Going to the Funeral

I attended the funeral of our neighbor's baby on Wednesday, and I thought many of you might be interested in hearing about how funerals are done here. Generally, funerals are done quickly, because there is no way to keep a body cold, and embalming is not done. Out in the bush, they are usually done next day. Here in town where we have a mortuary, it might be a bit longer to give relatives time to arrive. A proper funeral at a church is generally not done for a baby, though there were about 20 people at the burial service. Inside the tiny house, the mother and grandmother (the only family members besides the father) lay in a separate room on a straw mat with their bodies and heads covered with a cloth. Meanwhile, in the main room the pastor and an elder from the church preached a sermon in Portuguese, with translation into Makua. I only heard part of it, and it had to do with death being the enemy, along with some wierd ideas about how the child had gone to the enemy. The baby's body lay on a mat in the center of the room, and people could come in and uncover him to see him and say their farewells. I was invited in to sit beside the mother, and I sat there for a few minutes, then moved to a space on the floor beside the wall so that someone else could sit beside the mother. Several songs were sung, and then it was time to go. The fire which had been burning outside the house door (which was always kept open) was extinguished. The baby's body was placed in the arms of a member of the church and a cloth was tied around his neck, which then covered the baby completely. He walked to the open truck, following someone holding up a large wooden cross, followed by the mother and grandmother, who were draped in cloths and supported by a female friend or relative. The father followed. The baby's body was placed on the floor of the truck, and those who climbed in the truck sat around the body. The rest of us climbed into an open panel truck and we drove slowly in procession to the cemetery. People sitting beside the street stood up as we passed and children hid behind lamposts, covering their eyes. Children are not allowed to attend funerals until they reach the age of maturity (circumcision for boys, a ritual for girls) because of some fears about the ancestors.

At the cemetery, a prayer was said, songs were sung, a few words said, and two men stood in the grave while the body was passed to them under a sheet that covered them and the grave completely. A few small items belonging to the baby were passed in to be placed with him, and he was covered with a straw mat. Then each of the mourners threw in a handful of dirt, and the body was covered with dirt. Two candles were placed on either side of the cross which had been inserted in the dirt, and the mother and father each lit one. At the house, each of us paused to wash our hands before entering the yard (there are some traditional beliefs about this) and the mother and grandmother were escorted to the outside bathroom to take a bath and change their clothes (more traditional beliefs). Meanwhile, the food which had been prepared while we were gone was dished out. This is a poor family, so it was just beans and rice. After the meal, the guests were free to leave.

This morning, on the third day, about 8 of us went to the flower ceremony in my car. First we met at 5 am at the neighbors house for prayer, then drove to the cemetery where flowers from my yard were inserted in the dirt all over the grave. The candles were lit again. After a brief prayer, we returned home. At the house, the church elder preached briefly about David and his response when his baby died. I'm still trying to sort out exactly what he meant concerning that. Then each of us was invited to say something and I was asked to pray. Then we left. Now, anyone who was staying with the family during the official time of mourning could leave, and neighbors need no longer visit daily to sit with the bereaved.

Such is a Christian Mozambican funeral. I was pleased that the church elder echoed my words after I spoke, reiterating that the baby is safe with God and that we are sad because he is not with us. He also emphasized that he hopes the family will turn to God for encouragement. Sometimes we hear very strange ideas taken from obscure passages in the Bible and it was good to hear some solid ideas. Please continue to pray with us that this family will return to the church and not become bitter.

Cami

The AIDS Epidemic Hits Home

I am sorry to say that my neighbor's baby, Euclides, died yesterday morning. This little guy, who was about 7 months old, probably had AIDS. He was tiny from birth, constantly ill with cough or fever, and though he ate well just never seemed to grow. His mother is also quite thin and tends to be ill, so it is likely that she has it and passed it to him.

The funeral was this morning. I was told I needed to drive the family with the baby's body in my car, but at the last minute a change was made, so I hopped in the back of the open truck with the other mourners and we drove the 3 miles to the broken-down little cemetery in the middle of the slums. As the little body, wrapped in a cloth, was placed in the grave and the dirt poured on top, I couldn't help but think of how we watched the dirt poured on top of Tabitha's casket, 4 years ago. It is something you never want to experience, and my heart breaks for my neighbor, who was crying so hard she could hardly stand up.

My prayer is that, in the weeks to come, I would be able to be a support to her and encourage her. That she would go to church instead of fleeing from it. She visited a local church a couple of months ago and they prayed for her and her baby. Her health improved, but the baby did not. I pray that she is able to turn to them for comfort and that God will meet her.

The HIV infection rate here is, it is estimated, somewhere between 20 and 35%. Can you imagine if one fifth of Americans were infected with HIV? Can you imagine the response of the public? Here, it is not talked about very much. People don't get tested, many believe that it is caused by a curse from an unhappy neighbor or relative, and there is so much sexual promiscuity that it is running rampant. Medicines are sporadically available, which is almost worse than not having them available at all. We do hear "success stories" of people living with HIV who are healthy and responsible, but these are rare. We hope that, as the years go by, the success stories will become more and the sad stories less. It is too late for little Euclides, and I will miss seeing his bright little brown eyes looking at me from his mother's arms. Those arms are empty now.

Cami

Dancing with the Stars

Here's a little video of Toby dancing at his Portuguese school. He seemed to enjoy it, though the little girl in the front really seemed to know how to do it! Here in Moz, you can see the Portuguese heritage here and there, and there are influences in the music. Enjoy.



Cami

Update on the Babies

I have mentioned to some of you that there are two babies we are concerned about. The first is the son of our across-the-street-neighbor, Palmyra. She had come to visit me soon after her son was born, and he was very tiny but I didn't think much of it. As the months have gone by, however, he has remained tiny and constantly been ill. I began to be suspicious that both of them have AIDS, since the mother is also conspicuously thin and tends to be sick. I had asked for prayer that the baby have a blood test to determine his status, so that he can begin ARVs if they are available (sometimes they are, sometimes they aren't). However, I was not able to say "I think he has AIDS, you should have him tested" without seriously jeopardizing my relationship with the neighbor. It would be almost as if I had cursed him. So, I hinted to the next-door neighbors that perhaps he could use some tests to discover why he is continuing to be ill, and they seemed to agree with me. Meanwhile, this week he has gone into the Catholic hospital outside of town and is very, very sick. I have doubts that he will survive, and hope to visit there this week to find out his condition. Please continue to pray for Euclides.

The second baby I've asked prayer for is Clemilde, 6 month old daughter of my language helper. A few months ago, it was noticed that her muscle tone is very poor and the shape of her head rather large. After tests for hypothyroidism were negative, a local pediatrician determined that she is, in fact, a "little person" (a dwarf). I was astounded. Apparently this does happen here as the mother didn't seem too surprised, and there is a history of some extremely short people in the family. I was pleased that the mother had a positive attitude and it seems that Clemilde is likely to live a normal life here in her community. She will need surgery on her legs, however, to correct some deformities. Please pray that this can be arranged in a way that provides her with the best care possible. I have already been for 4 visits to the hospital and clinic with mother and baby and suspect that many more will be needed.

Cami