Yesenia's Journey in Chad, Africa
Serving as a Student Missonary through La Sierra University at Bere Adventist Hospital from August 2015 to June 2016.
"...because he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted..." Luke 4:18
The need is great here in Chad. As you all have read in my previous post we need contributions to help the people here. Vianay and I will be working in the Seventh Day Adventist Academy next door to the hospital. We will be teaching English and Bible. Many of the children here in the community cannot go to school due to poverty and lack of funds. This is the only school within miles so many children are not educated. No child should ever be robbed of their education. Education is knowledge and knowledge is freedom. If you feel in your heart to make that difference the information to donate is provided below and all donation are tax deductible. I am writing this because many have wanted to contribute and now here is how. Please share with as many people as possible. Anyone can make a difference, so let's make one. " You have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me." Make that change. Donations can be made to: www.whyweshouldgo.blogspot.com There is a donation option. Non-profit and 100% of donation goes directly to the funds. Make sure to write in the NOTES section #LSUmissionaries Also if you are interested in making money contributions to pay for a child's Christian education it is $40 to send a child here to school for one year. This includes Tuition for the year, school supplies and Uniform. If your contribution will like to be made for a child's education in the note section simply write: #LSUmissionaries FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION All contributions can be made through www.whyweshouldgo.blogspot.com Checks can be made out to: Comfort Ministries.
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Reality hit me like a brick today.
August 17, 2015 I turned 20 years old; Vianay and I helped with the giving program they have every Monday. This program started by Kim helping 4 or 5 people and it has grown ever since. Now more than 80 people who are old, sick, and with children, gather outside of the hospital gate so they might get a bag. One of the bags contains rice, beans, and a bar of soap so that they can use to wash and to do laundry and many other things. We packed the bags hoping for a good outcome. We kept packing the bags, but we began to run out of each item. First, we ran out of beans so we continued to pack with rice and a bar of soap. Then, we ran out of soap, but we still had people waiting for something. Pretty soon we were just packing bags of rice to give to the people. Soon we ran out of rice too. I went outside to help give out the bag. We only had 20 bags left and there was a lot more than 20 people. Papa, one of the guys who translates to the people and helps with the program said we had to choose who to give the last 20 bags to. I couldn't do it. More than 40 people left some with children, all very old, sick, and starving. I couldn't choose. Right when I was about to help choose who got the bags I made eye contact with a little girl about the age of four leading her blind grandmother to the front of the crowd. She looked at me with big glossy eyes with her dirty head wrap and her brown tattered clothes. All she did was stare, and her stare ate at my soul. How could I tell her to come back next week? I couldn't. As I stared back into her eyes, I felt a tear run down my cheek. I quickly turned and walked away as my eyes filled with tears and a lump grew in my throat. I had to walk away because as my eyes grew full with tears, I knew I couldn't break down and cry. My heart grew heavy and for a moment I felt so, so helpless. We had run out of food and who am I to say who gets a bag and who doesn't. They are all practically starving and some cannot work due to illnesses and old age. And some of these people have young children who are their grandchildren and they're hungry too. I had to say, "we ran out of food, I'm sorry come back next week." These people were depending on this for the week so they can survive to the next week. It didn't help that there was no line so we couldn't tell who got there first. All I could say is my heart broke, and I couldn't do anything to help these people. That just made me think of the hardship and suffering we are not exposed to in America. How sheltered we really are. How individualistic my society made me. How ignorant I was to the idea of hunger. But to help we need money. Of course, everyone needs money. You know that one saying, Money makes the world go round. Well it's sad but the harsh reality of it, is it is true. Everything requires money! I wish I was rich so I could give it all away. I wish I had the funds to meet the basic needs of these poor people. But I don't and I probably never will. And it's true the rich will continue to get richer (the American dream right?) and the poor will continue to get more poor. For example one of my idols Michael Jackson won the humanitarian award due to his charities and giving. Of course, he did great work in regards of service but he was filthy rich. One of the few who contribute to needy causes. I just got angry not at anyone really but I couldn't do anything, and I can't stop it either. What ended up happening is Vianay picked the people who would get the last bags, no one wanted to be the one to do it and I know that was very hard on her. We plan to develop a more strategic way of doing this every week. I've never seen so much pain and need. I was truely at a loss for words. One can only minister so much and give hope so much but needs need to be meet. I know all we need is Jesus but what do I say when I have nothing to give a starving person? Today, was one of the toughest experience I've ever had. I am sorry to burden you all with such sad thoughts but that is the reality of it here. People are hungry, sick, and dying and we need funds to meet they're needs. Please feel free to donate... doesn't take much to change a life of someone here with spare change... literally. But I understand the thoughts of Americans in a individualistic society. I understand even trying to make a living in America, it's hard. The harsh reality is life is hard. But, we must love and help one another. Have Joy. Jesus first, others second, you last. But I don't mean to guilt or make anyone feel bad, I am simply just sharing my thoughts after my experience today. Please love me enough if I am wrong as well. I am learning here, definitely learning. I just wish I could do more, and never have to turn any one away. On a different note Chadian Dating 101: Walking back from the market with one of our new friends who shall remain nameless (He also kindly translates for Vianay and )he sees a girl in a distance, and says that's his girlfriend. Mind you, having girlfriends and boyfriends isn't something that is public and should be kept secret. He then goes and talks with her for a bit and walks with her for less than five minutes then they go their separate ways. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. They both couldn't stop smiling as they talked to one another. As the went their separate ways Vianey and I couldn't help but to ohh and ahh our friend. Our friend made us promise to keep this a secret but he shared with us his love for her. He only sees her in spurts at a time every week or so. He wants to have a job and finish school before anything too serious. He explained if one likes a girl they must go to her house and talk with her father in terms of marriage. Since he is not ready yet, it is kept secret and they see each other for a few minutes for weeks at a time. It was such a beautiful thing. Chadian love. That is how relationships go here. Vianay and I have gotten proposed to already but we don't understand and our translator quickly pulls us away. I don't have any camals or cows to offer anyways! Kidding, only kidding. Although the missionaries celebrated my birthday with cake and ice cream a day before, that is how I spent my real birthday. Hey I turned 20 in Africa that is pretty cool, and I actually share my birthday with one of my new sisters in my family; her name is Briya. She is a beautiful, smart, young girl, and she just turned 16. For a gift I gave her my prettiest skirt I brought here it was brand new too. She loved it and that is what made my birthday so special. My identity has been transformed. August 5th, 2015, I was no longer Yesenia Sosa, Mexican - American, 19 years old, from Skyline, San Diego, California. No longer the straight A student in H.M.S Richards Divinity School at La Sierra University. No longer Rabbi. (Shout out to my friends at La Sierra.) No longer Tony's little sister (a disclaimer I had attached to me since childhood well through out high school. ) I was no longer Isaiah's girlfriend, lil sinna, tuis roommate. None of the above was no longer attached to my identity. Now I am The American.
I soon began to realize this, as Vianay and I boarded our terminal at the Ethiopian airport. We sat closer than usual as we were the only two girls on our terminal surrounded by men all over 6 feet, dark skin, and dressed in Arabian/Muslim clothing. Not only were we the only woman but we are white, we are small, and we only speak English. Oh yeah, and we're American. All I kept thinking was Lord give us traveling mercies and my mother's words of per caution kept ringing in the back of my head. We boarded our plane to Chad, and there was no turning back now. All I kept think at that point was about our luggage we had no idea if it had gotten to Chad because we were instructed to get our luggage in Ethiopia. We couldn't do that because in order to get luggage one must have a visa for Ethiopia which we didn't. So by faith we boarded hoping it went to Chad. My plan was, land, go through immigration, and find luggage! That's exactly what we did... sort of. We landed and then we just followed the crowd. The capital D'jamena looks a lot like T.J except much, much, more poor and not many buildings, and no paved roads.So, I stepped off the plane and the hot humid air hit me like a brick, I didn't really care I was so focused on finding my luggage, (my bug tent was in there, I was determined to find that luggage! ). So as me and Vianay followed the crowd into immigration we had no idea what we were doing. Everyone was filling out this little card which was in French and we filled it out as best we could. The airport didn't look like an airport just an old little beat up, broken down building. Immigration is this little muggy room where you can smell every body and they mommas armpits. Bugs everywhere, it wasn't the sweetest welcoming. Anyways we just wanted to be allowed into the country so we could get our luggage! Of course, be missionaries as well. So we made it through immigration and then we went into this tiny room where the luggage carousel was and then played the waiting game. But immediately, the workers who help the people get they're luggage wanted to help us. I'll tell you why, we are white, we are American that means we have money, meaning they were expecting a Fat tip. I really didn't care we needed help and I just wanted to get my luggage. So since I over packed... we needed a lot of help. I didn't understand why these men were helping us so much until I got outside and another man was helping me with the rest of my luggage. As the second man came out with me the first man who was helping us began to fight to help me with the rest of my things. The two men started arguing in french I believe and all I understood was American. Then it all made sense, they were so helpful because since I was American I had money and I would tip them. Well that wasn't the case. I am not a rich American (according to American Standards) and I had no money on me to tip them anyways. But Zach, another missionary here who picked us up from the airport took care of that little problem for me. Next day, we headed on a bus to Kélo Chad, an hour give or take away from Béré, where I am now living. In total were 8 hours from the capital. One important thing I learned on the bus ride to bere, CAMERAS/PICTURES ARE ILLEGAL IN CHAD, period. Well I am here in Béré now and the scenery is absolutely breath taking and that is an understatement. But I am constantly reminded that I am The American. First night I ate dinner along side my new family. I love my new family. They're hospitality is amazing and they treat me like a queen and they feed me like a KING. Seriously, they feed me so much and the food is so good. There were many rumors that the food would be nasty but that is a LIE, the food is, for lack of a better term, The Bomb. Anyways, first night my family pulled out they're best chair and a little white table so I could eat. Then, my new momma and my new brothers and sisters ate on one side of me and the men ate on the other side of me and I ate in the middle alone. I wondered why. When I asked Zach he had previously explained to me I am the "third sex." I am a woman so the men won't want to eat with me and the woman do not want to eat with me because "I am the special one, I am the missionary, I am the one who has come to help, I am The American." I understood and it's ok, I am slowly but surely gaining more love and trust from my new family. As I have been getting accustomed with my new home, I have had several wonderful experiences. I love the people here but I especially love the children. The children are so happy, so obedient, so humble, and so so pure. They laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. One of the sweetest sounds to the human ear. Vianay and I have had the opportunity to go out this week on Wednesday and Friday to give Bible Studies to two other villages. I had thought this would be teens or adults but to my surprise it was the children of these villages. As we rode on the motorcycle to these villages the children everywhere would scream Nasara, Nasara. I ignorantly thought that Nasara was a greeting (there are many greetings here) so I said it back to them. In return they would give me a strange, offended, confused look. So I would just keep walking. I finally asked what it meant, Nasara means white person/white people. Everything made a lot more sense now and I stopped saying it back. One of the villages named Non-Churray (sorry if the spelling is wrong), was so much fun. As we made our way into the village children came out of no where screaming Nasara, Nasara, and they ambushed our motorcycles. I couldn't stop laughing. We told them Bible stories and sang songs, and as we left they chased our motorcycles screaming, Nasara, Nasara. Although some might get annoyed with being reminded of how American they are, oddly I have embraced the name Nasara. Why would I mind, when the children mean no harm when they refer to me as Nasara? Yes I am Nasara, I am white, I am American. I am not ashamed to be who I am. Yes I want to fully embrace they're culture and I want to try to understand to the best of my ability to be a Chadian woman; but I will never pretend to mistake I know exactly how they feel because I don't. I bring to their table what I know but I will never be so ignorant to think what I know is all there is to know. I have so much to learn and I have been humbled by my experience so far. But today, was sabbath and their Pathfinder day. This was a big deal. When church was over the pathfinders marched all around the village singing and marching, so proud to be a pathfinder, so proud to be an Adventist, so proud to be a Christian. As the pathfinders marched all of the children followed behind singing and marching. Vianay and I joined in the commotion. As we marched we held the little hands of the little children. As we marched to the Pathfinder song I realized this is the Gospel story in action. God is continually revealing himself to me. This has been a great start to this new adventure. As I held hands with the children I have embraced my new identity. I am Nasara. |
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November 2015
AuthorYesenia Sosa from San Diego,CA. I have a deep love for God and what he has done for me in my life. Because of Jesus love for me that has compelled me to show his love to others. I love my family,friends, and boyfriend Isaiah very much. I love school and I love to learn. I want to give myself in love and service, as Jesus did for me. Be blessed, never forget, you can do all things through Christ who Strengthens us. |