Justina, a Bagwido woman in Papua New Guinea, was one of the first to put her trust in Christ at the completion of the evangelistic Bible lessons last April.
With tears running down her face she told missionary Holly Woodard about her belief in her "Getting-Back-Man," Jesus. At home she continually told her 9-year-old son Asaya about Jesus and soon Asaya also trusted Christ.
Today there are tears in Justina's eyes once again because after a brief illness, Asaya passed into the presence of Jesus.
In the midst of her grief, sitting beside Asaya and touching his face, Justina said, "You were always the little one by my side. Oh Asaya, oh my little boy. But look, now you are with Him. Now you are with our Great Creator Being. You aren't crying for me. You aren't hungry and you aren't with pain. You are with Him. You are at the Redeemer's feet now. And, look, Asaya," as she hugged his face, "you will be with Him for always, with our Great Creator Being."
As missionary Holly Woodard and Justina talked about life after death, they reminded each other that because Asaya had believed in the finished work of Christ on the cross, he was saved. He would not go to Heaven because his mom is a believer but because he had put his faith in Christ.
The family decided when they put him in the coffin they would not include the long, hollow bamboo pipe that Bagwidos for generations have believed allows the dead person's spirit to come and go at will and hover over the village. For the first time in Bagwido history the bamboo pole was not put into the coffin.
"Why would we need to put the [pole] there?" the family asked. "His spirit is not in his body anymore. He is with his Great Creator."
Praise God with us that they are rejoicing that Asaya is with his Savior. Pray for them as they continue to grieve over their loss. Pray also for wisdom to deal graciously with possible social backlash over their decision to break Bagwido burial tradition.
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