SULADS STORIES

I WANT TO GO HOME

By Daryl Famisaran

July 2000

Lapangon Mission School

 

“Glory, why are you so sad?”  I looked down at her misty eyes as she looked up into mine and starting to cry, she snatched herself away and cried.  I patted her shoulders.  It’s enough.  I understand.  I comforted her.

Glory was such a lovely girl of ten years from Lapangon Mission School.  She has a ready sweet smile showing her two dimples.  She’s been with us in our home for three weeks now and she sings her heart out whenever she likes.  But whenever she remembers her problems and the ordeal she is in she would cry and long to go home.  As much as we are willing to let her go, we cannot.

 

“I miss my Papa.  I miss my Mama.  I miss my brothers and sisters.  I miss them all in the mission school,” she would sob.  But we dare not allow her to go because her parents, especially her father, would kill her.  You will be surprised, I’m sure, and ask why.  Well, here is her story.

Glory was the favorite of her Papa because she can easily learn new songs, memory verses, read, write, and many other things from the mission school.  The parents, seeing her progress in school, dreamed to let her study at Mountain View College when she grows big.

One day, a lowlander, about sixty years old, came to the village to help build a new school there.  He was interested in Glory because of her talents.  He proposed to the parents the she should come and stay in his home in town while she studied in a formal school.  The parents were happy because that was what they were dreaming of for Glory.  Glory, too, was happy, though sad that she would be missing her family, friends, and classmates.

 

In her new home, she was warmly received by the wife of the carpenter.  She got hew friends, the grandchildren of her foster parents.  The “Grammy”, as what she was told to call the wife of the old carpenter, bought her a new dress, notebook, and other schools needs as she prepared for real school.  Things seemed so well in this new home, but it was not.

She never knew that an evil plan was laid for her.  She, without the knowledge of the Grammy, was raped by the carpenter who threatened to kill her if she told anybody.  This situation continued for some time.  She could not do anything as she was in the custody of the rapist. 

She wanted to run away but her home was to far away.  If she were caught, worse things would happen.  This started her miserable life.  She prayed as she remembered the lessons from the mission school.  God answered her prayer.  She well knew that God would help her.  But another problem she faced was the culture of her family.  According to that culture, she was contaminated with the sin of her rapist.  She, too, must die or be cast out from her people. 

One day, Glory saw her teacher from the mission school who had come to town to purchase supplies.  She ran to the teacher and told her the whole sad ordeal.  Thus I learned of the problem.  Immediately, we took action and filed a case against the abuser.  The SULADS also appeased the villagers of Lapangon by providing as a peace offering, a carabao.  The villagers of Lapangon took the carabao and, using their long knives called bolos, chopped the carabao to death.  This was done to symbolize what they had wanted to do to the rapist.  Now they will not go out headhunting to kill whoever they can find.

Pray with us that these villagers will come to know the love of God in such a way that they will no longer take revenge into their own hands but will allow God to deal with this type of problem.