YEMEN Through the Eyes of an American Boy, 40 Years later
Reflections by Stephen Coats based on the memoirs of Nancy Coats
I just stared, speechless, at the image of the blown out shell of a building on Facebook (Dec. 2015). It was the Sana’a International School (SIS), which I attended as a child from 1976-1981 and a bomb had destroyed it. I felt sick. All war is hell and the destruction is horrific. The current war in Yemen is no different. I have not felt the deep pain and sorrow as acutely as the Yemeni people have over the past two years losing family, friends and watching their country destroyed before their eyes causing millions to flee their homes for safety. Yet I did feel the hurt and emptiness of great loss. I was mourning with those in Yemen who were mourning as I contemplated the destruction of SIS.
That old school had created many wonderful memories for my family and me. 1976, the year we arrived, my parents began teaching at SIS, at that time it was held in two buildings behind the Yemeni Parliament building. My Mom was my teacher that first year, strangely enough. My first classmates were from all over the globe, Ireland, Germany, Egypt, the U.S., Holland and Yemen of course. It wasn’t a top-notch education by some standards, but for us, living cross-culturally in Yemen was a rich educational experience and being schooled by my own mom was a bonus. My brother, sister and I began taking Arabic classes after school and on weekends. Mom used to put Arabic words around the house trying to teach us kids as well as learn them herself. We picked up a few new words each week though if you heard my Arabic today you would wonder why I didn’t learn more.
By the end of the year a new school property was purchased on the outskirts of the city. There was much hope, promise and excitement for what that future held. We were present for the building of the new school from the trenches being dug, to the stone foundation being laid, to the brick walls being raised and even the smoothing of a new soccer field.
Since the new location was further outside of town there was much to be explored and many adventures to be had. One time, the other kids and I ventured out into a nearby rock quarry to do what else? Yep, throw some rocks! We had a blast and the more fun we had the less we really thought about what we were doing. And then, the inevitable happened, one kid was standing behind me and tried to toss a fairly large stone right over my head but came up short and with blood streaming down my head I ran balling back to the school for help. I had to get some stitches leaving a huge scar on my head. Sana’a International School had literally, “gone to my head.”
For thousands of students over the years SIS was a place of learning, soccer games, school plays, activity, life, challenge and happiness. For now it is gone, SIS is lying in a pile of destruction. Desolate, with nobody getting an education. As I think about it, that is one of the great shames in all of this, a school has been destroyed and the children that could be thriving and learning are not. Only a burnt out shell and a host of memories remain there.
I guess the education here is, war is hell, people are evil and will fight, kill and destroy to get what they want. The enemy here is hate, death and destruction. The rest of us must choose life, healing and love. To Love God and Love our Neighbor, those are the two greatest commandments. What would happen and what would be different if we just held to those two truths?
