Beaten to Death

   I walked to Smile Africa in the morning with hope, hope that today was going to be a better day. I was listening to praise and worship music and just praying for Bogere and his family. I was in a great mood, smiling as I walked down the street to Smile. I was about 7 minutes away when my phone ran, it was Michael. My thought was,

"You have got to be kidding me? What could he have done now?!"

   I answered the phone, hesitant on what Michael was about to tell me that Bogere did.

"Michael, is everything ok?"
"No Paris, Bogere's mother died this morning."

   My heart started pounding out of my chest. I was breathing hard, scared for Bogere.

"Where are you? Where is Bogere? How did she die? WHAT HAPPENED?!"

   Michael explained to me that he was walking back to Smile from the slums. He had taken Bogere to see his mother's body...WHY? That made me angry. Why are you going to take a 6 year old to see his mother's dead body not wrapped up or anything?! Michael told me that the people found her dead this morning. Apparently all the night before she was throwing up blood and it was in her stool as well, this was caused from internal bleeding. I started sprinting to Smile. I have never run so fast in my life! I saw Michael with Bogere. Bogere saw me running and started to run toward me, crying. Tears were rolling down his face. I picked him up and held him tightly. There were really no words that I could say.

"I'm sorry baby, I'm so sorry. Sorry sorry sorry."

   As I held on to him and said sorry, he gripped tightly to me and cried. The other teacher also handed me Bogere's little brother, Philip, who was now an orphan. Baby Philip is a little over a year old. As I held them both I fought back tears. I was not going to cry! I had to be strong for my boys. I brought them in the babies room and let them play with toys. Caleb really enjoyed Philip's company. Bogere's cousin, Betty, is a permanent resident at Smile and she was very upset about the death of her aunt. I left Betty in the babies room as well.

   I went outside to talk to Michael and one of the security men who went to slums to see the body. It turns out that Tereza, Bogere's mom, WAS BEATEN TO DEATH. The husband had beaten her 2 days before and she hadn't moved since. Then she died early yesterday morning. I was so angry! That man literally killed her! I called Pastor Ruth and informed her of what was going on. She said that she would talk to the police and get that man arrested.

   I walked away from everyone for a minute so that I could have some time with Jesus. I walked behind the office and just talked to God.
"God why?! Of all the children that could have happened to...HIM? Don't you see what we are going to have to overcome now?! Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, now we are going to have to start all over again. If she had accepted my offer for the house then she would still be alive! Why is this happening, I don't understand. Maybe there was more I should have done for her. I should have helped her more. I should have come offering help sooner! We should have put that man in jail earlier." These were just some of things that I was talking to God about. I was heart broken. I genuinely cared about her, I tried to help her, but she refused my help. It was a really hard thing for me to grasp.

   One of the teachers found me and told me that it was time for the burial and that Bogere and his siblings needed to come. So I picked up Bogere and began walking to slums with his litte sister, little brother, and his 2 cousins. We watched as they tied a bed sheet around his mother and tied it with string, then they placed her body in a hole that they had dug. The husband had the nerve to show up. He just stood there and looked at woman that he killed. That was so hard to watch. I looked at Bogere as silent tears streamed down his face. I just held him tight. As I watched her body being placed in the dirt I thought about the last thing that I told her. "Wewe ni murambo na Yesu anakupenda sana."Which means, "You are beautiful and Jesus loves you very much.

   Once the burial was over I began to walk back to Smile with Bogere when a friend of Tereza stopped me. With her little english and my little Swahili, we understood each other. She was telling me that it was the husband that killed her and I told her that I knew. She also told me that Tereza really trusted me, which was a big deal because she didn't trust many people. This lady was telling me that Tereza had told her to make sure that Philip got into my hands because, "I know that Paris will take good care of my baby." When I heard that my eyes flooded with tears. I thanked the lady for telling me and I walked away with Bogere and baby Philip. When we reached Smile the whole family went into the babies room with me. I sat on the bed and watched the family playing together. Bogere, Gloria, Philip, and Betty were keeping each other company. One of the teachers said to me, "What is going to happen now? They are all orphans." 

   "No they aren't. They have a father who loves them and has great plans for each of them. They have the best daddy in the world, in Heaven. They are not orphans."

   In the van going back to the hotel I finally cried. I was holding back the whole day to be strong for Bogere, but now I just let it out. I cried the whole way home at all that I had seen and heard. I just prayed for justice. I prayed that the husband would be brought to his knees and justice would be brought to Bogere's famiy. 

"Thank you Jesus for your unfailing love. Thank you for calling us Your own. Thank you for continuing to strengthen me through every trial that I face. I pray for Bogere's heart. Heal him God, make him strong. No weapon formed against this boy will prosper in Jesus name! Amen"