We write snail mail letters back and forth and have been doing so for going on two years now, I have learned a lot about this man’s life and the struggles and hardships he and his family have been through and faced, his Father was killed in the civil war (when Koni tried to take over the country), his Father wasn’t a soldier for either side (Koni or Government) just a simple farmer who strived to send his children to school so that they would have a better life.
Gabriel is just 24 years old, before the Ebola outbreak he worked as a tour guide and fisherman and was putting himself through University, in his off time he provided free schooling to the poor children who otherwise would never get the chance to go to school’
In the 2 years he has never asked for anything, he has been keenly interested in Canada and just wants to learn our culture and better his english, even now with the Ebola virus running rampant he asks for nothing, he writes and tells me of the struggles he and his family are faced with, but he also shows his optimism for the future, he is quite certain that God will protect him and his family and is positive that a cure for the Ebola will soon be found.
Despite the hardships he is facing and has faced, he sets that all aside and asked how my wife is doing and tells me he prays for her every night and hopes that a cure for her cancer will be found before it is too late. He also asks how our son Hammy is doing and wants to know if there is any side effects from his brain tumor/surgery.
Gabriel writes beautiful letters in broken english,often inserting french or African words that send me running to Google translate, and still he asks for nothing, he wants nothing he tells me that his life and the lives of his family are in Gods grace.
I have come to greatly respect and care for the young man from Africa that I have never met, I have grown fond of him and his family, last Christmas for a surprise I sent him a tee shirt with CANADA on it and some inexpensive earrings for him to present to his Mother and sister as gifts, I have also sent countless vegetable seed packets along with my letters, and once sent a box of lollipops for him to give to the children he taught.
His shock and surprise was always evident in his letters, he felt ashamed that he could never afford to send anything to me, I have always told him that his friendship is his greatest gift to me and my family.
So now you know that I have a friend in Africa who is humble, God fearing , and almost like a brother to me, I am writing about him just in case anything happens to him , I want the world to know that there was a young man from Africa who never looked at his living situation as dire, never asked for sympathy, never asked for any single thing, but was always concerned about others no matter how far away they were from him… and his name is Gabriel.
Remember folks: express your love often,never take tomorrow for granted,and be kind to others.
Butch
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