Mbezia died this morning.
We found out just as we neared the hospital for Caleb’s surgery. Pretty much everything we feared might happen, did. In the capital city for this past month she had far less visitors, the wound care promised fell short (to be very gracious) and she died in excruciating pain. Apparently yesterday evening she developed severe chest pain but the doctor refused to come, the nurses wouldn’t act without the doctors’ guidance, and she died just as the surgical interns arrived at 8am.
It’s interesting because watching Mbezia fight these past months I have often chewed on what the definition of a true warrior is. Coming from a military background I’ve picture guys who jump from planes, kick in doors and shoot evil in the face. Mbezia and my mom have shown me that definition is lacking. If ever there has been a little person to go down standing tall….it was her.
Our first conversation consisted of me trying to convince Mbezia, after 3 1/2 years of suffering with undiagnosed lupus, there was hope for healing. She then proceeded to spend the next 8 months teaching me I was right…and wrong. Right with the Truth, wrong with the earthly appearance it would take.
Missions, it seems, is often incorrectly thought of as the tip of the spear in the fight to push back the darkness. It’s incorrect because what matters is how Christ manifests in us, not the location. Mbezia chose to do it from a hospital bed, with bandages instead of skin covering her. This past week I was reading a sermon on prayer and Tim Keller mentioned that the ironic thing about the book of Job is the devil was right. Not necessary with Job, but most the rest of us. Most of us look to the Lord with expectations and when they aren’t met, it changes the relationship. Mbezia’s broken body and fearless heart looked to the Lord with a very simple expectation and it never wavered. She believed in the simple Gospel.
Christ lived and died, so we by faith, might die and live. It is not complicated. May we live and die as courageously as our little teacher.
Thank you for loving and praying for her.
Tomorrow our family will travel to her village to attend a celebration of her life. We have often told her family of the army of prayer warriors who have walked beside her thru this suffering. Thank you, Church, for surrounding her and allowing God to move your hearts. Looking forward to the Resurrection,
dave for the tribe
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