The end of the year.

This has been a memorable year for me with the nutrition center opening in Hato del Yaque, resuming girls’ discipleship ministry, and hosting many great teams.
But something that happened this year that is both sad and impactful. On Thursday night December 16 Pastor Aristides Pimentel, Pastor of the church in Hato del Yaque died suddenly. I then received a crash course on the mourning process of Dominicans.
About twenty minutes before midnight Quirsis Montan called to tell me that the Pastor had died and I needed to come. She said that they were on their way and we were to meet at Aristides’ house. John Martinez and I arrived at the house before anyone else. The family and the body arrived from the hospital and right away I could hear crying and wailing. Arelis, Aristides’ wife hugged me as she cried and told me the story of what happened.
Friends and church members trickled in and each one hugged the family. Arelis continued to tell the story as she and her sister cried out loud. The body was prepared for viewing by the mortician being helped by friends and family. Until late in the morning we all sat around crying and comforting each other. The neighbor came over and made a big batch of tea for everyone.
The following day, many more people including many of the other pastors that work with GO, showed up. Everyone mingled at the house, ate and told stories of their connection with Aristides. At the burial later that day there was wailing and tears, but there was also singing. I was especially touched to see Adams, Aristides’ son, with some of the construction workers shovel the dirt over the grave. GO had sent a large flower arrangement. After the grave was covered the woman and children disassembled the arrangement and planted the flowers and greenery on the grave. It was an incredibly beautiful gesture. Several days later there was a memorial where we celebrated Aristides’ life of ministry for God to others.
The whole process was a very loud and open affair. Different from any funeral I’ve been to in the states. The Dominican culture, like most Latin cultures is incredibly communal. I was shocked at the openness of friends and family showing their grief.
I started thinking about the story of Lazarus. Even though Jesus already knew that Lazarus was going to die, He wept when he found out he had died. Jesus knew he would live again, yet he still wept. Jeff Rogers says Jesus wept because he knew that death is not the way it’s supposed to be and I agree.
God created the garden so that we could all live in community with him. When he told Adam and Eve that if they disobeyed they “would surely die” he didn’t mean just them. It must of broke God’s heart that we chose being separate from him, that we chose death over being with him. That’s why we cry though. We cry because we are separated from the ones we love. We mourn the loss of them, but we also deep down mourn the loss of the life we were supposed to have. The eternal life with God.
Aristides favorite passage is Psalm 133
1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

Aristides understood what God wants for us. Like Jesus did when he wept for Lazarus and when he died on the cross, so that we could live for eternity with him like he originally intended.
So I am morning for my friend, but I am looking up and ahead to a loving God that draws us to himself.