Personal Stories
Bess and Jared's Story
"As Peace Corp volunteers, we are so grateful to be part of a Christian faith that embraces religious diversity."
Last Christmas, we had no presents or snow. There were no decorations, and there was certainly no tree. However, waking up on the Lord's birthday in Mali was perhaps the most spiritually significant Christmas we've ever had. The desert smelled of new beginnings. From our hut, we could see the usual village scene: stray goats and sleeping camels, occasionally a woman passing by on her way to the well. The sun hadn't risen yet and stars were still visible in the pre-dawn light. That morning, we couldn't help searching the sky for one particular star, one brighter than all the rest, perhaps hanging over a stable on the outskirts of the village...
Despite the biblical appearance of our Malian village, no one knew it was Christmas morning. Everyone in Gossi is Muslim. Being New Church in a place where people haven't heard of Jesus Christ puts different light on the meaning of faith. It's an experience that separates the wheat from the chaff: some beliefs hold strong and others fall away. Those which survive are the ones worth keeping.
Without the support of a New Church community here, we are forced to go right to the source for spiritual food. When we lived in America, we rarely made time to read the Bible because there were other ways to maintain our faith. In Mali, the Bible has become our lifeline. We now understand why reading from the Word is the most direct way to connect with God. The more you read, the more it gives back to you. And we've started to notice the most wonderful thing — truths from the Bible seem to come at just the right time, corresponding to our daily challenges with uncanny synchronicity.
Being in a place where the culture and religion is so removed from our own, we are deeply grateful to have the New Church teaching that all people are welcomed into heaven as long as they've lived good lives. Peace Corp work would be very difficult without this belief. We've met such beautiful, kind people during our time in Africa — it's impossible to imagine that they'd be barred from salvation because their religion follows different paths to ours. In fact, some of the core Christian values are far more evident in Mali than they are in the West. For example, after supper, members of wealthier families will go out into the streets and literally put food into the bowls of the poor. Community is everything in Africa. In times of weakness, you are carried by your village; in times of strength, you help those less fortunate.
As Peace Corp volunteers, we're really called to put New Church teachings into practice. Whereas before we knew the theory of the teachings, now we know the truth of them. Living in West Africa provides amazing opportunities for regeneration. Waiting five hours for a bus on a desert road teaches patience like nothing else can. Thanks to what we've learned in the New Church, we're able to see times like this as a gift for spiritual growth rather than wasted hours. Also, our purpose in Mali is aligned with Swedenborg's teaching of useful service. When we help our African community in any way, we feel in touch with God.
One of our anxieties before going to the Peace Corp was how our marriage would fare in a country where affection shown between a man and a woman is not permissible. When we arrived in Mali, we'd only been married one year. A year later, we're amazed by how much stronger our bond is. With no outside support for our marriage, we've had to look to each other for guidance. It's given us the opportunity to find our own wisdom and apply it to the life of our relationship. Africa has shown us that, as our individual connections to God deepen, our marriage relationship thrives. Through personal experience, we've come to know the truth in the teaching that those who look to the Lord in marriage are blessed.
Perhaps the most valuable thing we've learnt during our time in Mali is that the face of love is universal. We've been the recipients of such kindness here. More than ever before, we feel part of the family of the human race.