Sunday, March 17, 2013


Valentine’s Day 2013 – Today we started our usual schedule at the school.  Only to learn a baby girl just two doors down from the mission house had died.  I was shocked to learn the news, it was just a few days ago I had caressed the Mother’s belly and said oh, I can’t wait to see her at school in three years!  The mother was 7 months along, her water broke during the night and she went to the hospital.  The 20 year old mother named her first child Genesis Feliz, “Happy Beginning” .  Genesis was 6 lbs and her first day was normal, but she began to falter and unfortunately she died on her 2nd day of life.  Habanero is heart broken as are we.  About noon the grandfather went to the hospital to retrieve Genesis’ body and the family laid her on a table surrounded by flower petals.  Family, friends and neighbors came to view the baby and to give consolences to the grieving family.

I asked Yanet if there was anything we could do.  She suggested we donate cement blocks for the family to make a crypt.  Another family donated cement, another a new pink dress.  Later Yanet came to the house and asked if I had a cardboard box Genesis could be buried in.  We went through the house and found a perfect box holding DVD’s of the “Jesus Movie” how appropriate I thought.  God provided her burial box.  We took the box to the school and the guys painted it white.  I asked Yanet if the mother would like photos of the baby.  She talked to Mother and she said yes, she’d like a photo to remember Genesis.  So Susie took photos and we told the family we’d have them printed for them.

It was heart wrenching to see the family knowing there is nothing you can really do to comfort them at a time like this.  About 4pm it was time to bury Genesis, we gave the family a Spanish bible and read a scripture at the house and then we loaded in the pickup truck and took Genesis to the cemetery and watched as her uncle laid her little box in the cement block crypt and covered it with tin and cement.  Mother did not come with, it was just too painful for her.  Genesis was entombed on top of Gerson the little angel that died in 2005 and prompted my work in Habanero.  A very sad day.  While many were celebrating St. Valentine’s Day many were mourning the loss of Genesis.  Rest in peace sweet baby girl.

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