Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: FAMILY VACATION (07/30/15)
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TITLE: Forsaken No More | Previous Challenge Entry
By Grace Teoxon
08/04/15 -
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We boarded late in the afternoon and rode into the sunset, its fiery colors framed by darkening edges. My wife and 6-year old son slept tight. I had difficulty sleeping. My mind ranged the depths of my psyche, just like fishes in the deep looked for food. I yearned to feed my soul with the identity I left behind, 20 years ago.
I was 13 and rarin’ to go to high school, an oddity in the tribe. My father refused as I had to help to support the family – my parents and two siblings. “Stop this foolishness. School is only for the rich, the employed; not for us,“ nudging me with his elbow.
That was a blow, not to my body, but to my spirit.
“Us” are the Badjao, the sea gypsies, in central Philippines with counterparts in nearby countries. They live in houseboats or in stilt houses over the water. Animists with Islamic influence, they are oppressed and called, “G-d forsaken.” Armed conflicts, piracy, and dwindling marine resources drove them out of the sea to wander in cities. Illiterate and unkempt, they turn to begging to survive. They are shunned by many, Muslims and Christians alike.
We lived in a houseboat with just a curtain as shield for privacy. My mother’s stringy locks and furrowed brow made her looked older than her age, same with my father. I thought hard and long. One dark night, I slipped away on a boat. It was there that I found my benefactor, a trader who took me into his home and life. I finished a technical course, got a good job, and married. But in all those years, I was nagged by thoughts about my own family. What happened to them? Are they still alive?
My wife knew my story and when vacation came up, she said simply, “let’s go home.” It struck my heart.
The chatter and shouts of people at the ship’s rail attracted my son. He yelled, “Pa looked,” watching in awe as coins arched through the air and small boys dived and retrieved them. When we embarked, a swarm of grimy children met us with outstretched hands. We hurried out to the stilt houses. I learned that my family had moved to a far island near the Celebes Sea.
An overnight ferry boat ride landed us on the tiny island. We saw huts around a square and were directed to a wooden structure in a bluff. Inside, women were busy cleaning and decorating. They turned and one of them broke away and sobbing, called out - “Sammy, son, oh Lord, thank you, thank you.” The longing I’ve kept close all those years burst out. “Ma, I’m sorry, please forgive me.” My father, sister and brother came running. Pulling my wife and child, we all came together in a tight embrace … crying. The women cried too.
That night, over a bonfire, they all shared their story. Lean harvest pushed them to far seas and they sheltered in this island to escape a storm. A visiting missionary among the migrants, who lived here, took them in. As the storm raged, they learned about Jesus Christ’s great love for them. They were also told about a revival happening among Badjao children. Unschooled then, they recited verses and healed people through laying of hands. Missions and media came to witness and document their total transformation.
That was how my family and other Badjaos’ came to the Faith. They resided in this beautiful island, greeting the dawn with praise and ending the day in prayer. They have prayed for me all these years and now they see me, not only with their eyes but also with their hearts. That evening, my family and I received Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
We were no longer the “G-d forsaken” tribe. As it is said in 1 Corinthians 6: 16 and 18 (NKJV):
“… I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
“… I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s note: The MC’s journey is fiction but the general information about the Badjao tribe is factual. The Badjao revival is true and well-documented but happened in another island.
Sources:
www.joshuaproject.net
www.bornagainbadjao church.org
Wikepedia, Sama-Bajau peoples
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Well done.
God bless~