Nin Tong

On October 20, it was reported by Stung Somrong Church/Orphan Home in Cambodia that Nin Tong, a five year old orphan boy, died the night before at the Kuntabopha Hospital. He had shown no signs of illness, but on examination at the hospital, it was discovered that he was HIV positive and died due to a sudden onset of meningitis. I pray that God will comfort the hearts of his brothers and sisters in the orphan home, and brings them a peace and understand that all of God's works are filled with grace and mercy.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received form God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Sometimes it just doesn't seem fair. This poor boy was HIV positive. He was probably born that way. Maybe his parents died which is why he ended up in the orphan home. The little guy was only five years old.

If there's any comfort in this, it's that he at least spent some amount of time in a home with people that cared about him where he got good meals, medical and dental care and a warm place to sleep. Tong lived at the Steung Somrong Orphan Home in Koh Kong province in Western Cambodia. They seem to take good care of the children there. I read a report of a dentist that visited a few orphan homes in that area, and he said that the orphans are much healthier than the children in the surrounding neighborhoods. They get better nutrition and better health care.

Here he is with some of his buddies shortly before his untimely death.