Girl in Sigri Village Dies

Sue writes:

Kids everywhere are full of life, aren't they. So, it's especially distressing when a little, innocent one dies. That happened again last week in Sigri, a village next to CLTC.

It is the second time since we have been here that a child has died for a reason that was not obvious. And the second time talk of sorcery has started circulating.

When talk of sorcery starts, the conversation will at some point get around to compensation claims and possibly taking physical revenge against the sorcerer. The father of the girl who died put that talk to rest this time.

At the funeral of his daughter, the father said, "Our girl's body is dead, but her spirit is with the Lord. We will not listen to any talk about sorcery. We will not seek compensation. We will feed all those who have come to be with us today (as opposed to shunning the person who was said to have performed sorcery to kill the girl)."

This talk of forgiveness and trust in God rather than seeking revenge is rare even among Christians here in PNG. We rejoice in the faith exhibited, yet we grieve for the family which has lost its child in the here and now. Please pray God will comfort the family and use their example of faith to inspire others.