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Giving special thanks this year

Thanksgiving 2002 is a special one for the Peter and Anastasia Vakunta family, who only weeks ago were united after an 18-month separation.

Sitting with the family in their southeast Appleton home, a visitor might never guess how many circumstances and people helped make it possible.

As 5-week-old Rodney dozes in his mother's arms, the four older children sit on the sofa, and their father beams at having his family together again, never forgetting to mention God's role in it all.

This picture of family serenity was preceded by the long months of an ocean-wide separation between parents and children. Two years ago, Peter and Anastasia won the green-card lottery in their native Cameroon, offering them permanent residency in the United States. In March 2001, when finances and visas prevented their children from accompanying them, Peter and Ana left their four children in the care of extended family. They expected to have the children join them that summer.

However, the Cameroon government held up the visas for a year. In response to an appeal by Peter and Ana, Congressman Mark Green's office helped the children get their visas, allowing the family finally to be united Oct. 8 at the Outagamie County Regional Airport, amid numerous well-wishers bearing flowers, balloons, welcome signs, and gifts.

A week later, Anastasia gave birth to another son. Soon after, the family moved to a larger apartment. Meanwhile, the older children started classes in the Appleton Catholic Educational System, assisted financially by the schools' tuition assistance program and the Christian fellowship group, People of Praise, which Peter and Ana joined soon after arriving in Appleton.

Peter, who attended Catholic schools in Africa, wanted a Catholic education for his children because he believes in the discipline and solid teaching principles found there. The ACES/Xavier system has experience integrating students from other countries.

The children appear to be adjusting well to both their new home and school.

Ten-year-old Winston, a fourth grader at St. Bernadette Elementary School, compared it to his old school in Cameroon. "We go to different classes instead of staying in one room with one teacher," he said shyly. "The teachers are kind. They help you when you need help, and there is no horseplay."

Delphine, 12, said what she notices most at St. Joseph Middle School is the emphasis on technology, computers and video.

The oldest daughter, Linda, 15 -- a sophomore at Xavier -- said: "People here are more frank, but they are also kind."

When 7-year-old Aristide was asked about finding friends in first grade at St. Bernadette, he quickly began listing them by name as he counted them on his fingers.

But their biggest surprise, they agree without hesitation, is "The weather!" Because they had lived near the equator, cold temperatures are a new experience. "But they're getting used to it," Anastasia said.

They're also getting used to American food. "They don't like pizza," Ana said, as Delphine emphatically shakes her head in agreement. "I bought two pizzas. I served one, but they didn't like it, so the other is still in the freezer," Ana said.

Peter and Ana also have experienced extraordinary changes in the past 1½ years. Last year, Peter taught French part-time at Xavier High School; this fall he began teaching full-time at Appleton's Roosevelt Middle School.

Tracy Peterson, one of Peter's colleagues at Roosevelt, enjoys working with him. "I appreciate the fact that we have a cosmopolitan and intellectual, yet humble individual working here. His multi-culturalism definitely expands the students' worlds."

Peter also teaches French one evening a week at Fox Valley Technical College, where Anastasia is pursuing her nursing certificate. Peter also is enrolled at the UW-Oshkosh to obtain his teaching license and is working toward a doctorate. Eventually he hopes to teach at the university level, as he has done in other countries.

Has the sacrifice of separation been worth it?

Daughter Linda said she is happy to be with her family in the U.S., but she misses her family in Cameroon.

"We couldn't have done this if it weren't for our family," Peter said firmly. "In Cameroon, we don't have 'nuclear' and 'extended' family designations. Children call their aunt 'Mom,' their mother 'Mommy.' We wouldn't have left them if they didn't have a 'mom' there [Ana's older sister].

"We did this for our children," he said. "We weighed the sacrifices of coming without them with the opportunities they would have when they joined us. My faith is very strong. God did this for us!"

The Vakuntas also credit God with providing them with friends at St. Bernadette Parish and in the People of Praise fellowship group. They credit these people with helping them with the physical and spiritual essentials they needed to adjust to life in America. People of Praise also paid the extra $2,000 needed to buy the children's airline tickets, when the cost exceeded what various groups and individuals raised last year.

"If we've been a blessing to them," said David Lee of People of Praise, "they've certainly been a blessing to us, too. And feedback from the children's teachers has been excellent. They can't say enough good things about them."

The Vakuntas continue to stay connected with family. Their new son, Rodney, was given the middle name Mogho after Anastasia's mother, who died several months ago. And early next year their 23-year-old cousin, who recently won the green-card lottery, will join them, and they will help him get off to a solid start in their new country.