”
I believe there’s a hero in all of us, gives us strength, makes
us noble, even though sometimes we have to give up the thing we
want the most.
”
“I believe there’s a hero in all of us, gives us strength, makes us noble, even though sometimes we have to give up the thing we want the most.”
While audiences thrilled to these words from Aunt May in Spiderman 2, several Gilroyans have just returned from a two-week journey to Macedonia, where they met real-life heroine Efka Palankova.
Gilroy High’s Valedictorian, Josh Arribere, was among those who joined other youth from northern California and Nevada visited and worked in several villages this summer.
The pioneering Efka Palankova (born in 1920) was a gifted woman ahead of her time as she grew up teaching and preaching in her local church in Murtino.
She formed women’s groups and established a church choir. At age 39, she attended Bible school in Novi Sad in what was then northern Yugoslavia. After being ordained, she served as pastor to various villages, such as Burievo, where 10 families came to hear her preach each Sunday.
Throughout her years of ministry, Palankova endured many hard times. There were times of persecution when police locked her church. When she cut the lock off the church door, she was imprisoned. There were times when she served a church 15 kilometers away, which meant traveling 30 kilometers on foot round trip, through snow in winter.
When she was no longer able to travel by foot to villages that needed a pastor, she survived by working in the fields-planting, tending, and harvesting crops at age 60.
Until a week ago, Palankova lived in a shack that had once served as a stable for cows. She lived without any of the amenities we take for granted, such as modern plumbing and running water.
When the group from Gilroy visited her shack, engineer Cara Silva noted that the shack was one minor earthquake away from tumbling to the ground. The door wouldn’t close properly; the roof leaked, and the floor was constantly wet. Despite her hardships, Palankova, 84, helps care for her 80-year-old younger sister who is paralyzed and suffers from dementia, as well as her ill brother who lives alone nearby.
Yet Palankova reads a lot and has a great memory for stories from the past. Despite such a hard life, she advises, “Test everything, and hold on to the good things.”
People from around the world who have heard Palankova’s story have been raising money to build her a home. he Gilroy delegation was invited to attend the dedication of her new home last week, and it touched them profoundly. As she was handed the keys to her new two-room house with (for the first time in her life) indoor plumbing, Palankova wept. She thanked God for all the blessings in her life and led everyone in song.
How could this woman who has been living in a barn, has no money, and cares for sick family members feel so blessed?
I am reminded of words of advice I heard recently from a long-time Gilroy resident, a teacher, mentor and woman of similar years and wisdom as Palankova (I think of such people as “Gilroyalty”). We were sitting together at Habing’s during a funeral as a gentleman behind us was expressing regret that he couldn’t recall everything he wanted to about the person who had died. My friend turned to him and whispered, “Just listen, dear. You don’t have to remember everything. Remember what’s happy in your heart.”
Words of wisdom from Macedonia to Gilroy. Test everything, and hold on to the good things. Remember what’s happy in your heart.
Words to live by from real-life heroes.
