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As a Sergeant in the Army . . . For a second time, Sergeant Ayala serves in Iraq |
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from the December 2007 Newsletter |
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by Carol Priour The sunlight coming in just beneath my office window shade provided a spotlight for the small treasure chest that sits in the corner, taking my thoughts to the treasures inside. For years I have kept very special gifts from the children I work with at the Ranch inside that little chest. Some of the most precious gifts I have ever received are tucked away there . . . like the blue first place ribbon from Steven Ayala – Sergeant Steven Ayala now – deployed to Iraq earlier this year. This will be Steven’s second tour with his Army Reserve Unit. One of many times he has devoted himself wholly to something he believes in. Steven was a junior in high school when he offered me the first place ribbon he had won at the countywide art show for his print of a migrant worker with a tear in the corner of his eye. Like all good art, Steven’s drawing said a lot. I felt sure that Steven, born into extreme poverty in Mexico, had seen many laborers toil endlessly and never have the opportunity to realize their dreams. That would not be the case with Steven. He was determined to be something – for himself, and for his younger brother and sisters. Still, he would always have a tear for the struggles of his fellow man, for his family, and for his country. Steven, his mother, and five siblings came to the U.S. when he was nine. The children were verbally and physically abused by their alcoholic mother and stepfather, and never had enough food. He was mocked by schoolmates because of his clothing, and sometimes slept in parks. The younger children reported that Steven received the worst of the abuse for his efforts to protect them. Just before leaving for Iraq, Steven told S. A. Express News reporter Cary Clack that one night, on his knees, he had prayed, "Lord if you love me and you have a purpose for me, you will change my life and you will help me. My body is worn out and my eyes cannot cry more tears." When his stepfather kicked them all out of the house, a man in a military uniform, seeing them walking in the rain with plastic bags of clothes, offered them a place to stay until he could find their mother. But when he noticed that she was leaving them for days on end, then returning drunk, he called CPS, and the children came to live at HCYR. The mother eventually wound up in prison. Steven remembers coming into state’s custody, then to the Ranch, as being the answer to his prayer. "I came to see the world differently and I came across many people who meant well for me and my family." When Steven first came to Hill Country Youth Ranch, he was 16. He jumped to his feet the moment he saw me, and gestured to his two sisters and brother to do the same. It was clear that, in the absence of responsible parents, Steven had appointed himself the role of "caretaker". And throughout his time with us, he was continually an inspiration and role model, not only to his own siblings, but to the younger children at the ranch. I felt sure he never really had the opportunity to be a child himself, but he never displayed resentment. He just continued to do what he needed to do. The first time the Ranch children presented the musical theater production, Broken Wings Can Fly, there was a lot of nervousness. Most of the content of the show was written by Youth Ranch children, and, although the show ended up having a very successful four-year run, we didn’t know yet how well it would be received by audiences. Although he had never danced on stage before, Steven took an important dance solo and worked hard to perfect it. He encouraged the younger children and helped them learn their lines, and helped build and paint the sets. On opening night, the crowd rose to their feet in response to his performance. That was Steven – he gave his best to everything he did. The day Steven gave me his blue ribbon, I had returned from the art show and told him how proud of him I was. He beamed. In the family he came from, he wasn’t accustomed to praise. He was truly an exceptional artist, and if I didn’t select the right words to tell him that, I know he saw it in my face. And now his work had been chosen as the best from about thirty entries that were already the result of earlier eliminations in various schools across the county. I couldn’t believe it when Steven handed the ribbon to me and said, "I want you to have it, Miss." Then he gave me the drawing, too. I still have both, and I will keep them until he someday visits with his own children. I remember having the feeling that I’ve had with so many of our remarkable Youth Ranch children – how inspiring it is that someone who has so little would give away something so precious. That was Steven. The Steven who, as I write, is offering all he has for what he believes will someday be a better world.
Steven Ayala ‘00, has always been a leader. Above, Steven takes a lead role in Broken Wings Can Fly as an actor and dancer in the 1999 production. In this award-winning musical drama about abused and neglected kids finding their way to transformation, Steven learned many new skills. Though stage performance was new to him, he tackled it courageously and worked long and hard to perfect his part. Shown below at far right in army dress, Sergeant Ayala flies with other officers to a base in Northern Iraq during August surge. Steven plans to visit his home at HCYR after he returns from this second deployment in 2008.
A Soldier Writes Home Editor’s Note: Steven writes us often, and appreciates communication from back home. Below are two emails, one when Steven was deployed to Northern Iraq this summer for his second tour, and the second is the most recent of a series since then. If you would like to send a care package or a note of encouragement to Sergeant Steven Ayala, his address follows the emails. August 21, 2007 Dear Gary, Well, here I am in AL KISIK, IRAQ. This second deployment I ended up way up north. Everything is very limited regarding resources. Anything we have, we use it wisely since we are located inside an Iraqi military base, and we don’t have a PX (store). Any care packages would be appreciated. I hope to make it back from my second tour so I can visit and chat with you and Carol. It has been quite an experience to be in the military and being in a combat zone where mortar rounds and car bombs go off regularly. And being on convoys are the scariest rides of any soldier’s life, since at any given moment an IED might be detonated by the efforts of the enemy to attack US troops. It has been such a long time since I have seen you guys and I want to show appreciation for all the hard work and effort that you and your staff provide to make a difference in the lives of teenagers as well as the really young ones. I had the best time in my life at Hill Country Youth Ranch, no lie. I know there were many rules to abide by, but none of the rules bothered me because I knew within me that the rules were for my own safety. I really hope that it keeps providing the same assistance to many since it made a difference in my life. Gary, I have been in the military for almost five years, and I don’t regret the time spent in my country’s service. It has made me mature in life. And it has made me see the different qualities I have within me that I can share with others. I have many stories to tell and pictures to show from Iraq. It really is a different world. If everything goes well, I would like to visit when I return. I want to see you guys and visit the ranch since it has been a few years since I have been to see my old home there. ......God bless and I will stay in touch.......SGT AYALA November 21, 2007 Hey Gary, All is well in my world this day before Thanksgiving. I have been very busy every single day. I will be here in Iraq until next summer, so anything you guys can send us will be great. Gary, care packages are so appreciated, and I can share them with others who may not receive such items. Hygiene products, beef jerky and other non-perishable supplies are well recieved out here in our spot, and the mouse traps have done their job, thanks. Gary, our area of the country is still not very safe for us or for the citizens of Iraq. Two days ago I was on a convoy with a group of guys and we were coming back. Well, on our way back, we could see from a distance 3 goats dead on the ground which, to our dismay, had tripped an IED that went off on the animals. What happened? This is what happened, the animals stepped on the wires before we got there. Therefore, the IED went off and, in turn, that saved our lives. Now tell me, isn’t GOD merciful! God will do anything to take care of His people. He did on that day and on many other occasions I have witnessed. Every single day there is something new coming up and everything is unpredictable – they just happen so fast. Honestly, I have been a little tired heading into the 6th month of my current deployment. I think I am going to really need my break from this place in February, before my final stretch to the summer. I will do my best to visit with you guys and let you know ahead of time to make sure there is an arrangement to visit and not drop in on you guys out of nowhere. It was nice hearing from you and I will continue to send reports. Thank you so much for the encouragement and support, it really means so much to all of us out here. I will keep you posted on our world here, and try to give you glimpses of what is happening. THANKS GUYS............ SGT Estevan AYALA-RAMIREZ, 3rd DIV MITT HQ AL KISIK, IRAQ APO AE, 09334
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During this Holy season, there is a Miracle to which we can bear direct witness, repeated often enough in our work at HCYR to declare it a pattern: If removed from the devastating forces of extreme cruelty and neglect, a child will begin to dream of higher things than survival – like purpose and beauty and character. Such a remedy, applied with respect and patience, may also become the first way a child realizes the presence of a merciful God. – Gary Priour |
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