Telma's Legacy

Claudia shows off her new Bible

Telma is one of my favorite ladies in the Loving InDeed program.  She is a teeny tiny little woman--her biggest feature is her beautiful smile.  In fact, I've never seen her without a smile on her face, even though she has had such an incredibly rough life.  Her six children are absolutely precious. How their father could ever dump them to be with some other woman is just beyond me!  Last Monday, Telma's 12 year old daughter, Claudia, shyly approached me to say that she'd memorized her 10 verses and would like to say them to me and win her Bible.  She said all 10 perfectly; I was so proud! In fact, she was the first female in Tuicogel to even attempt it.  But the story gets so much better!  After the study, Telma asked me for a ride down the mountain, and I gladly obliged.  She sent Claudia home with her siblings, and hopped in my car.  On the way down, she started to open up to me.  She told me that her mother had died very shortly after her birth.  She had been raised by her father who did not allow his daughters the opporutnity to have an education.  He preferred that they stay home and work his fields.  So sadly Telma has never been to school a day in her life and cannot read or write.  She told me how determined she was that each of her children would get to go to school. Having very little by way of physical possessions, an education was the one legacy she could give them. Then she hung her head and said, "The thing that bothers me the most is that I cannot read the Bible for myself.  I wish I could.  But my Claudia can read. (up came her head!)  She told me the other day,  'Don't worry, Mama.  I'm going to study my verses until I can say them all.  When I win my Bible, we'll sit down together, and I'll read it slowly so that we can both understand.'"  I wanted to cry.  I already loved Claudia--she is an absolute sweetheart--but that little story her mama told me ensured that I will do whatever it takes to make sure that Claudia gets to go to school for as long as she wants to. This morning Claudia chose her new Bible, while her mother sat behind her beaming with pride. 

                

What's even more wonderful is that three other ladies won Bibles this morning:  Imelda, Brisela, and Leysi.  The younger generation of women is gaining confidence in this remote village, and my heart is nearly bursting with joy!  I had 25 women in the Bible study this morning--young and old--and I got to help these four learn to use their new Bibles. What a thrill!  It still amazes me that God lets me do this.