Rose Darline passed away on Friday. She was admitted for severe acute malnutrition this summer but also had congenital heart disease, which was likely the cause of her malnutrition. Her congenital heart disease was correctable with surgery, but cardiac surgery is not performed in Haiti. She was on a waiting list to have life saving surgery in another country. Unfortunately, there are many Haitian children who need cardiac surgery. Rose Darline died from heart failure.
This baby girl was 19 months old when she died. She was a sweet little girl and loved watermelon and crackers. She could hear the crinkling of a cracker package from 100 feet away. Her parents live far from Cazale in a mountain village. Rose Darline’s father came to visit her often, even though he lived so far away and was impoverished. He was a devoted father.
I would be a liar if I said I always trust God and never ask Him why. It’s more like,
WHY!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?
We see a lot of children suffer at Real Hope for Haiti. Severe acute malnutrition is a complicated and severe disease and sometimes our sweet patients don’t make it and their suffering in the process is hard to watch. Our world is snarled and twisted with sin and all its nasty consequences- one those being death. But how can an all knowing, all powerful, good God let these babies suffer? Yes, I know God has healed many precious little ones we care for, but why doesn’t He intervene in those we lose? Why doesn’t He answer our fervent prayers the way we want Him to and restore each of these babies to health? We are trying so hard! The answer is: I don’t know. But God is awesome, sovereign, all knowing, all power and good and He has a plan that my human mind can’t always see or comprehend. Where was I when he formed the earth and all it contains?
Sometimes I question God. Sometimes I get mad at God. But I always return to the conclusion/conviction that, for reasons I cannot currently comprehend, the seemingly innocent suffer, yet nothing happens outside God’s Providence. He is good and loving. So, we continue to work to end suffering and fight injustice- we don’t always win, but we keep fighting. Sometimes we get broken in the process- but we give the broken pieces to God- He puts us back together so we can continue fighting the battle He has put before us. It is not easy, but the Bible does not say that following Christ will be easy- in fact it says quite the opposite. We covet and appreciate your prayers. I know that there is a small army of people back home that pray for us here at RHFH- and I know it makes a huge difference. We are reminded not to put our hope in anything in this jacked up world, put to put our hope in Jesus Christ.
Please pray for Rose Darline’s father. Pray that God will ease the pain of his aching heart and give him that peace that surpasses all understanding.
Lighting is terrible in this video, but she has a cute laugh
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Comments(4)
Cheryl merritt says
October 22, 2017 at 7:42 amMy heart is broken. 💔
Praying for you and your heart too. Thank you for loving and giving all you have.
Bekki says
October 22, 2017 at 1:20 pmBriana, I’m crying with you today. I hate that acess to medical treatment is so difficult for so many. I rejoice that you all were there to comfort her in her passing. Tears trace lines on my face. How long, oh God?
Celeste Ecklund says
October 29, 2017 at 1:58 pmI heard about this precious little girl from my co-worker Gentle, who was able to meet and spend some time with Rose while she was in Haiti, on a recent trip. Gentle is so sad about hearing of Rose’s passing and I am for Gentle and that the death of precious little ones goes on day after day. But I was reminded, of a truth that encouraged me, by a song that I heard on the radio soon after I read of Rose’s passing. It says: “The cross has the final word, the cross has the final word, Sorrow may come in the darkest of night but the cross has the final word. Evil may put up it’s strongest fight, but the cross has the final word.The Savior has come with the morning light; The cross has the final word.”
It’s by the Newsboys. Check it out, it’s an uplifting truth.
Briana Zachary says
November 1, 2017 at 1:18 pmThank you Bekki and Celeste and Cheryl and everyone else who is praying for Rose Darline’s family and for all of us who were were fighting for her. Her dad came last week to thank us for taking care of his daughter. He brought us bananas and limes. He is so sweet. He and his wife just had another baby. I am very happy for them- Rose Darline’s father is very good at his job (of being a father).