Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

The Children's CornerSo from sixth grade until he finished high schoolFred continued working in the Hays' home, in theA thrilling life story, written with Fred Karmay's boarding permission.department, at gardening, and any other jobs hecould find until finally a long awaited day came, highschool graduation day, and Fred proudly walked acrossthe platform to claim his high school diploma. Two of theFRED KARMA Y'S AMBITION REALIZEDother happiest people in the audience that day were Dr.Mrs. Kenneth Sandersonand Mrs. Hays who saw Fred being rewarded for his longhard climb up the educational ladder. During the sameyears Fred was studying Arabic as well as English andcompleted his Arabic Brevet, a government examinationwhich showed that he had completed work equivalent tothe 11th or 12th grade in high school in Arabic.Probably you're wondering, was Fred a Christian?He soon discovered there were thorns along with theroses. Each morning he walked to school and back homeat night. At noon when all the rest of the boys went homeor out to the playground to eat their lunches, Fred tried tohide, for do you know he didn't have any lunch and hedidn't want anyone to know it. This didn't worry Frednearly as much as the question of where he was to get thetuition money he'd promised Rev. Mr. Hays he would pay,and how was he to get money for his books. In Fred's ownwords: "I finished the school year successfully, but I can'tsay happily. I don't remember how much tuition I paid butI cleaned blackboard, erasers, dusted desks, and othersmall jobs. My father tried to persuade me to stop. TheShretah family told me it was a mission school and Ishould stop (they were Moslems). They told me that oneday they would make me a Christian. I, refused to listen.They scolded me, beat me, and punished me severely inother ways. One day my uncle pulled my ear until bloodran down over my clothes. My money was cut off which Iwas allowed for spending, but I was persistent. The Lordgave me the strength, encouraged me, and my interest inschool continued to grow. Why and how I do not know.Finally they won out, and when school started in 1944 Iwas not among the boys who went to enroll. Too muchwork and too little money had won the day."One fall day Fred was walking downtown in Latakiaand who should he run into but Rev. Mr. Hays. He greetedthe boy heartily and asked why he hadn't returned toschool. Sadly Fred told him his money problems, that hecouldn't afford either books or tuition. He didn't tell himabout all the opposition at home."Stop in at my office, Fred, and I'm sure somethingcan be done about your problem," Mr. Hays told Fred.Fred could scarcely wait until he found a chance to go,and to his joy Mr. Hays offered him work in the boardingdepartment, setting and clearing tables so he could earnhis board and room. Then over and above that he said ifhe'd work after school and on Saturdays in the Hays'garden he could earn his tuition. Fred was nearly besidehimself with happiness. Then, could he really believe hisears, for Mr. Hays was going on, "And by our garden thereis an old chicken house which I think we could clean outand make quite a nice small room for you to sleep andstudy in." Would he accept? Without the slightesthesitation the boy agreed. Hadn't this been his dream eversince he was seven years old?10No, not when he entered the American school, norprobably for some years. He himself declares, "I can notpin point the time I accepted the Lord. It was a gradualchange. The greatest influence in my life was my Christianfather and mother, Rev. and Mrs. H. A. Hays, whose love,actions, and attitude spoke much louder than words. Thejoy is great in heaven and on earth when a soul is lost andis found." Of his association with the Hayses he quotesIsaiah 3:19, "Say ye to the righteous, thatit shall be wellwith him, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings."Following his graduation from high school, Fredfound employment in the offices of the Iraq PetroleumCompany in Benias, about fifteen miles south of Latakia.When his father found he had become a Christian hetold Fred he would lose all his land which he was due toinherit from his mother if he did not return to the Moslemfaith, but Fred steadfastly refused, preferring Christ to anyother type of riches. In 1948 his father died.While he was working in Benias he went to Tripoli,Lebanon and was baptized as a Christian. He joined theReformed Presbyterian Church after he came to theUnited States.How wonderful it must have seemed to Fred at lastto be independent, have his own money and an education.But still his thirst for schooling wasn't satisfied. Whyshouldn't he go on to college?Year by year Fred carefully saved as much as hecould. He had determined he was going to go to Americaand enter Geneva College. When the oil company forwhich he worked learned that he planned to leave and goon to college they offered to help him go to Englandwhere he could get a college degree and then return towork for them in Syria in a better position and, of course,for better pay. But Fred had his heart set on going toAmerica. Finally he decided he had enough money to getthere and pay part of his first year's tuition. So on July 11,1955, he arrived in the U.S. and began work on theGeneva campus. The following years weren't easy, forbeside his studies, Fred was busy with work on campus,work in a steel mill, and other work.(To be continued)COVENANTER WITNESS