Now I get into the deep stuff.
On Saturday a.m. Gail and Al picked me up in Antigua to take me to Tecuaco. There were four guys who had been working just outside of Antigua who were also going home. She told me that the guy I was sitting next to had just lost his 3 year old nephew. The funeral was that afternoon as the body is required to be buried within 24 hours. I was sad but didn't dwell on it much then.
Visited at Al and Gail's (there are other families living on their property) for a while. We went to meet the family as they were walking form Ijorga to the cemetery. We walked almost all the way to the town before we met the procession.
(Side note: I was wearing a skirt and it was hot. I have gained some weight in the last few years. My thighs were rubbing together and it was very uncomfortable. So I was walking with just the bottom of my legs. Trying not to move my thighs. Cute eh?)
Once I saw all the people I started to cry. They were carrying the little guy in a small box attached to two long bamboo poles. The grandma was in the back and Gail knows her fairly well. She was a mess. Put her arms around both of us and we walked that way for a while (then she needed to wipe her eyes so had to let go of me). I didn't have kleenex and was crying pretty hard. The little guy was at the front of the procession so there was a constant visible reminder of why we were there (not that I would have forgotten). I have not been to many funerals and not any recently. It was very emotionally draining. I kept thinking of friend's kids that I have. The more personal I made it the more difficult it was. I knew I shouldn't but this was no longer a nameless, faceless child. I have heard words like "3000 killed in earthquake" or "500 kids die of AIDS or starvation or something else every day" or "Children dying from lack of medical care". It is now personal. Families grieve. More people than we ever realize are affected by it.
He had previously had an intestinal infection that he was treated for. The family had taken them to Al and Gail's house when he was sick. This time they were out of town. Not to say it would have been different had they been there. But they couldn't afford to go to a doctor. He possibly had pneumonia. One of the ladies that went to the same church they go to said he had a cough and pain in his chest. Think about that. A 3 year old dies from pneumonia. You would never see that at home. Ever. (unless there were additional mitigating circumstances).
We went to the cemetery and they lowered him and covered him with dirt. There were no words said. Everyone just kind of left. Gail was telling me that that is why they really want a nurse or doctor come work in their town. I heard it but was too sad to process it.
The next day I realized that this is why I am here. I am here so that kids don't die of a "cough and a sore chest". I am going to reduce the little boxes that get buried. At times that seems overwhelming. So much goes on here and sooo many places need help. Choosing where to go and what to do could be difficult. But I need to trust that God brought me here and he will go before me. He will let me know where I need to go and what I need to do. But as I write this I don't want you to think I am flippant about it. It is hard to trust and potentially say no to someone in need in the future.
I have also been seeing people here in a different light. Lives are really hard down here. And I am not even in a "hard" place to live. For me as a white person I am living in luxury. I have so many possessions that I brought down thinking I "needed". I am ashamed at the amount of stuff I have. Is there a feasible way out of poverty? Guess if there was someone smarter than me would have figured it out and put it into practice already. I don't know what I thought but I wasn't prepared to have such strong feelings of sadness for what is around me. But that is what I need right? I need to have my eyes open to what goes on around me so I change make a small change in my immediate vicinity.
So that is my deep stuff. Lots to think about.
And the scorpion comment on the post below is because I saw scorpion guts. And they were brown. Gail happened to be in the bathroom with me (I was trying to beat her to the bathroom so I wasn't the last one up and she pushed past me and won. I was in there with her to potentially disturb her peeing but those who know her will laugh at me. Didn't faze her. I turned around). When she was done peeing she was standing in the door and I was still berating her for beating me to the toilet when she in one amazingly fast and fluid motion grabbed my shoulder with one hand to move me over and with the other hand she took her sandal off and smushed the scorpion that was on the wall right next to the toilet. She peed with a scorpion 3 feet from her head. Ah! So I was glad she beat me to the toilet.
Well, have I lost anyone yet? Sorry, not much else to do today. Trying to avoid the rain. It has been raining for over an hour (maybe 2 by now) and it wasn't when I left the house. It was hot so I have no jacket! And my towel is on the line and I wanted to have a shower tonight but it will be all wet. Guess I will in the morning.
I have other things to write but I will do another post. Don't want too many funnies in with my heavy post.
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