Tragedy & Death

I apologize for such a morbid topic, but if you want a real inside peak into my experiences in Africa, this is an issue that can't be ignored. During my short time in South Africa, I have found tragedy and death to be so much more of an ever-present reality here than anywhere else that I have ever been in the world.

As we all know, whether we like it or not, physical death is guaranteed to come find us sooner or later--well, hopefully later rather that sooner! Most of us probably know someone who has died, maybe even a close loved one. I'm not in any way disputing that tragedy and death has somehow touched close to home in each one of our lives. However, I've been absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of tragedy that the average African faces consistently in their lives.

The number of children I have talked to who no longer have both parents, or often times even a single living parent, is staggering. Although rarely discussed openly, in many of these cases it is relatively clear that AIDS has stripped these children of their parents. Multiple times I have seen with my own eyes bodies laying on the side of the road, being put into bags by the police. During a short-term mission to inner-city Johannesburg last month, a girl was raped and murdered in a park across the street from the church where we worked. Some of the kids we talked to in the park the next day had known the girl.

Until recently, these tragedies had not hit so close to home...

Two weeks ago, a friend of mine and the leader of J-Life Kenya, Yallo John Mutua, was traveling to a rural community in Tanzania, where he was to be involved in training lay leaders in disciplemaking youth ministry. While en route to this training, Yallo's bus crashed, killing 28 people, including Yallo. At 26 years old, it was hard to imagine that Yallo's time on earth was up. He showed leadership and vision beyond his years, and he played an integral role in expanding God's kingdom throughout Africa. He touched many lives, including my own. I will never forget the passion that Yallo brought to everything in life, especially to influencing this next generation of young people for Christ. Yallo, you will be missed.

Yallo John Mutua
February 17, 1983 - July 26, 2009