March 27

March 27, 2009
Coroni just drowned on Sunday. Our house found out on Thursday. Today is Friday. We took the day off school together and went to the Mortuary, my first experience to see a third world mortuary. I felt like it was important that we went in to see the body with the boys, for them, and for us. For us because this boy is a landmark. Our first street friend to die [that we were actually friends with]. We went as a family and should go in as a family, which definitely meant something to the boys. And I felt like it was an experience that would have been similar to what Jesus experienced. Dead bodies, “undressed” and not embalmed. Coroni had been in the mortuary for 5 days, unembalmed, and uncared for.. because no one from the streets had the money. I will never forget the smell. Or the dead people just piled next to eachother like a bunch of sardines. Or this young boy who died alone, an accident. Now there was no one to look after him, no one to take care of his body. He died alone, undignified. He looked horrible, his body had been in the water for atleast 12 hours before Abel went and picked out his floating body from Florida.
As we looked at his body, it was obvious that Abel’s tough exterior wasn’t the real thing. This is traumatizing for anyone. And our boys tried to act unaffected, but I saw in one’s eyes, he was thinking about his mom who died at home with no one to help them. Another was thinking about his mom who died of Aids. Another was thinking about his best friend who died infront of him. We all loved Coroni, he was the coolest kid on the streets.
When someone from the streets dies, the street community tries to pull together whatever they can to take care of the body. No one had taken care of Coroni’s so our house decided to pay for the embalming. Rama or Mkono, two prominent street leaders then organize for someone to find the boy’s home. This process can be grueling, but thankfully someone knew where Coroni was from and was leaving the next day to try to find the parents (if they were still around). I figured if they find the mom or dad, they wouldn’t get to the boy for another week atleast. And if what I saw was just 5 days after, I cant imagine how the mom will feel. The last image she sees of her child, once alive and full of energy, now alone in a foreign city with no one to care for him.
Then we went to “base” where all the street people live. We went as a family, and our boys shone like stars! I couldn’t believe how different they were from their friends, it’s hard for me to notice the change at our house, but when I see where they came from, it was night and day. I think we all noticed, and the whole street noticed.
I saw one of my favorite kids, Ali. I have never met a kid so happy, we actually call him Bouncy Ali because even when he walks he adds a bounce to his step. He is always playing some game, taping your shoulder and hiding.. laughing so hard. He is the first one I saw on my way into Maboxini. Completely zombie-like. No life.. I have never seen him like this. I felt in my heart he must have been there when Coroni drowned. He spent the next hour near to me, and finally at the end I asked, and sure enough, he was there when Coroni died. An 11 yr. old kid dealing with seeing a friend die, alone on the streets with no one to comfort him. And the guilt, feeling that his friend died at the carelessness of their hands as they left the beach to go get help but no one was willing to go until the next day.
The truth is, Satan is stealing from the kingdom of God everyday we waste. Coroni’s short life was hell on earth, and possibly now its hell in hell. Everyday we “Christians” don’t do something, Satan does. We sleep, he doesn’t. His plan is to steal, kill, and destroy… and that is what he is doing here in the streets.
Val said something last night that really touched me. Jesus offers for us to have heaven now on earth; that is something I love to talk about. But she pointed out that for those not living in heaven now, they are living in hell now. Leonard Ravenhill says that our salvation will work backwards. When we get to heaven we will notice that we were living in heaven all along on earth if we truly entered into the kingdom life. But for those who go to hell, they will realize they were living in hell all along. Depression? Escape via drinking and drugs? Despair? Purposelessness? Caring about what people think? Wasting away good life on television? Unforgiveness? Doesn’t that sound like living hell?
I know everyone in our house is very moved by this recent death of our friend. I think the way I am most impacted is I have a new hatred for the devil. He is stealing precious, beautiful people like Coroni. And also, people are not just going to hell when they die, but if they are not living in the Kingdom of God now, they are living in the Kingdom of hell.. even if they don’t realize it.
Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!
So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times. Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly.
-Paul to the church in Ephesus