Praying for Purity

3/08/2012 08:41:00 AM sendtheroths 0 Comments

Only a few days ago, her only baby died of first-degree burns from an unexpected house fire. 

Purity often sings and leads worship, despite her mishaps with the church.

Congolese homes aren’t built with fire codes and often, because of poverty; mattresses can be made of straw or other easily flammable materials. Fires start very quickly in Goma, because houses are merely wood shanties. So, when a fire starts within a community, it passes from home to home uncontrollably.

There’s no established fire department and a fire chooses to end when it wants to. But there is a notable hospital called “HEAL Africa” that was established by American doctors. Purity took her near-dead daughter to the hospital in hopes that they could save the baby.

At the hospital, she met a team of American doctors who were volunteering on a short-term mission trip. When they saw her baby, they knew that the baby wouldn’t make it without special treatment. They managed to take the baby to the US for surgery.

After two weeks of her baby being away in America-- Purity received a mobile phone call with news that the little girl was dead.

Purity is furthest from the camera.

I was able to have a few personal conversations with Purity last year. We sang together and I held her baby who was just a few months old at the time. She told me about the tragic circumstances that lead her to have the baby and the harsh judgment she received from the “Christian” church.

“I hate the church,” she told me.

I could tell that regardless of the faith of her mother—her personal relationship with Christ was terribly shaken. Like so many other people, Purity was hurt deeply by the church.

When I heard the news about the baby, my heart melted for her. Here is a girl who is already struggling in her faith… and then this.

I share this with you, because she needs your prayers at this time. Miriam and her whole family have experienced persecution, because of her progressive approach to ministry. Often, the local church would spread rumors about the family, because Miriam would ‘overstep her ground’ for what a woman should do.

I believe that Mama Miriam is a strong woman, but I pray that her daughter would not become a needless casualty in the battle of breaking social and spiritual norms.