Sad News from Zim

Here's a letter from Craig from Vital Connections:

Dear Friends,

Costa, one of our first four orphans, called from South Africa yesterday. His younger brother, Anywhere, a name and face remembered by many from recent teams to Zim, has died of malaria.

Anywhere was raised at the Good Shepherd Centre in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. His life was full of ups and downs and few things ever came easy to him. I knew him. He called me Uncle as so many of the young people have over the years. Our ministry helped house, educate and support him on many occasions. I even scolded him a couple times.

I don't know how to react to this appropriately. Of course there is sorrow. I feel great sorrow for his older brother Costa, who as the head of the family will try to give support to his loved ones when he can barely, even rarely, support himself. There is regret because Anywhere was so young, best bet, 21 or 22, these things are not always clear with orphans.

What I have a hard time processing is the feeling that things like this are inevitable. I want to be a hero and rescue all the people who struggle with the realities of life in Africa. Yet, I have learned that no matter how wisely I plan, how hard I work or how much money I throw at a problem, bad things happen. TIA, this is Africa. I throw that little phrase around occasionally but some days it is just too heavy to flip easily off the tongue. Africa is hard sometimes. It bruises me.

We can't do it all and the west and it's economics and aid will not solve the problems of Africa. Africa will solve it's own problems some day. I have hope for that.

There is only one solace for these inevitable tragedies, Jesus Christ. If you know me at all, you know that I am not prone to language tinged with religion. I feel the great gravity of the only true God no matter which of His personas or names I consider. So I use His name judiciously and with economy and always for effect. I use His name with respect. Jesus Christ, Yaweh, I Am, The Comforter. Anywhere knew these names and it is in those names that we place our hope for him.

If you are receiving this e-mail you have been an encouragement or support to our ministry at one time or another. I want to assure you today that every bit of support or encouragement, every instruction or kindness, every form of aid or comfort that we have together given to Zimbabwe, to Africa, has been given in the name of Jesus. We go in the name of Jesus. We love in the name of Jesus. And we always, always, speak the name of Jesus. If not for the name of Jesus, I would never have set foot on the continent of Africa. It is because of the name of Jesus that Africa shines as a place of hope, not despair, in my heart and mind.

Please pray for Costa and his family.

God Bless,

Craig