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Be Not Afraid Anticipationno obvious foreknowledge – must have had some sensethat their time on earth was limited. This was true ofRachel, a nine-year-old who lived in the Paraguayanvillage where I grew up.While making toffee over an open fire, the commonmeans of cooking, Rachel’s mother was called away“only for a moment.” Just then Rachel bent over to stirthe candy, and her dress caught fire. She screamed andran for help, her other clothes bursting into flame. Herfather heard her cries and came running, rolled heron the ground, and quickly extinguished the flames.But the damage was done: one-fourth of her body wasseverely burned.Brought directly to a nearby mission hospital, Rachelwas given the best possible care, but over the next daysher condition worsened and she suffered terribly.Her doctors used a short-wave radio to consult with aspecialist in Asuncion, the nearest city, but his advicewas futile: fluid loss depleted her strength, and byevening of the fourth day she was unresponsive.By now it was clear that nothing more could be doneto save Rachel. Her family gathered around her bed,singing the songs they knew she loved. At one pointher mother spoke to her, and she unexpectedly sat upand sang a few lines with them. During the next hoursshe remained conscious, even holding a few briefconversations with her mother, and singing to herself.6