The Last Chapter

Tuesday morning our guest, Gordon Gilchrist, arrived from Alberta, Canada and we planned to spend a week or ten days exploring agricultural projects in Bolivia. Arrangements were made enabling Erselia to purchase the needed drugs for Jhonny and we planned to hire someone to stay at the hospital over night so that Erselia would get some much needed rest.

Jhonny was breathing on his own – no respirator. However, he appeared to have seizures every five minutes and during that time it was difficult to keep his body from arching. After the seizure ended someone would straighten his body so that he could breath normally again. With medication these seizures were controlled but it was very evident when the medication was wearing off. The specialist was very optimistic about his progress; the doctors in the unit also felt there was improvement.

We were just finishing supper when the phone rang asking me to come to the hospital. I left immediately, expecting to find the lady that would care of Jhonny for the night. Instead I found Erselia crying in the hall way. She told me that Jhonny had died but I was positive that I had misunderstood her. I went into the ward and found out that it was true. Between 8:30 and 8:45 Jhonny was laying in bed and everything seemed normal. Then his heart stopped. There was no notice, nothing. It just stopped and everything was over.

Dealing with death when you know it is imminent is one thing. But dealing with it when you think things are progressing in something else. Because Erselia was in shock, Jake, Gordon and I had to make all the decisions, purchase the coffin, pay the bills, and tie up all the loose ends. It was good we had gone through the process. The half hour process with Jose Luis turned into a three hour marathon with Jhonny because there was so much more bookwork. Because the offices were closed no final accounts were available so the secretary had to add everything up, cross check it, and then come up with the final bill. We paid the estimated bill and I will go back and get the final numbers next week.

It was midnight before we left Santa Cruz and arrived in Patujusal at 5 in the morning. Imagine being woken up to be told that your son or your brother was dead. The body was brought to the church, washed, dressed and placed in the coffin again.

The next day some of the neighbours helped build the nicho – the tomb for the coffin. While that was being constructed the rest of the neighbours and the school children were singing and hearing scripture at the church.

It was nearly five o’clock in the evening when the red truck with the coffin and the family headed down the road to La Pista to the cemetery. Behind were the people, walking or biking the 11 kilometers. Thankfully, another neighbour picked up another load and everyone gathered at the cemetery for the internment. The candle lit ceremony was impressive. Jhonny was laid to rest. He is in heaven without any pain, with a brain that functions normally, with legs and eyes that are perfect. As hard as it is for the family left behind, I know that everything is working out for good. We are thankful that God has taken care of him and we are assured that He is also care for the family and friends left behind.