The dictionary defines a hero as:
- A [person] of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his [or her] brave deeds and noble qualities;
- A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life;
- A [person] of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person;
- A [person] distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
I define hero with one simple word-Teta. My Teta Rasa, known as Mrs. P or p.Rasa to many, lived this out in her everyday life. She was, is, and always will be my hero. I can’t even begin to recall the hundreds…thousands of memories I have of her.
Whether singing 
“Karve ne moka” ant kita pusia or perfecting our “kill the bug” step down in the sale, the memories will never fade for any of us. She was a woman known for her happiness, literally smiling to the end. She was a woman known for her music-joyfully singing, playing that wonderful accordion, or whatever it may be-it was obvious she lived in her own musical. She was a woman known for her faith-prayers known to last half the class, a Kairos leader for many years, a faith many pray to one day have. In a video I made for class, Teta Rasa said, “I always thought of myself as being faith-filled so God of course was one of the first places where I looked to for answers. And somehow, I don’t know when it happened or how it happened, I was washed with a great peace….I felt that I was lucky because wow I had just been diagnosed with cancer yet, I still feel at great peace and I felt that this was a special gift that God has given me and that God was helping me bear my burden. You know, you read all the stuff in the Bible and you talk about it but to me this was an actual example of how God helps us survive and carry the burdens and crosses of our lives. You know there’s that saying that God doesn’t give us anymore than we can bear in our lives. I’ve always said that with God, I can bear anything. So you know, from the very first day, I’ve felt like I’ve been walking with God.” She continued to say, “I have always felt there was something that will be coming after that that’s the basis of our faith; that we live life here in order to be able to enjoy life after death. Death shouldn’t have to be a scary thing; death should be joyful because it’s really the culmination of your life; it’s not the end, but it’s the culmination of your life and who you are as a person. If you life a good life then you will be rewarded by being eternally happy with God in His kingdom.” I am confident she is receiving her reward right now. Teta possessed the utmost strength-strength that allowed her to comfort a weeping friend when she lost her child; strength that allowed her to raise her best friend’s kids after they lost both parents; strength that had her teaching through her toughest days; strength that had her f
ighting until the very end. I don’t know that I’ve ever known, or ever will know for that matter, a stronger person than Teta Rasa. Teta chose to fight this battle until the very end and she chose to do so with courage. “I ask God to help me to remember at all times that He’s the one that’s waiting for me and He’s going to be there for me. I get through it, each and every day. One of my girlfriends when I first got diagnosed said to me I don’t know how you don’t cry everyday and I said to her what’s the point? What am I going to achieve by crying? I received a card from somebody and it said you can be bitter, or you can be better-I like to think I chose to be better rather than bitter.”
As I think about Teta and watch this video again, I can’t help but feel some of that same peace she referred to. She has gone to be with our Father, but still will never be apart from any of us. This brings me to another word you can find in the dictionary. It’s the word angel. The dictionary says an angel is:
- A messenger, esp. of God.
- A person who performs a mission of God or acts as if sent by God
- A person having qualities generally attributed to an angel, as beauty, purity, or kindliness.
- A person whose actions and thoughts are consistently virtuous.
- An attendant or guardian spirit.
- A deceased person whose soul is regarded as having been accepted into heaven.
- A kind and lovable person who manifests goodness, purity, and selflessness.
I fully believe that Teta chose to be with God, and likewise, He chose to bring her home, at this time so that she can watch over all of those she’s left behind. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the impact she had in her short 53 years, but it takes faith to believe she’s not done making an impact. Her faith was strong, but is yours? When I interviewed her for class, Teta had come to a conclusion as to why she felt she had cancer. This is what she said.
“I always tell my students and I tell the Kairos kids that I have been truly blessed but somebody said to me why you? Why did this have to happen to you?…Why you? Why is God doing this to you? I never thought of it that God is doing something to me. I don’t believe that God wishes bad or evil on anybody of course and I’ve come to kind of an unusual maybe conclusion about why I’m sick, maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong-I’m planning to ask God when I meet Him-I think that maybe my cancer is not a test for me or my faith but a test for those people who are around me and their faith. I think that perhaps it is God’s way of testing those who are around me.”
I can honestly say that I agree. I know this because He’s strengthened me through her. I was hesitant to sign up for the World Race, not knowing how things would end up with Teta, but after her passing, I’m confident that going into those 11 countries, I’ll have another angel looking down upon me.
I continue to pray for you Teta and ask you do the same for all of us. May you teach those angelai a nice polka or two and until we meet again…
