us here. Thank God we have hope and can know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jonathan is sitting at the throne of God. Hallelujah!!!!

I LOVE YOU DEAR ONES!!!