This morning at 3.45 am Fiona passed away to be with Jesus. Last night I had the feeling that it won't be too long. I asked her mother if she wanted to stay with her during the night. The mother stayed and I went back to Amecet at around 11pm (my daughters were all sleeping!). I stayed, together with the mother with Fiona. She was unconscious, but not in pain, her breathing had changed and her heart was beating so fast!! At 3.45 am I suddenly saw that Fiona just stopped breathing, that was all, no struggle, no fear, no pain! The mother and I cared for the body of Fiona, not easy, it just made me cry when you see and feel all the bones, I never had a child who was as skinny as Fiona, only skin and bones. That is why I put this picture in the blog, I want to remember Fiona a like this, smiling and happy (this was only taken less than 2 months ago). I went to bed for 1,5 hour, than at 7 am I was back in Amecet. Simon went to town to let the coffin being made. Some relatives of the mother came to sit in the room where Fiona was laying. When the coffin was finished, Elias and I carried the coffin inside and we lay Fiona to rest. Then we carried the coffin into our vehicle and together with the mother and some relatives and some staff members of Amecet we drove to the village.
When we were close to the home (we drove on a very small bicycle path) there were people waiting and after we passed them, they walked behind the vehicle, following us to the home. The (mobile) tam tam had done its work.
The coffin was placed under the Mango tree and the people were sitting around it. More people were arriving and after a little while the elder of the clan welcomed us and thanked us for bringing Fiona back home. I had to give a report of all that had happened with Fiona, while being with us, Elias translated. The family was grateful for our help, they all knew that Fiona had been very sick. So after a little while we left, I gave the medical book to the family and we left them mourning Fiona as a clan.
It has not been easy, but I am so glad that I was with Fiona in her last hours, just holding her hand, praying for her, changing her. It was hard to see this little body suffer and it is a release to know that she is at peace now, without pain, medicines and sickness. I had an uncle who was in the Salvation Army, when someone dies there, they don't say he had died, but that he is promoted into Glory. That is what I feel for Fiona, she has been promoted into Glory. So what did I do? I went to our Amecet wall of Fame (read our last blog) and I gave a star next to Fiona's name! It almost felt like a medal of honor. Fiona has peace, and so have we!
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