A not so subtle reminder....

You're walking along, perhaps on the way to the market and then you see it. A group of men standing together and quietly talking outside an apartment building. As you come closer, your suspicions are proved right. Leaning against the entrance to the building is the lid of a coffin. It's a signal to mourners that they've found the correct building and it's a reminder to the rest of us that death is not far away. And as for me, it's a reminder that time is of the essence in my work. It especially hits close to home when I see that scene near where I work, like I saw a couple times this week.



Most of the time the deceased person is old and they've lived their life. Yes, they've lived through Communism, disaster, freezing temperatures without heat, pain, and sickness, and perhaps hunger. They've lived through the age of "there is no God" and through the years of religious rituals.

Although saddening, the coffin lid pricks my heart and keeps me focused on the task: Give hope to the hopeless.