Little Ronit

A couple months after arriving in Musoma the wife of one of the translators for Simbiti gave birth to their 12th child. Mago, the translator, asked me to drive him, several of his children, and the new baby out to his village home. I gladly said yes, and was excited to get to serve this family with my vehicle. Mago was so grateful that he decided to name this child Ronit. He loved the meaning ‘one who sings joyfully’, and wanted to show his gratitude by giving his daughter my name.

Me holding Little Ronit when I first took her out to her village home.

About once I year I had the opportunity to see Little Ronit, and her father would regularly give me pictures of her. He said that she always had such a joyful spirit and truly lived out her name, ‘one who sings joyfully’. The whole, very large, family doted on her and had great delight in who God had made their littlest sister to be.

About a month after Little Ronit turned two she became very sick, as an office we lifted her up in prayer, almost on a daily basis. No one knew exactly what was wrong, and primarily due to the available health care in Musoma, it was months before a diagnosis was found. All we knew was that her little body seemed to be rapidly declining. She stopped speaking, and her father informed us that she no longer could walk.

I visited her in the hospital about a week before returning to the States. I was, as always, saddened by the condition of the hospital, but also touched by the serenity in Little Ronit’s countenance. She was calm and observant as the visitors gathered around her to greet her mother and pray for her. She was moving her legs a bit and I honestly thought that she must be improving.

That is why it was so much more shocking to find out, in January, that she had passed away. The family had finally received a diagnosis, Meningitis. I was told that they had treated the Meningitis, but Little Ronit was left permanently brain damaged due to how long it took to start treating. About a week later, I was told that she had passed away.

A friend posted some pictures that she took at Little Ronit’s funeral and I was touched by many things in the pictures, particularly the size of the coffin. But, I was also touched by how many of the staff from the office were at the funeral, missionaries and Tanzanians alike. All gathered together to comfort and support their family in Christ.

Little Ronit's funeral. Her mother is sitting in the chair, while her father prays over her. The little girl crouching next to the chair is one of her older sisters.

Little Ronit was a joyful little girl who delighted her family, she was a blessing. Please be praying for continued comfort and peace for her family.