Belen

Yesterday was a tough day. A few of us attended the funeral of an eleven year old girl who drowned. I have heard different stories of how she actually ended up in the water. Her name was Belen. She was the only girl of eight children. I first met Belen a few years ago when I lived in the village of Maneadero where she lived. She and her brothers would attend the feeding program and various VBS's that were held there in the clinic in that village. She would often be left in charge of caring for her brothers. Several months ago she helped Kayleigh and I move several boxes and things out of the clinic.

We showed up at 10 a.m. for the funeral, but the pastor told us that it had been pushed back a few hours and told us to join everyone up at the house where they had the wake the day before. There was her small casket with many flowers and candles surrounding it. An hour or so later some of us helped carry the flowers as we walked behind the casket down the hill to the church where the service would be held. There were many family and friends there. Half of them were the children that Belen had attended school with, befriended, played with, and gone to church with. Toward the end of the service the pastor asked all of the children to stand at the front and asked myself and my fellow missionaries to come and pray for the children since we had been active in that community. Some of us taught at the school there, cooked and served food for the feeding program, interpreted for VBS, and cared for the children in the daycare that we ran. During that prayer many tears started to flow. Then Belen's father, through tears, managed to say a few words to the attenders and to his beloved daughter. Though it was very sad I'm glad that I was able to attend and say goodbye to Belen until I see her in Heaven.