Life and death go on

A dear and respected mama of our community passed away on Friday.  I first met her in ’98, when we arrived to Gamboula as newbies in CAR.  She was just retiring from working at the nutrition center at our mission hospital, but I had a chance to get to know her a little.  She was a joyful little lady who was always ready with a little dance step and a prayer if you needed encouragement.   Recently she had been troubled with many ailments probably related to her age (75 or so).  She had just had cataract surgery but hadn’t had much of a chance yet to enjoy her new sight – (hey! did I tell you that Mr. Sims & family are back from 3 years in Kinshasa with a smile and fluency in Lingala but most importantly, the ability to deal with eye issues and to do cataract surgery??)  Anyway, it was special to go sit with family and friends to say goodbye to Mama Germaine.  Peace to her memory.

blog Germaine's wake Feb14 (2)

Members of her women’s group dancing and singing at her wake

Makeshift rattles - gravel in metal bowls to add the rhythmic beat to their singing

Makeshift rattles – gravel in metal bowls to add the rhythmic beat to their singing

 

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About danforth

As Covenant missionaries, we are working with all the tribal groups of the Central African Republic (CAR) but are trying to give special attention to the Fulani, a Musxlim, cattle herding, and semi-nomadic people group. We live on an experimental/training farm, near a mission station which has a hospital plus bible and nursing schools. We are establishing relationships with the local people groups through compassion ministries; Roy through agriculture and Aleta through public health and visitation, in order, ultimately, to share the good news of Jesus the Messiah with them. CAR is one of the least developed countries in the world and is currently in continual crisis (since the coup in March 2013), so reaching out in compassion is key to reaching their hearts. Due to the ongoing conflict and resultant ethnic cleansing in CAR, we are crossing the border to interact with our Fulani contacts.
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