Just this morning, one of the leaders of the neighboring village passed away. I was walking to the ward when I heard a car beeping it's horn and people crying, a sure sign here that someone is close to dying. As I was walking, everyone was rushing out from the wards and all over the hospital to see who it was or what was happening. When I heard that it was Junior I quickly went to see if I could help. He had collapsed at home and they rushed him to us, but unfortunately, despite our best efforts of 5 doctors, 1 anesthetist and lots of nurses, we were unable to help him.I have seen a number of folks die here and have heard the cries of the people, but this was
different. As soon as we stopped our efforts, there was this cry that went out by almost everyone around me. The nurses who just minutes ago were helping, starting IVs, were now in tears. Everyone knewJunior, he was the head of the hydro lain, a village leader who was involved with education in the communities and in the church. As a result, the ER quickly became full of family, friends, and neighbors, everyone crying, showing their respect to the family. It was quite a scene. When the finally moved his body back toward his house, the cries were heard throughout my end of the station, causing Aden to ask why are they crying. Looking out over the hydro, I could see the line of people walking toward the body.
Pray for this family, this lain, the people of PNG, and for our relations with them. Pray that God would comfort this family. 2 Cor 1:3-4 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." Pray that they would know the one who gives and takes away. Pray that they would have a personal relationship with Him. Pray for all the surrounding communities, that they would show their support despite fights they may have had in the past. Pray for the hospital that we would know how to rightly show our respect to him and his family, and that relations with this lain would not be damaged by this, but that God would strengthen them.
