Hi, I hope you are doing well. I would like to tell you that I’m on [the French island].
I plan to live [here].
Back in June we wrote a blog about traveling called, If You're Going to Travel... It was mostly about the culture of preparing for traveling—whom you tell, when you tell, why you don’t tell, etc.
This blog is more about the other side of that situation. This is about not hearing about people’s travel plans, but rather finding out about it after the fact.
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| Tom encouraging English teachers/students on Clove |
Every year it happens. Students we’ve come to know and love go off to study abroad. We are happy for them. We hope the best for them. But we’re hardly ever told until after the fact. Sometimes they tell us themselves, like the message above. Sometimes—mostly, we find out through a friend. “Did you know so and so is in Morocco?” “You didn’t hear? So and so went to Senegal.” In those cases, we wish the best for them. It would have been nice to say goodbye, but they are young and off to study abroad.
The message from above was a bit different. It was from our good friend, Tumayin. He’s already done his studies and has been teaching English for some time. He’s someone we’ve worked with for many years. It seemed to us like he had a pretty good life here. He was busy, making a little bit of money, doing fulfilling and honorable work. But then he sent us this message this past week. And just like that he’s gone, another islander illegally immigrating to the French island, and we may not see him again for many years. It’s a strange feeling.
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| Papaya carving! |
Moreover, Tumayin did not leave to study abroad, but ostensibly to “find a better life.” To find a better paying job, or a better citizenship, or a chance at those things. It is not certain that he will find them. His years ahead may be full of hardship because without legal papers to be on the French Island, he will have to hide from authorities and find work under the table. He will probably have to live in cramped quarters and get by with less. All the while, he will try to secure his papers that would allow him to stay and move about freely, and maybe even one day travel to Europe and find work there.
I don’t know all the pressures that may be on Tumayin’s life. Perhaps he has family that pressured him to go. Perhaps he has more obligations than I am aware of. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it was simply the temptation of a better life that led him to his decision. Illegal immigration is a complicated topic and a hot one. People have strong feelings about it. But it’s different when you know someone. I don’t agree with Tumayin’s decision, but I can understand it. He’s a smart guy with a bright future. He just couldn’t envision that future happening here on the islands. Like so many, he’s probably convinced these islands are hopeless—that there is no future for a bright young man here.
We wish we could have convinced him otherwise.
PRAYERS ANSWERED
Tom had two good visits to villages where English programs are just getting going. We will have the women’s gathering this week and plan to study Ruth for the next few monthly meetings (one of the local sisters went to a conference focused on how the story of Ruth can be used to challenge and encourage). Our kids at boarding school seem less stressed. We were able to be vaccinated against cholera (no cases on our island, but a few on the big island so they were offering free vaccination!). We were able to secure boat tickets for the small island, after weeks of trying to figure out if we could fly there. It is nice to have tickets since we travel at the end of this week. It continues to be encouraging to see Mtsa’s growing eagerness to study and learn.
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for Tumayin that he would look for hope for his future in eternal things. Pray for interisland travel. There are currently two airlines running, but their planes keep having problems and making travel between islands difficult. Pray that the new team coming to the small island would be able to arrive safely and get to the small island as planned. Pray for us and others who will be boating from Clove Island to the small island to help with the orientation for this team. Pray for smooth seas. May we all arrive safely without difficulties! Pray for the boat project’s needed loan to get approved so that they could start providing reliable transportation. Pray that the women’s gathering would be an encouragement to all and that everyone would be healthy enough to attend (there have been various health problems lately). One island sister just moved to Clove from the small island and wants help to learn English. Pray that we could help her and also encourage her walk. There was a police raid on a Sunday gathering of expat Africans this weekend on the big island. Afterwards the government issued a statement condemning the raid and stating that it violated people’s rights and freedoms. Pray for that gathering that they might be encouraged and that this government statement might be a real indication of increasing freedom.
