I Am A Woman of P.E.A.C.E. (Prayer-Empowered Advocate of Compassion and Equality)

There was a shy little girl in an elementary school playing outside her classroom. Her clothes were dirty. Her hair uncombed. This girl's skin was full of scars and mosquito bites. Nobody liked this girl but, she was happy playing outside although she was alone. Suddenly, one of her classmates shouted: "You're so black and disgusting hahaha!" and made fun of her. She ignored him because she was used to those words everyday of her life. When the bell rang, she grabbed her bag and headed home. When she returned home, she heard her mom and dad fighting with each other. Her dad unemployed with bottle of liquor in his hands. Her mother just finished selling own cooked candies outside just cried. This little girl went straight to her room just cried. She experienced being bullied at school and now she saw her mom being told with hurting words by her father. After her parents fought she saw her mom cooking their food. She talked to her brother but her brother was mean to her. In order for her to defend herself from her mean brother, she showed him a knife. Her older brother just went with his peers outside and he smelled cigarettes. Their house was a mess...uncleaned floor, full of cobwebs, trash were everywhere... it was not even a home and a house where a family lived and we can't call them a family because they never loved each other. But, this little girl was praying..."God I know You are true please help my family because I love my dad, my mom and my brothers although they don't love me." She visited her friend. The house of her friend was tidy and her parents love each other and their children. She enjoyed observing them. She went home and planned to clean their house too. The next day, it's Saturday and she just got the broom and sweep the floor. Her mom was washing their clothes and saw her cleaning the house. Her mom was delighted to see her cleaning the house. After cleaning the house she looked at the mirror and saw herself dirty too. "I would like to look like my friends ..they were clean. Maybe they will like me if I will be clean too." She took a bath and cleaned herself too. She wanted to help her mom because she loved her. She attended the church on Sunday and went to school on Monday. After class, she noticed there's no one at home. She just realized her mom left them to go abroad to a foreign country very far from them to work. She cried: "Mother why do you leave me? I am only 10 years old. How can I live without you?" She cant bear the pain and the fear that she will not see her mom for a long time. When her father and her siblings returned home, they told her that she will not live with them anymore but her grandmother will take care of her. She packed her things and went to her grandmother's house nearby. She was alone in that big house and only in the evening her grandmother will go home to sleep in that house It was not easy because she needed to learn how to wash the clothes and cook at her young age. But, she had a dream. She had hope in her heart. She knew God loved her. Every night she was crying and praying. "Lord help me. I am always alone. Teach me how to live. I want to go to school and finish my studies." She just continued her studies and faithful in going to church. She graduated with honors in high school.At the age of 15 she went to college far from her place. She discovered that there were kind people who were willing to help her.She was a working student in a Bible college 4-5 hours travel from her hometown She never forget her family and once a month she visited them, clean their house and cooked for her dad and siblings. She was happy that in her new place she was able to reach children in slum areas and she was teaching these slum children weekly.After she finished college, an elementary school hired her immediately to a more far place but she still visited her dad and siblings, clean their house and cook food for them. She pursued another course, a music course, then a masteral degree then she planned to go home. Her mother was still in another country. Her dad was old. Her mean brother was married but her another kind brother was there in their house. She went home and get married then have children. That girl was me. I still visited my father and my brother. I cleaned their house and cooked food for them. One day, my dad and my brother visited me. It was my birthday. My dad told my brother to give me a birthday cake...I didn't know it will be my last birthday that I will see my father alive. After a week, I received a call from my brother that my father had a heart attack. He was dead already. I cried: "I love my father so much. All my life I love him." I was sad but as I reflect about my life...I did my best to pray and show compassion to my family. Although I am not teaching slum children anymore but now I am teaching high school and college students. Whenever I see small girls who was like me who was bullied and seemed not unloved, me and my kids will extend our help to them. I believe we will have a peaceful world if we will pay back cruelty with kindness. There's always hope when we continuously pray for each other. We should learn to forgive and understand people. I now have a loving family and I have peace of mind now that I did my best.