An emotional day here in Haiti. It started a few days ago when IBESR (social services) came to Hands and Feet with a story of a little boy named Toto Leon. He was a 12 year old boy at an orphanage in Jacmel. He had epilepsy and was unable to walk for the past two years (for unknown reasons). He had a seizure in the middle of the night and died. He was taken to the local hospital St Michel and placed in the morgue. This was on March 5th! Now, the 2nd of April, the hospital had called social services and said that no one had come to claim and bury the him. The orphanage where he was staying didn't have the funds and the hospital was going to dump the body.
It seemed like a far fetched story and without the time to check it all out was reluctant to help out. We were prompted by the spirit to help out financially and trusted that God would work it out. The next day, another missionary called with questions about the story and verified that it was true and they were looking for funds to give this abandoned child a dignified burial. Over the last week, it has been beautiful to watch IBESR gather funds from other Haitians , Damou Ministries and Hands and Feet to complete the preparations for a funeral today.
The visitation was at 2:30 this afternoon. There were five people there, none of which personally knew or had ever met this child. The funeral was moderately attended by people who had interacted with him at his local school and some people from the orphanage he lived at. My heart ached for the life this child had. Here at his funeral, who really knew and loved him. I longed for someone to be crying for him, for him to be missed, for a family to be comforted. There was none of this though.....
It made me question if his death was really an answer to his prayer for a family. That Christ had gleefully embraced Toto who came running to his true 'forever family' back on March 5th. As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the crucifixion of our Savior, let us crave the family that is promised in Christ's death and resurrection. What a comfort that will be when we are embraced in his loving arms and may we all desire to be with him in our 'forever family'. ~ SM
