Her Reward Will Be Great: A lady we have known and loved for a long time lost her husband last week.  His body was taken to the morgue and some family members washed and prepared it.  There are no funeral homes as such here, so the home of the person who died is literally the “funeral home”.  The living room furniture is all moved outside for the men to sit on and the mattresses are put away.  The women stay inside in the empty house mourning and grieving.  Bonfires are built outside and a tent put up if one is available.  Church choirs come at night and sing and dance around the fire and then someone preaches.  People stay all night at least one night, sometimes more.  As I cried, hugged and prayed with my friend I thought of all the children that she adopted and cared for in her family whose parents have died (mostly to AIDS).  Certainly she will miss her husband, but I think her reward will be great.  My friend needs your prayers as she tries to build a new life alone.

Mona Bowels, Zambia