Dead body coughs at mortuary entrance as attendant flees

by Irvine Syazyombo

Whatever happens under the sun does so because the God in heaven has allowed it to occur. Nothing happens without will of the Almighty.

Even deaths that happen daily, it is because God in heaven allows those souls to rest. It is because God has allowed the fulfilment of his word to Adam and Eve that people are mortal.

However, if  Gods says no to the loss of life, the individual continues to live .Evil forces may crave to curtail a life but  instead, more years result if God Himself wills. If His will is longer life for the individual, the person will not be killed by any danger that faces him. It does not matter how helpless a person’s fate seems.

This is what happened to a young man ,Ashers Masempela of Lusaka in Zambia.In October 2006,he had just had his lunch  in  Syacitema Chiefdom of Kalomo District of Southern Zambia when a man visited.

Masempela told a Seventh Day Adventist  Church (SDA) camped congregation in Masaiti district of Copperbelt province recently that the person had bad news to break to the family.

“He told us that a boy named Smart whom I had chatted with that morning  passed away later,” 

Masempela narrated to the emotional attentive hundreds of faces in a makeshift shelter.

He said the informant also told the family that  SDA church elders had requested Masempela and his fellow twelve-man  church singing group  members to perform at the house of moaning that evening.

Masempela said he and his fellow church singers soon started off  towards late Smart’s home in the same chiefdom.

He said  the group of youths found a man who could not walk due to disability lying on the ground at a road junction.

Masempela said the disabled man called him and asked a lot of questions after the young man   had stopped with one of his fellow singers as the rest proceeded. Masempela said the disabled man  advised him to avoid spending most of his time  singing as that could lead to his death.

Masempela said he just smiled at the man before the two  walked on. He said about 60 meters away, he looked over his shoulders.He said  and his eyes and those of the disabled man met and that the cripple repeated his advice to which Masempela just responded with a smile.

He said  they soon met two elderly men one of whom wondered if Masemplela was human or a ghost,   believing  that the schoolboy   had died two years earlier.

Masempela  explained that the elderly man repeatedly touched on  the body and arms to prove that he was a human and not a ghost.

“Then the man also said I would die if I spent most of my time singing,” Masempela added to the quiet audience.

Masempela said he and his friend  looked at each other with surprise  because of the words that had been echoed by the doubtful man. Masempela  said when he looked over his shoulder  shortly after resuming the walk , his eyes met those of the elderly man who stressed his advice to Masempela to reduce  music engagements.

Masempela further said he replied that the man himself  would instead die as result of walking long distances .

He said about sixty meters on the youths met three young women one of whom also marveled at seeing Masempela, saying she believed he had died years back.

Masempela said from the repeated disturbing comment,his friend also became doubtful of whether 

Masempela was human or a ghost and almost returned. Masempela further said he persuaded the fellow singer to resume the walk.

Masempela  recalled that soon after  turning  and parting  with the young  ladies between 14 and 15 hours ,he lost consciousness until  ‘waking up’ to the squeaking bumps of being wheeled away.

“It felt like waking up. I wondered where I was being wheeled to because I thought I had fallen asleep at the house of moaning.I tried to move but my arms were bound. I wondered who among my friends had jokingly been wheeling me at the house of moaning. The individual kept on pushing until 

I asked  where he was taking me,” Masempela narrated emotionally.

The young man said suddenly the person screamed and  stopped moving him before a crowd gathered shouting that he had come back to life. He said his father,mother, siblings and two friends were deeply tearful.

“My father asked me if I could recognize him.I wondered why  because I had lived with him for years as his son,” Masempela said softly ;eyes half closed and visibly struggling to tame his emotions as the  congregation tearfully paid attention.

Masempela further said two doctors and a nurse soon took him to some room  where  to his amasement they undressed ,bathed and dressed him in new clothes.

He said the medical staff soon took him to his parents where they explained that he had been struck by lightning and was brought to Choma General Hospital around seventeen hours the previous day.

Masempela added that the professionals said they had struggled  to immediately resuscitate him ,saying  retrying   around 23 hours also failed before  certifying  him dead.

The young man said the doctors explained that the mortuary  had then closed, so Masempela and eight  dead bodies were kept in  some room till morning.

Masempela  further said the medical experts narrated that in the morning a worker wheeled him on a trolley until near the mortuary when he coughed, saying he was very lucky.

Meanwhile Masempela narrated that according to eyewitnesses, when  lightning suddenly struck  , he was also violently lifted and dumped  in the way of an oncoming vehicle which miraculously swerved before dropping some passengers and rushing him to hospital.

He said medical staff apologized to his parents who replied that it was not doctors who gave life but God. Masempela further said from that incident he dedicated his life to sing for God as that was his talent .

Then he sang two deeply emotional songs about his mysterious experience .The music further stirred up emotions of the tearful congregation.

The man has composed many songs which have made so many people across Zambia repent of their sins and embrace God.

Indeed God is merciful. God is love. He demonstrated that by sustaining Masempela’s life which could have instantly been lost in one lightning strike. God can also work such a miracle in your life if you believe in him. He demonstrated through Masempela’s life that he is Almighty God.