Yeabsira Solomon; a Life on Purpose.

(These past few weeks have been some of the most difficult anyone could walk through.  There has been a lot of tragedy recently,  our hearts go out to all those affected by the incident involving the Humboldt Broncos in Saskatchewan.  Our own team is also dealing with a serious tragedy that happened on one of our mission trips.)


Yeabsira Solomon
11 June 1997-30 March 2018

On Easter weekend tragedy struck our team here in Victory Asia.  Several of our Third-year students had travelled to India to work with our sister college, TLCI, for a few weeks.  While there a very unfortunate accident happened which resulted in one student, Nathan, being hospitalized, and the death of another, Yeabsira Solomon.  While we do not need to discuss all the details, it is appropriate to point out that Yeabsira died saving his friends life.


"The Canadians"
(left to right) Israel, Yeabsira, Nathan, Martin, Liam
Graduation Ceremony 2015...this was the end of their first year; Yeabsira always smiles.

I (Tyler) first met Yeabsira the day I picked him up at the airport for his first year at VABC.  He was the last student admitted into the 2014-15 school year, I had almost told him to not come because his application was received just a week before the start of class, there was not enough time to get his visa.  But he was persistent, He had actually bought his plane ticket even before I gave him approval.  Pastor Al said to accept him, so they sent me all his paperwork and he came (we sorted the visa issue out later).


Yeabsira loved to teach the youth at our Kid's Outreaches.

So there I was waiting for him at the airport.  As I had never met him and we were not connected on FaceBook, I made a sign with his name...and waited, and waited, and waited.  After about 45 minutes a woman comes up to me, and asked if I was from the hospital to collect her; apparently, she had a similar name...but I wasn't there for her.

Yeabsira went to Myanmar for Christmas 2016

About another 20 minutes went by and then I saw this tall, and slightly awkward, Ethiopian boy walking down the hall...this was Yeabsira.  I introduced myself and teased him about how I should have taken the woman instead, "Maybe I should take the other Yeabsira, she's much prettier." Then we drove to Sri Racha.  I've reminded him of this story a few times...the last time, I told him I was glad that I took him and not the other.

Yeabsira as a 3rd-year student, 2017-18 School year.

Hannah's story of meeting Yeabsira happened a few days after he arrived in Thailand.  She was taking our good friend Judah out for supper and to help run errands, and asked Yeabsira to come along.  They hit it off instantly.  "The three of us had coffee at Starbucks and chatted for an hour," she says, "we instantly became friends, he was so easy to get along with; from then on we teased each other like brother and sister."

Yeabsira loved to tease his friends.
Yeabsira may have been a young man when he first came, but he quickly became a valued member of our team, and he preached with a great wisdom...he was great at encouraging us to strive to be better and to put the things of God first.  He challenged everyone to greatness.




"Team India"
Taken a few days before the accident,
our VABC students spent some time with the TLCI students
(Back L to R: Yeabsira, Nathan, Alyssa, Henry
(Front L to R: Rachel, Dow)

Alyssa, one of the other students that went to India, and also Yeabsira's girlfriend, shared some of the inspiring words that Yeabsira had shared with her as they were talking about plans, dreams, and the future (she just happened to have recorded it, so she set it to music and shared it with the church).  Throughout what Yeabsira was saying, he kept repeating the idea that God has put greatness inside each and every person.  That each person is valuable and unique; he asks, "what would it look like if there was a culture or a society where everyone lived to their full potential?"  The recording ended with him saying, "Every artist is different, every athlete is different, every writer is different...You are created to be unique.  Why not bring that out? Give it what it needs to thrive ...Why not?  Why not me? Why not you?"



Yeabsira sharing during a home visitation with Sri Racha Victory Church
March 2018

Hannah adds, "He was a visionary and knew what to do with his life. He was a great encourager, and a good example of what a true Christ follower looks like."


Yeabsira Teaching on "Courage" during one of the Sunday morning outreaches.


Several months before the accident Nathan had posted on his Facebook: "Who needs heroes when you have a brother like Yeabsira?"  The two men had formed a close relationship and they were excited to be working together with our ministry for the next several years.


Yeabsira and Nathan November 2017
Best friends for life.

We are greatly saddened by the loss and we extend our condolences to Yeabsira's family and friends in Canada and Ethiopia.  We are thankful to have known Yeabsira and to have him a part of our lives these past 3 years. We will miss him, but we know that, in Christ there is hope, that we will see him again.


Dr Ron, Yeabsira, and Pastor Matt
2nd-year Graduation
April 2017

For our team here in Thailand, reflecting back on Yeabsira's time with us, we see a young man who caught hold of who he was in Christ and what it means to live your life in the service of others...to live life "On Purpose." Our response to this tragedy has not been to stay in sorrow and grief (though we are going through deep grief), but we have responded with a determination:  Yeabsira showed us what it means to live a life sold out to Christ, and we are determined to honour his memory by not quitting, nor backing down, but by pressing on, pursuing the calling God has placed on our lives and by living our lives On Purpose.

Yeabsira did; will you?


Until we meet again.

Note: Nathan has made a miraculous recovery and is now home with his family.  He is doing well and is expected to come back for his fourth year in the fall.