Amplified Sorrow

Today I had two sorrowful conversations. One involved the temporary loss of communication with a person I care for beyond words. No more details are needed for that matter. The second conversation followed soon after and involved the death of a dear friend and brother:
My Indian brother who traveled with me all over India this summer is now standing before Christ singing His praises. Sunday night he died in the hospital after suffering from pneumonia and possibly tuberculosis. While we can fairly reasonably treat both conditions in the States (though even our doctors may be troubled by the two combined), India's medical facilities (especially those for the poor) are much more hindered. Please, if you read this, be in prayer for his family. He was the sole provider for his mother and two little brothers. The father of this family died about 5 years ago. Also, his family has accumulated debt to pay a dowry for his sister to be married (yes, dowry...don't get me started on that). Now the trauma of losing the eldest son brings a new world of difficulty. My prayer is for healing and comfort for his family who remains; strengthening of the believers, especially young believers who may be scared of what death means to believers; and doors to share the Gospel as a result of Santosh's death.
This will be an extremely difficult time for everyone as this is the first death of a believer in this community of believers. Many will have questions and concerns.