Joshua Shema Gatera is a 7-pound, 8-ounce Christmas-season baby whose birth nine days ago is testimony to the ability of people to make a difference in other's lives.
From the African continent to Maryland, acts of kindness and caring from individuals and humanitarian organizations brought Joshua's mother, Mulisa Besenga, to Mount Airy.
The events leading to Joshua's birth on Dec. 14 at Frederick Memorial Hospital began more than three years ago with a tragedy in distant Zaire.
Mrs. Besenga, her two sons and daughter lived with her parents in Kinchasa, Zaire, while her husband attended a university, said the Rev. Carol Yocum, assistant pastor of Calvary United Methodist Church in Mount Airy.
During a late-night attack by government soldiers in September 1991, Mrs. Besenga's parents were killed and she was attacked and left for dead.
Mrs. Besengawas transported by the Red Cross out of the country due to the severity of her injuries, said Mrs. Yocum. Her children, who were not harmed in the attack, were transported more than 1,000 miles to live with a relative in the Congo. Mrs. Yocum said Mrs. Besenga's father, who was a physician, was a member of a political party advocating democracy.
While under the care of the United Nations in Kenya, Mrs. Besenga was discovered by a former classmate, Gorette Mwiseneza, who helped care for her friend as she recovered from her injuries, said Mrs. Yocum. Mrs. Besenga was finally reunited with her husband in February 1994.
Joshua's parents were together for only three months this spring before Mrs. Besenga was assigned to a country for permanent relocation by the United Nations. Mrs. Yocum explained that because Mrs. Besenga was a refugee, she could not chose to stay in Kenya with her husband and it was not safe for her to go back to Zaire.
"You can't stay in a country once you've been assigned," said Mrs. Yocum.
Mrs. Besenga' journey to the United States was sponsored by the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program. She arrived in New Windsor from Kenya on June 14, 1994. Her pregnancy was a surprise she discovered after her arrival in America.
The Mount Airy connection to Joshua's birth began with a search this spring for a service project by a nine-member Disciple Bible Study group at Calvary United Methodist Church. The project was on "being a servant" and required class members to do something together as a group.
"We wanted . . . to do something and make a difference," said Mrs. Yocum.
A visitor from another church had introduced the idea of helping a person without a country. Refugee sponsorship required a three-month commitment for support so the person could become acclimated and self-supporting.
"New York called us one week before [Mrs. Besenga] was to come and wanted us to take her," said Mrs. Yocum. "We decided to do it."
Class members found an affordable apartment in need of paint and repair in Mount Airy. Ron Paulin, Clydia Koch and Brian Rush led the effort to refurbish and furnish the home for Mrs. Besenga, who was being temporarily housed by Church World Service.
"It's a real nice apartment now," said Mrs. Yocum.
The church welcomed Mrs. Besenga to her new home and community on June 26, said Mrs. Yocum. Mrs. Besenga celebrated her 28th birthday on July 1 and started a part-time job three weeks after her arrival.
Mrs. Besenga, who speaks French, Kingamurenge and Swahili, has been taking classes to improve her English and GED classes to earn an a high school diploma. Mrs. Besenga said she helped her father in his clinic and has experience in nursing. She would like to attend college.
Sponsorship of Mrs. Besenga has become part of the church's "Second Mile" mission programs that are done in addition to supporting United Methodist mission activities. It is hoped that Mrs. Besenga will one day be reunited with her husband and children.
The project has expanded to include Mrs. Besenga's friend, Gorette Mwiseneza, who was sponsored for relocation by the Ethiopian Community of Northern Virginia. When Mrs. Mwiseneza was not able to find a job in Virginia, she moved to Mount Airy to share Mrs. Besenga's two-bedroom apartment. Church members continue share responsibility for driving Ms. Mwiseneza to and from her job at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy.
"I just think that these kinds of projects are the response to the commands of Christ . . . to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless . . . visit the sick and imprisoned," said Mrs. Yocum. "It's a project that not many people are willing to commit to. It's on-going. It's the middle of the night."
Most people cannot fathom living in a police state ravaged by civil war and political unrest, the minister said. "It also gives a much greater appreciation for where we've been located in time and space."
