when the saints go marching in, i wanna be one of them

For the last several weeks I’ve been hearing about a young man who was terribly ill. He was a 19 year old who attended the local high school and lived right near our care center. His niece and nephew, Sonia and Donald, attend our care center and are very dear to me. On Wednesday, this young man died from pancreatic cancer.

On Thursday, the staff had our morning devotions and started to get breakfast set up just like every other day. It was odd that no kids were lining up at the gate like they normally do. We found out that all the kids were at this young man’s home for his wake- here called the “velorio”. Public school was also cancelled so that everyone could pay their respects.

It was decided that our care center staff would also go to the wake, but just about the time we were going to exit the care center, the funeral procession was approaching the care center. Leading the procession was a pick up truck with the casket, flowers, and family members in the back of the truck and more family members inside the truck. Following this pick up truck was almost the entire community. Our van was leaving at this same time and ended up becoming part of the procession. The vehicles and all the people walked the rest of the road by the care center, carefully crossed the river, and then prepared for the long treck to Montellano.

What I didn’t realize was that all of those people (mostly students) would be walking the whole way to the bigger town where I live and where the cemetery is. So off we go, following the pick up truck with the casket and the crowd of community members following by foot. Our van started with 20 people inside but before too long, I think had closer to 30 between those who were crammed in and people hanging out the doors and holding on, standing on the bumper. Along the way, a few more vehicles joined, but most of the procession was people on foot.

It was incredibly moving to see literally the whole community make the journey to the cemetery. This culture is very community oriented and that can be a beautiful thing. This young man had been orphaned but had an older sister who had been taking care of him in his illness. He was a student, so all the students, from kindergarteners to eighth graders, came. The trip from Caraballo to Montellano is somewhere between a mile and a mile and a half on a terrible rocky road. In a vehicle, it takes about 15-20 minutes. This procession took an hour and a half.

I was amazed at the little ones walking so far, some with broken shoes or no shoes in the hot island sun. I was in disbelief at the pregnant women walking the whole way. I’m not the best estimator, but I’m not exaggerating when I say that I think there were about 300 people at least in the procession. I’ve been in a funeral procession before, but always in vehicles. It is a completely different feel when it is mostly people walking. From the truck in front of us, I could hear people singing hymns and crying… Little ones running back and forth…teenage boys trying to hop on motos that come by…it was quite the experience.

Like I said, about an hour and a half later, we approach the bigger town of Montellano where the entire public high school also joins the procession on foot. I estimate this to be at least another hundred people. This young man was their classmate so class was cancelled for them to all walk to the cemetery. The procession continued to march on until reaching the cemetery. The family and many others entered to bury their loved one. I stayed outside but saw many women wailing at their loss and even one who passed out. I’m guessing probably from the grief and also from the toll that the journey took on her body.

I don’t know exactly how to process that whole experience but I do have a few thoughts…The sense of community is really incredible. I mean, school was cancelled and people dropped everything to come honor this young life.

The walk to Montellano was no small feat, but I did not hear any complaining about the distance, the heat, being thirsty, how long it was taking…nothing.

A death always reminds me about the urgency of the Gospel. I do not know if this young man was a believer. It gives me a renewed passion to share Christ with the lost because none of us know how much time we have left here.

I’ve never been with a group that large (of so many different ages) walking that far of a distance. It was a very unique experience for me. In some ways, I wondered if that’s what the Israelites were like- just the mass of people walking- along the crowd you see ladies talking, teenagers holding hands, kids running back and forth…it was just a neat picture.

If you think of it, please be praying for this young man’s family and the whole community as they grieve this loss. Join with me in praying that those who don’t know Jesus will turn to him at this time.