This is the story of the death of our son David. He died in a hospital here in Liberia three days after Christmas.

David (13) fell sick with typhoid and malaria on the 12th of December, 2000. On Christmas Eve, due to the seriousness of David's condition, he was admitted to the hospital. On December 28th David went to be with the Lord. It all happened so fast, we are in shock and heartbroken as well. I don't know what to say except please pray for us, especially Lisa and the kids. David's departure has left not only a lot of heartbreak but also a gap in our work that will be very difficult to fill.

David had been taking medication ever since he fell sick, but the fact of the matter is the medicine didn't work and instead of improving as everyone was expecting he just got weaker and weaker. The medical system here in Liberia is appalling; it is very difficult to get correct diagnosis and treatment, no one really seems to know what signs to watch for, which only compounded the problem of treating David. It wasn't till the day of his death that the doctor discovered that David had cerebral malaria (the malaria had gone to his brain) and that he was bleeding internally from Typhoid fever. The last few days, he couldn't talk and seemed like he was "not there" half the time. He was so weak and slipping in and out of consciousness. Finally at 1:30 a.m., December 28th, his breathing stopped.

David has spoken to a number of us in the Home since his departure, but the first time he spoke from the spirit world was very touching. Lisa (his mother) had not left David's side since the beginning of his sickness. The two were very close. They had worked together as a team during the past year and many people in our small city knew of Lisa and David.

On the last day, Lisa had left David's sickroom only minutes before he died and was sitting in another part of the hospital when suddenly she heard David tell her that his life was over and that he was very happy. He comforted her in her sorrow before leaving for his heavenly reward.

We believe David went with his great grandmother, who had died only a few months before his death. Her name was Faithie, and Stephen (David's father) was her favorite grandchild. Stephen had received a prophecy from her a few weeks previously. She came to Stephen just before David's death and this is what happened.

Stephen: I was sitting by David's bedside about three hours before his death when I heard Faithie calling me. She told me that she'd come to take David home. This saddened me of course, although by this time I was expecting the Lord to take David. So I asked Faithie how long before he would be leaving, and Faithie answered, "Anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours." This was around the same time that Lisa received from the Lord that David was going to go that night.

December 29th

After David's death, Lisa went to a friend's house for a rest from her very long and stressful ordeal. The next day when Lisa came back from resting at our friend's house she was a shining example of the Lord's grace. It's amazing. She still cries sometimes (we all do) but overall is so cheerful and positive. She has been comforting the kids. They are really sad but taking it okay.

The funeral was short but very touching. When we arrived at the funeral parlor some of our closest friends as well as Family Liberia* were there. Most people were crying and hugging us, saying that they were so sorry. At the service we played two songs "The Butterfly" and "White Sails." We printed out pages with the words to both songs so everyone could follow along.

Stephen got up and gave a short inspired talk about the lessons we learned from David's death. To begin with, Stephen shared how the Lord spoke to our team before we arrived in Liberia, over three years ago, telling Stephen and Lisa that they would lose one child in Liberia. Stephen went on to tell everyone that David was our missionary gift to the Liberian people. The Lord in His mercy had been preparing us for this event for quite some time. At times we would talk about which of the children He would take, but to be honest, we never really imagined David to be the one.

Stephen also related to everyone a vision that David had about a week after he became sick.

David: After walking down a dark hallway I came to two doors, one was very bright and one was wooden. I walked through the bright one and there I met Jesus. Jesus then offered me a choice to go back to Earth (the wooden door) or to Heaven (the shiny door). I answered "I don't know, I'll do what You want me to do."

The Lord told David that He wanted him to go back to Earth and that in a few days He would heal him. Next he had a vision of himself vomiting up all the pills, and they were all still whole. We interpreted that to mean that the medicine wasn't going to work, and that's exactly what happened. And now we know what Jesus meant when he told David that He would heal him and that He wanted David to return to Earth. David has been coming to Earth since his death and he is healed-eternally!

This morning, Stephen woke up and was crying for David and feeling so bad for all he went through. Then the most amazing thing happened.

Stephen: Suddenly I heard David speaking. He told me that he was lying beside me. David said, "Dad, don't worry about all the pain. It may have been hard then, but now it's all past and I hardly even remember it. It's beautiful here and I'm so happy. So please don't worry about it."

Maria: Stephen was really comforted by that. David has been talking to Stephen a lot and Stephen has been strengthened by David's visits. He believes with all his heart that it was the Lord's will for David to go. He knows that the Lord took him to be our spirit helper. He's someone we all know well and were very close to. All at once the veil between us and the spirit has become incredibly thin. David told Stephen, "Things may get harder in the physical now that I'm gone, but it will really pick up in the spirit now that I'm Here."

One time Stephen asked, "Is that really you, David? You sound so mature." David's answer was "Well, when I got up Here, all the Word that I'd read in my life just sort of came to life, like magic. I learned a lot and grew up really fast, almost instantly."

Mr. Cho, our Korean friend who donates electricity to us, paid for and arranged the whole funeral. God bless him. After the funeral we had almost non-stop visitors over at the house. (People who hadn't made it to the funeral because of the short notice.) Everyone was coming to say how sorry they were. Stephen would just witness to them. We played the "Butterfly" song for a few people. Two different people gave us gifts of almost $100 each. Everyone was so sweet and sympathetic and we also got in a very good witness.

So many people know David as he was Lisa's partner everywhere she went. Everyone is shocked by his death. It was so sudden. People knew he was sick and in the hospital but no one knew-not even us-that he was that near the end. It was only 15 days from the time he went to bed with a fever till the day that he died. When he first got to the hospital the doctor said, "Maybe he can go home tomorrow," so we were expecting him to come home in a matter of days. At the hospital Stephen and Lisa told the nurses that David was looking very bad and they responded, "Oh, that's normal for typhoid patients, don't worry, they all pull out of it." I guess we learned firsthand that life is so fragile and can be taken away at any time.

Lisa: David was such a sweet caring boy, he was my friend as well as my son. I had a lot of talks with David. He really wanted to be close to Jesus, but he had a hard time with this. He never really had the faith that he'd received the gift of prophecy. He sincerely tried. He would get his book and pen and go to his bed and really try, but he just couldn't quite get it. I believe he had the gift but he just lacked the faith.

A few days after David first fell sick he really wanted to know why he was so sick, what the Lord was trying to teach him, so he could change and get healed. When the pain got really difficult, he would question why, so I would just read him something in "From Jesus with Love," and he would accept what the Word was saying. Looking back now, it seems to me that the Lord was preparing him for what was coming because of the vision he had.

David has been talking to me a lot since his death. Nothing of what he's been saying is so significant but in his sweet way he has been encouraging me to keep going and stay positive. He was always like that when he was alive during the times we'd go out together. He'd always look out for me and help me keep my mind on the job when we'd go shopping together and I'd get a little tripped off in some shop.

It seems like I was also being prepared for what was coming. For example, one time in the hospital, when he was quite sedated, David asked, "Where are we going, Mummy? We're moving along." One time I asked him to look at me, and I asked him who I was. He said, "Grandpa", then I asked him, "Where are we, David?" And he answered, "In Heaven?" with a touch of humor in his voice.

Maria: I'll never forget seeing David's body in the coffin. The coffin was half open. I realized that he wasn't there. It looked like him, the same person who used to lumber around the house, but the life was gone, he was gone. I don't know how to say it. It was him, but I could tell he wasn't there anymore. Tonight I was thinking about it and I heard David's voice saying, "I'm still very much alive, don't worry." He said he liked his new assignment of being in Heaven and helping us.

Even when he was alive David would tell me, " Oh, I can't wait for the Endtime to come so then we can go to Heaven." He would read things about Heaven and be so excited about going there.

Lisa: David's death has even changed the atmosphere for us when we go shopping in the downtown market. Before we felt that some people resented or didn't like us because we were white. Now everyone is sympathetic. Even people we don't know personally but who have seen David and I countless times will stop and say "I'm sorry." Some people have even asked for a photo of David as a keepsake. We've heard people talking behind us, "That's the woman whose son died." It seems to have changed the way they look at us. Now we aren't the rich foreigners who've never suffered, but now we too have been touched with things they go through.

Maria: The kids have all taken it very well. They still get sad sometimes and miss David, but we know the Lord is comforting them too. Sometimes our three-year-old will say, "David is playing with us," or the others will say, "David is riding on the top of the car." When one of our girls drew a picture of our whole family, she included David floating above us wearing a halo.

Joan: It's really neat how David is just there whenever I'm not doing anything or I can't sleep. We just have a little conversation and he cheers me up. It's quite fun. It's brought the spirit world and Heaven so much closer. Having someone there that you know really does it. Sometimes he sounds so mature and different that I wonder, "Is that you, David?" but he'll always say something to me that I recognize as "definitely" him.

December 30th

Stephen: What happened today really helped me put all the pieces and lessons that the Lord had been showing me since David's death together. One member of Family Liberia, Patrick, came over to the house to tell us what the Lord had been showing him in regards to David's death. The very first thing Patrick said to me was, "David died a hero's death!" Patrick went on to say that this missionary work that has been started here is very serious. David, by asking the Lord to decide what he should do, reminded Patrick of what Jesus did when he was asked if he wanted to die on the cross. Jesus said, "Not My will but Thine will be done." Patrick believes that the Lord chose David as a spirit helper for Family Liberia. He said that the Lord told him that

David was like a foundation stone for the mission here and that now we have someone who understands us and our mission in the spirit world. And he believes David will fight for us from the spirit world. It was all very touching, and Patrick was very sincere when he was sharing his heart with us.

David was already a very mature boy for his age, many people here thought that David was 17 or 18, besides the fact that he was a big muscular guy.

One last thing about David's burial; we didn't choose where he was to be buried, the Korean community chose David's grave site and it just happened to be in the exact area where Family Liberia were first called to missionary work and where the new Family Liberia missionary office is.

Later on we laughed about the suit David had on in his coffin. It was a white African suit with this little hat that our Korean friends bought especially for David's funeral. We said it was something he wouldn't be seen dead in. Ha! I guess when you're dead you don't really get a choice. But you know we believe there was some spiritual significance in the suit, because a few days later someone said: "David came to Africa as a missionary, he died from an African disease and was buried in African clothes. He's for Africa." (Editor's note: See FZ 048 for more details on this team's arrival to Liberia.) * * *

During the week after David's death we told most of our friends and contacts. Most of them knew David and were shocked and very affected by him passing on. Both Stephen and Lisa [David's parents] have gone out several times over this last week and we've had quite a few visitors. Many people comment on how well we are taking it. We know it is supernatural. Who can go out only days after the death of their son, smile, be happy, speak faith and witness? Sometimes we wonder about it ourselves, and think, "Is this real?" or "It's only been five days since he died, how am I able to do this?"

We know it's not us at all. We know it is all because of the training we've received in the Family. There has been so much emphasis on prophecy and hearing from Beyond, and as a result we have been well prepared for something like this. Dad and now Mama have helped us to see just how real the spirit world is. Someone asked, "Do all the people in your organization believe like this?"

Lisa: I used to go everywhere with David, so when I went without him, people in the market and the guys I always buy from asked where he was. When I got to one street where they sell books, a place I have always bought our school materials, I told the people at the top of the street, and by the time I got down to the middle everyone already knew. I had a crowd of people around me and everyone was so shocked.

One lady said, "We always saw you together, and we admired you so much." Others said, "He was such a good boy, always there, always behind you." One lady said, "David was like your handbag."

I was able to tell them all how we know David is even happier now that he is in a much better place. Some people commented, "Such strong faith." They can tell that we really believe it because we are able to cope and talk about it. To some people I have even told them that David is still very close to us; it's just as though we are separated by a curtain so we can't see him.

One couple from Guinea, who David and I used to have lunch with almost once a week, were very saddened by David's passing. When they came over to the house the day after, the wife was sobbing and crying. But about a week later she told me, "About two weeks ago I had a dream and a voice told me that Lisa's son is going to die." She of course didn't tell anyone at the time.

David's passing has opened the door to witness to everyone about the spirit world. It seems to totally open their eyes. Even to Christians who already believe in Heaven, it makes it so much more real. People are shocked because they just saw David about two or three weeks ago and he was such a big strong boy. Then all of a sudden he's gone.

One of our close friends, who perhaps took it the hardest, and who had only recently asked Jesus into his heart, was at home one night soon after we told him about David. He was thinking real hard about David and asking Jesus why David had to die.-When suddenly David started to speak to him! He told us that David and him had a two-way conversation for about two hours! As he was telling me about his amazing experience, his face was a picture of joy and contentment. He told us that he'd never in his whole life seen people face the death of a loved one with such a positive attitude. This man is generally a very depressed man and would sit in his dark little video shop feeling sorry for himself. He had such a hard time just to pray and ask Jesus into his heart, and now here he was explaining something that we barely have the faith to tell some of our more spiritual friends. None of us had talked to him about prophecy or hearing from God, let alone departed loved ones. So this was quite an amazing testimony from this man.

One young Lebanese man who is a good friend was very upset about David's death, commented after both Lisa and Stephen had visited him, "I should be the one comforting you-but you've been the ones picking me up."

We've photocopied the Reflections about Heaven and have been giving that out to everyone. We are in the process of making another tract about Heaven, taking material from the Glimpses of Heaven booklet. We are going to further pray about what the Lord wants us to do in light of David's homegoing in order to get the most witness out of it as possible.

Many of us and some of the kids have heard from David since he went to Heaven. Lisa even saw him.

Lisa: I woke up one morning and David was sitting on the edge of my bed. He had this big cheesy grin on his face and he said, "Guess what, Mom? I tried a cigarette! I always wanted to see what it was like. But don't worry! Up Here they don't hurt you!"

Channie (6) got a prophecy from David. It was really sweet. Right down at her level but confirming things that the other ones of us had gotten.

Maria: I am so amazed to see Lisa and the grace she has. The first few days after David went to be with the Lord, she was very crushed and sad. So now I can see that it is only the Lord's power that has given her such an incredible victory. I'm sure she still misses David a lot. We all do. But she is smiling and happy and able to talk to the many people who come and say, "I'm so sorry." We were talking about it this morning after reading the "Action Series," and we agreed that this grace the Lord has given all of us is indeed one of the "greater miracles" that the Lord promised us for this new era. The Lord is so good to us.

The Lord has shown us that He took David at this time to fight for us in the spirit. He said that now the spirit world would seem so much closer and more real. Two of us got in prophecy that David is being trained as a spiritual warrior.

Family Liberia got an amazing vision concerning David. Patrick explained to us how on New Year's Eve they were all in their house praying and singing. Then Patrick heard the Lord say, "The house is dark, put a candle outside." (They don't have electricity.) Patrick said they only had one candle left and he said, "Why, Lord?" The Lord told him that David was coming with some angels to consecrate the house. Again the Lord told him to light a candle and put it outside. Of course, David and the angels, being spirit beings, don't need light to find anything, but the Lord wanted to test Patrick's faith and see if he would obey. He hesitated a bit but finally found the last candle and put it outside.

The rest of the Home was a bit surprised, as he hadn't explained what the Lord told him. It was then that he saw a vision of David coming with angels around him. One of the girls saw it too and said David looked so grown up, like a man. She said that he was turning back as though talking to the angels beside him. She got that he was explaining where they were going and who these people were. The Lord also told Patrick to open the door for them as they were coming to anoint them, so each one knelt down to receive the anointing. The members of Family Liberia's faces were glowing as they told us this testimony.

Patrick also had a dream in which he was confronting someone who was practicing witchcraft or black magic. In the dream he was unable to handle the situation, but then all of a sudden David was there. Patrick knew David would take care of it, so he just left and said, "David's here, he'll handle everything." Family Liberia knows they have enemies in the spirit world. There are so many dark spiritual forces at work in Africa. So they believe now that David is going to really fight for them in the spirit world.

One of the trainees, a woman who has gone through the two-month course, and is now having discipleship classes with Stephen made an interesting comment. She said, "When I heard what had happened, of course I was sad and I wondered what Pastor Stephen would do. I thought to myself, All this Word that he has been teaching us, if it's really true, then I don't think he will give up. I don't believe the death of his son will cause him to give up and leave Liberia.

Thank You, Jesus, the effect we are having here has often been unseen. Until now we have only seen a small part of what the Lord is going to do with the Family around the world.

Before closing, here is a testimony from Joan about how David's death has affected her.

Joan: Please pray for me that I can accept his death and see the beauty and Romans 8:28 of it. I feel like giving up and quitting and leaving, but it's almost like I can hear David saying, "Joan, I died for Africa, can you die for it too?" Actually I heard that the other night.

I think the lesson the Lord wants me to get out of this is to be determined to do the Lord's will and give my life for this country and for souls by dying daily. That's what David died for, and I want his death to mean something to me and cause a change in me for the better.