"eMails, Thoughts & Photos from a San Antonio mother, wife and daughter serving in Afghanistan"
By Bernessa Jakle & Patricio Espinoza published with Evangelina's permission.
As an online store owner, I often receive orders from all over the world, "cascarones" to Jerusalem, Mexican zarape blankets to Sweden, "papel picado" banners to Australia. Sometimes there is one that rises above them all. This is the story of one such order all the way from a Mexican American soldier from San Antonio,Texas on duty... in Afghanistan.
As I do every morning, checking all my orders from overnight, one of them -for 5 Mexican 'El Yucateco" salsas- had an APO address going to Afghanistan. These orders are always special to me; I always add a little something extra, thinking of our soldiers, and I usually pack it up, and off it goes, but this particular one caught my eye. Not only was it from Afghanistan, but this person had written a little note in the comments box.
" I want you to know that this is the 1st time I ever tasted your hot sauce and guess what, I fell in love with it. Being deployed is tough and NOT having any type of chile out here is even TOUGHER...I'm from Texas, a very proud mexican, and my sister actually sent me chile peppers, which I was smiling for a minute but I ate them suckers in 2 days....THANK YOU for adding flavor to my food out here...Now I know where to get chile from...THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH." Evangelina
After reading her note, I thought it was hilarious, and it also touched me that this salsa, which I take for granted, will make a big difference in her life... plus she was native Texan, so I wrote her back...
" Hola Evangelina, Thank you for coming to our store. I included 2 more bottles and little regalos from our store. This way you will have plenty of flavor in your food for awhile. Everything will be mailed out on Monday, and hopefully the box will not take too long to arrive in Afghanistan. My prayers are with you. Be safe, and don't hesitate to come back for more salsa. By the way, we are in San Antonio." Bernessa
Little did I know she was also from San Antonio, so next thing you know we were corresponding...
"Hi fro Afghanstan...Thank you sooooo much...You know it really is hard to enjoy the food out here...No matter what you eat in our chow hall/dining facility, it all taste the same...The cooks are local nationals/afghani's and they only know how to cook so much so we have cabbage every day...its always in something...I love cabbage, dont get me wrong but when your eating a pork chop, the cabbage is in the gravy, when yor eating some kind of rice they make, it has cabbage, lo-mein (which here, its not the long noddles, its macoroni noddles) it has cabbage, your side veggie for the day, guess what that is, you got it, CABBAGE....hahahaha.....
Theres a few mexicans in my unit and hwne I let them taste the hot sauce and told them I ordered some they were excited..We have a local that works in our building and we usually give him money to get us peppers from the outside but they are not hot at all...My family sends pepper once in a blue moon as well...One of our Soldiers left already and she sent me the bottle from Cali and I was jumping up and down...I finished that bottle in 3days so just waiting for the order... My family is from San Antonio....So am I...I wll have to come by your store when I return (Aug)...TO thank you all in person....
Well Bernessa, thanks again...Its 0900am right now so time to get to work...I work in the Signal Corp/Information Technology...Thats sounds to fancy for me so basically we work with computers and the network... Well you take cre and again thank you....God Bless you, all the employees there and family. Sincerely, Evangelina, P.S. Im even gonna tell my father to try it...Hes my world..I sound like a kid, Im 38 but still daddys girl...I have 2 teens myself, one in college and one in high school (12th grade)...I come home in June to see her graduate then back out here...Ive been in 10yrs and I think Im too old to hang in there for the 20yrs...Thinking of going into a government job as a civilian.... Ok, enough of me and my life but hey, I LOVE MY SPURS AND DALLAS COWBOYS!!!!!!!!!!!! AND ALL MY PEOPLE FROM SAN ANTONIO........."
After reading her note, I couldn't believe her spontaneity and humor, and was really surprised that she was even from San Antonio that I read her note to my husband, who being a journalist, suggested we should publish, and share Evangelina's story with others.
"Hola, Evangelina, Thank you for your touching email. We are a small family store; I am the only employee; our store is only online. I just read your email to my husband,Patricio, and he's a journalist. You might remember him; he worked for Telemundo and KENS. He thought someone should publish your thoughts in your email.. it's very insightful, it's funny, and most of all it's very San Antonio.... He wanted to ask you if it's ok to share your email" "Let us know if this is ok. Could you email a picture of you in your unit? Gracias, Bernessa"
"Evangelina V SSG MIL USA NETCOM" wrote: thats fine...You know, I sure miss home. I can't wait to get there...You know, my husband is deployed also...Hes in IRAQ though...Its really hard for us knowing that our girls are home without both of us. Usually one > of us is there but this time we both deployed. They're with his father, their g-pa but they miss us sooo much and miss them even more....I have photos if you need any...You can share them with San Antonio...You take care, Respectfully SSG R... "
To: "Evangelina " Yes, please Evangelina, send email us fotos of your family, and of your unit, and your husband of course. I am sending your package now; i'm on my way to the post office. Bernessa"
"Hello Bernessa, hope your doing fine. Here are a few photos of my girls and my husband. He grew up in the west side. He went to long fellow and Jefferson High School (85). I moved around a lot when my parents divorced so I went to Horace Mann then 5 High Schools; Jeff, Fox Tech, Highlands, Wheatley,
and graduated from
McCollum H.S. (87) Well Here are the photos. OK the 1st one is of my husband in IRAQ. They have a wall with paint on football Teams so he took a picture with it. 2. My husband on a convoy.
3. My daughter from in her gown when she graduated last yr; now she will be attending CTC but going to transfer to SAC when we get back.(wants to be photograher)
4. My younger daughter; last yr in high school; she wants to be an animator, she LOVES to draw
5. 07 023 is of myself, the local that buys the peppers for us, and the female that sent me the bottle of chile when she left back to the states. Shes from Cali her family is from Mexico. (Araiza)
6. 07 013 is a SPC from Texas; lubbock area (Ramirez)
7. 07 012 is a SGT from New York. (Duran)
8. 07 023 is of some of the Soldiers in our unit. We were at a welcome gathering for us as the old unit was departing.
We were their replacement. Ive just went to night shift so Im having a hard time adjusting to this schedule. Its hard trying to sleep during theday time cuz where we live or our rooms are like very thin walled so u can hear everything. My room is next to the restroom so I hear everyone in there.
Our rooms are real small. I have a roommate who is in the airforce, she too is mexican and shes from Cali, well mexico but grew up in Cali. She leaves in Mar. Our rooms look like lil train carts..they are connex's put next to each other and walled with then paneling and wiring for electricity.
We have a heater but sometimes to coldness here takes over the room being that it gets below 0 sometimes. It snows here to so you know how crazy Im going...HEAT is all I know. Between me and my husband we have alwasys been in Killeen and I was at Fort Sam for a while so SUN SUN SUN....now Im like NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Im not coming out, its too cold...And we do PT (Physical Training) OUTSIDE...R they crazy...hahahahaha...
Well Im going to stop for now cuz its almost time to get ready for work. its 7pm here and I go in at 9pm...Blah...I just keep marking my calendar as a day goes by. Ive been in Theater since 31 Aug 07 and my husband has been in IRAQ since 24 Aug 07. His deployment is 15 onths and mine is 12...I feel for him, I even told him I would extend to stay deployed out here and we both come back together but he doesnt want me out here due to the dangers plus the girls need one of home ASAP...Hes right, one of us needs to get home...Well you take care and I hope you and your family are doing great... God Bless, Sincerely, SSG Evangelina ... P.S. Hey, my mom and dad are rivals, lol, they went to LANIER....Their crazy...I remember when I started going to Fox Tech, my dad was like hey, your going to my enemy school, whats da matter con u? My mom just looked at me and said, THEY SUCK...hahahaha"
Bernessa: "Hi Evangelina, Your package was mailed yesterday... Everything is well sealed and packed, so hopefully customs there will not be problematic... If I knew you were so cold there, I would have included a mexican blanket... how long are the winters there? here today will reach 70, but tonight in the 30's. Thank you for sending all the fotos and info. My mother graduated from Jefferson High School. My husbands parents, who are from Ecuador, live in the Jefferson area. My husband and I live just down the street from Fort Sam... My mother and father are both buried at Fort Sam's Cemetery. At least you are not on the field, and you are safe. How about your husband? Your kids must really miss you. Please once your time is up, stay with your kids. I will be praying for you both. Take care, Bernessa"
Thu. Jan 31, 2008, Bernessa wrote: "Hola Evangelina, Just want to give you the heads up. Yesterday I sent another little package with things to keep you warm. There's nothing worse than to be cold... Take care, Bernessa"
Fri Feb 1, 2008, Evangelina: "Hey, you didnt have to do that but thanks though...Woohoo, I can keep warm now...Well I hope your doing fine...Hows the weather? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOh, I miss my home town soo much...You take care of it...Its home sweet home you know...Well enjoy your day...God Bless Evangelina"
And so days went by and I kept wondering if she got her salsa, worried that maybe the bottles broke...
Sat., Feb 9, 2008, Evangelina: "Hello Bernessa, Hope your doing fine back in my home town. I just wanted to let you know that I got the box of chile today...Im sooooo happy now...I did give a bottle to one of my friends here...He's from califa's...Navy guy...I probably would have gotten the box sooner but our mail clerk is very lazy...He suppose to pick up mail everyday but he doesn't. Well thanks again for your support...You have a great day. Respectfully, Vangie"
What a relief it was to know that she was so thrilled to receive the box of salsas, and that she will even be more excited when she receives the box with a mexican blanket, a mexican pullover baja, and a wool scarf and cap from Ecuador. Three days will go by for me to find out.
Tue, Feb 12, 2008 Evangelina: Hello Bernessa, thank you for the other box. I got it today and I was so happy too... What other colors do you have in the Baja Pullovers...I have a couple of friends here that fell in love with the one you sent me so I wanna order 2 of them from you...One guy likes real dark colors...please let me know... thanks again"
And so two days later on Valentine's day we heard from Evangelina again... this time she placed her little order for her friends. A touch of home now on its way to reach her and her fellow soldiers... our men and women across the oceans and continents, and into a war zone many wish would just go away.
Sat, Feb 16, 2008 Bernessa: "Hi, I just sent off your package Evangelina. Hope you like the colors. My husband and I are writing the article about you now. It will be great for San Antonio to hear about you and what you are doing Take care, Bernessa"
TO PROTECT OUR SOLDIER'S PRIVACY AND SECURITY CERTAIN INFORMATION HAS BEEN OMITTED
