I woke up in the morning to a fresh cup of coffee and the heavy scent of heat and moisture in the air. A thunderstorm slowly rolled into St. Cloud. I relaxed and listened to the rain. My bike was in Debra’s garage. I laughed to myself at the perfection of my bike being in a garage for the first big storm while I was on this trip. After the storm broke, Debra drove me to the University to see her office and meet her Graduate Assistant, Chrispina, a Tanzanian Nun.
Chrispina and I bantered back and forth and got a long right away. With a suggestion from Debra and persistence from me, Chrispina agreed to an interview. I shut the door, turned on the mic, and over the next 40 minutes heard a beautiful story about family, loss of a parent, support of a community.
What began to emerge was a personal truth that through fearful times, individuals can develop a deep sense of purpose. In Chrispina’s case, her experience has led to a life focused on giving back to children that have lost a parent.
Chrispina’s story felt like the other stories I have been collecting. Fear manifested in a similar way for Chrispina in Tanzania as I had heard in the voices of the Roys' in Grand Rapids.
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