There were two things that I promised myself I wouldn’t do anymore when it came to my Christian friend Samueli. I wasn’t going to pay any more of his hospital bills and I wasn’t taking him to his house. He had duped me too many times. I arrived at the Malindi Hospital last week to visit my old friend and walked up to his bed as he took his last breath. Even in my sadness, I laughed out loud as we drove away from the hospital less than an hour later. I had just paid his final bill and I was taking him on his final trip home for burial. I had a sneaking suspicion that Samueli and the angels were also having a good laugh. Samuel got me again.

Even though his home was less than 50 miles away, it was a grueling 7 hour trip due to bad roads, no roads, an overloaded car (15 adults NOT counting Samueli) and car trouble. (Do you know how discomforting it is to have to stop and change your battery terminal when you have a body in the boot?) We bushwhacked our way to his village, arriving at 1:00 am. After arriving, I sat under a tree to get some rest. The air was cool, the moon was bright, the crickets were loud. Small campfires burned all around the village warming the huddled groups of mourning family members and illuminating the grief and resignation that is too often a visitor here. Samueli’s widow was singing a traditional Giriama lament and the wails of friends coming into the home from surrounding villages could be heard . It was all so, so ...........Africa. National Geographic would pay money to publish what I was witnessing. I sat there and was amazed again that just a few short days ago I was on another continent, worlds away from where I was now sitting. When the morning came, work began on digging the grave and making the coffin, an all day affair. We buried Samueli that afternoon as the sun was going down. I was asked to be the main speaker at the grave, and I spoke about our 12 year relationship and the hope that we have as Christians. My message was short and sweet and came easy........ "Samueli won big this time. His debt has been paid and he is really home." Sweet lesson indeed................

Tim