“I Believe in You”
When Andrea Baker spoke to me about leading Project Suma, she said, "I believe in you, Doris." These words reminded me of something my father had told me a long time ago.
My father was a leader in every community he engaged with. For as long as I can remember, I admired him and dreamed of being like him someday. When I was nine years old, he said, "I believe in you. I know that one day you will lead something significant. When that time comes, strive to change everything that causes injustice in your life and your city. Leadership is the way to impact and influence people to think differently and seek a better life."
He also stressed the importance of creating supportive communities. I witnessed the fruit of his faith and leadership on the day he passed away.
Leadership and Community
It was 2 a.m. when the doctor touched my sister's shoulder and said, "Your father has just passed away." He had succumbed to medical negligence in our city when I was 18 years old. My sister and I rushed to his bedside, his face still warm. I gave him one final kiss, and in that moment, I saw the only person who believed in me leave this world.
My sister called my mother and all the members of our church, who arrived on that rainy morning. My father had been a pastor for many years, without receiving a salary. We were a large family of six siblings, and our financial situation was far from stable. The doctors told us that before we could bury his body, we first had to pay the two hospital bills from where he had been treated. We didn't have the money. My older sister told us to wipe away our tears. It was not a time to grieve. It was time to find money.
As we were leaving the hospital, my father's former coworkers arrived. They said, "We will cover the expenses at both hospitals, as well as all the funeral costs. We want to support you." I cannot explain the relief I felt at that moment, as there was already so much pain in my heart to process. The community he had formed and led provided us with support and companionship we needed at that time.
A few years ago, when I returned to my childhood faith community, I remembered the moment I just described and saw that amidst my father's friends who were present at the hospital that morning, it was as if Jesus were leading that group and fulfilling the promise found in Psalm 68:5-10:
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling….
You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance…
and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.
My father and Andrea taught me the power of the words “I believe in you,” as well as the importance of a community that supports and accompanies like the one offered by Project Suma. I invite you to be a part of, or continue being a part of, a community that believes in women. Together, we can tell a woman, “I believe in you.”
With much love,