Stories

I love stories.  Fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, memoirs, fairytales.  You name it. I like it all.  Every story is unique and interesting and the more details, the better. One of the many blessings I've had this year includes hearing other people's stories.  The stories range from tall tales told by toddlers to fellow missionaries journeys to the stories of the mothers here at Visitation House.  Being homeless is not always a choice.  The women I have met did not choose to leave the home they knew and drastically change their lives.  Instead, they chose to give their children a safe place to live.  They chose to take a risk in the hope that their new environment would provide their children with more opportunities.  Their stories are full of struggles, challenges, despair and hope. They have embarked on new journeys, ones in which their destinations may still be unknown.  Nevertheless, they have made themselves vulnerable by opening up their lives and inviting me to walk with them, at least part of the way.

            While each women at Visitation House has shared with me a piece of her distinct story, one mother who is a fairly recent addition to the program, stands out to me. She has revealed herself through the depths of her story. Born in Mexico, Theresa has crossed illegally several times, once with three children all under the age of two.  Coincidently, she lived in South Bend, Indiana, the city just outside of the University of Notre Dame, where I attended college.  She lived there with her first husband who was abusive and controlling.  One day, without warning, he put her and her oldest son, only a few months old at the time, in their car and drove all the way down to San Antonio.  She thought they were on their way to the grocery store and when she pleaded with him to return home so she could at least get her things, he simply ignored her.  She finally went back home to Mexico after being raped and bearing two more children from this same man.  Wanting a safe and secure future for her family, she again crossed illegally back into the United States.  After finding a man she trusted and one who treated her well, she settled down in San Antonio and had three more kids.  However, her second husband began to abuse her as well.   She spent time in the Battered Woman's Shelter seeking refuge from her harsh home life before coming to Visitation House.  Her life has been no stranger to struggle.  Yet, she is one of the strongest women I have ever met.  Despite being illiterate when she arrived, she has worked diligently and enthusiastically to learn both conversational English and Spanish literacy.  Theresa takes pride and joy in learning and it is great to see her progress.  She is also caring and always puts the needs of her children above all else.  I admire her courage and her ability to love even in the most difficult of situations.  Her story is a model of how I should live my life, always giving with a smile on my face.  I trust that I will carry such stories with me well beyond my time at Visitation House. 

Angelique "Jelly" Snyder, IWM