The love of Kaleb

Kaleb

I was heart broken yesterday when I found out that 4 year old Kaleb died yesterday from Malaria. How does someone cope with that? What do you do with that kind of information? I wanted to do so many things at one time. I wanted to weep a deep heart wrenching cry, I wanted to scream at God, “Why did you let something like this happen to such a hard working family, whose on YOUR SIDE?”, I wanted to drop everything and get on a plane and fly back to Tchad and sit with Wendy and Gary. I want to do whatever it takes to relive them of this horrible burden of sadness. But as the news slowly sank in and my tears stopped flowing I knew that God is still in control, that God is weeping with me and with Gary and Wendy.

I talked to Esther about it and we both relived some memories of Kaleb. He was a great little guy. He would always ask about his dad, Gary, when he was coming back on the plane, when he could go up in the plane. He was great at making friends with the local kids. They would play on the giant cement slab outside, he would stand there and take the curious looks and touches from the local people as they saw their first white child. He never got angry at them or upset. Wendy told me that last time they where here on furlough Kaleb would wave at the African-Americans assuming that they were Africans from Tchad and shout, “Lapia, lapia”, the local greeting.

I’m now staying with Liz for the rest of this week and we also have talked a lot about him and his family. We’ve talked about things that we wish we could do and how we feel about it the whole tradgedy. Life is short and God is working hard and in Tchad there is much good happening with the work of Gary, Wendy Dr James and the rest of the missionaries there. Because of this the devil has fought back. He is attacking at the core of people’s heart, children. We can’t let this work for God stop. I can’t stop trusting God with my life and with my future.

I will pray for my friends as they are hurting greatly. I will remember precious Kaleb and I will tresure my memories of him. This I can also say, I will not let the devil get me down. I will trust in God because he is the One I trust with everything.

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. . . For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. . . Therefore encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13,16,18

You are in my thoughts and prayers Gary and Wendy.