At 6:30 AM today I received a phone call from Napoleon. This morning
our Mtendere administrator, Grecian, and our two other employees,
Grace & Ruthie, were in a head on collision on M-1 as they were headed
into Lilongwe to buy groceries from Mtendere. Grace & Ruthie did not
survive the accident. Grecian is in critical care at Central Hospital
with “many fractures”. A fourth person in the vehicle (whom we did
not know) was also killed.
You will recall Ruthie has been our house helper for many years at the
guesthouse and her smile was so infectious. Her & her three children
accompanied our team on safari this summer. Their father is not
involved in their lives. We will be working with locals to look after
her children. I am also grieved to tell you that Grace was pregnant
at the time of the accident.
The accident had only happened just several hours prior to Napoleon
calling me, so details on Grecians condition were still developing.
We will be in touch with Napoleon throughout the day and keep you
informed of any new developments.
Please be prayerful for the whole village and all the families as they
grieve the loss of Ruthie & Grace. Pray that God will miraculously
heal Grecian.
As of 9 PM Central time on Monday night, Dana is en route to Malawi. We were able to get her out on the 8 PM Delta flight to JNB. She will overnight Tuesday night and be on the first plane up Wednesday. This is the fastest we could get her there. Please be in prayer for her safety in travel.
We spoke with Napoleon and Mama Kadzamira this afternoon (about 2 PM our time). There was no update on Grecian’s condition except that they were hopeful. We expressed to them our desire for him to receive the very best care and if he needed to be taken elsewhere we would cover the expenses. I will be speaking with Napoleon again on Tuesday morning (our time) and will get an update.
Both Ruthie and Grace’s funerals will be on Tuesday. Grace will be buried in Blantyre and Ruthie in Lumbadzi area. It is typical in Malawi culture to bury within 24 hours of death. Napoleon went and purchased their caskets this afternoon and collected their bodies to give to their families. Please pray on Tuesday for comfort for their families, especially the children left behind. Ruthie’s two youngest kids are named Precious and Bryant. I cannot remember the oldest girl’s name. Grace also had a young daughter who lived with her mother. As I mentioned this morning, Grace was also pregnant.
http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/catholic-priest-four-others-die-in-road-accident.html
I was very sad to hear about Ruth and Gracie in one respect because of the loss for the family and friends left behind. In another way I am so thankful that they know God and are believers in his Son Jesus. For now they are celebrating a new life in paradise . I feel so fortunate to have spent some time with them last year at Mtendere. I will remember their family and the village children in my prayers.
Connie