Perspective posted by John Sorensen on Aug 22, 2011

I guess you could say that I’ve been feeling sorry for myself.  And with good reason (or so I told myself).  We are attempting to buy a condo in Fort Lauderdale after selling our house.   And the timing is rather urgent.  Both Josh and Hannah start school today.  All of our stuff is setting in a U-Haul truck in the parking lot.  They are talking about the first hurricane of the season heading it’s way to South Florida by later this week.  The bank is going around and around with this and that so fast that my head is spinning.  Just when we think we’ve met all the demands, another round comes with more twists and turns.  It’s really a wonder that any condos sell in South Florida with all the hoops that people have to go through.  So, here we are, living in a hotel, paying for this pleasure, riding this roller coaster, praying for a change.  And, like I said, feeling a bit sorry for ourselves.

But I repent of that.

First, I know that God is with us.  He said so Himself many times and in many ways.  This is no big deal.  Nothing He can’t solve.

Second, He has promised good in all of this.  And we’ve seen some of it.  This has offered many opportunities to witness to His everlasting promises…

And third, there are many that are going through so much more…

The event that really woke me up was the death of one of our Implementation Field Workers during our training in Cameroon just this past week.  His name is David Keita.  He was from Mali.  He had left his family to study at our training and become a field worker for EE in Mali.  A few nights ago he became ill and was taken to the hospital.  There, away from his wife and family, God took him home.  Can you imagine the grief his family is going through right now?

Here is just a few things this widow is faced with:

• The body is at the mortuary with a per day cost 10000FCFA about 25$US
• She needs to buy a coffin which quality will be determined by the airline agency and the hospital.
• She needs a suit for the body.
• The body will need to be conditioned or treated according to standards set and required by the airline agency and the hospital as well as government authorities of Cameroon, for travel in, to, and through a foreign country
• The body needs to be transported from the hospital to either the Yaounde or Douala airport as the airline agency will demand
• Pay for the flight ticket for the body to Bamako.
• Fulfill and satisfy all necessary arrangements

Just the air ticket alone is more than $1,000 (USD).  This widow has never seen money like that.

We must help her.  We will raise the money to do all these things to return David back to Mali to be buried.  We will attempt to assist her with a little money for the children on behalf of all of those that appreciate David’s willingness to serve God with his life.

Maybe you would like to give toward this?  If so, please go to:

http://www.eeinternational.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=165689

Anything you can give will help her.  We will send a list of the names of people that have given so that she can see all of the friends that are with her at this very difficult time.

And, let’s commit to pray for her, and for all of the IFWs still in training in Cameroon.  As you can imagine, this has been a tough time for them as well.

Like I said, I repent.  What I’m going through is nothing.  Thank you for your prayers all the same.  In all, God will be glorified.