When resilience meets unwavering faith, life's unexpected twists and turns can bring occasions of remarkable grace. Our guest, the First Secretary at the Embassy of Cameroon in Washington, D.C., Ines-Cyd Oyono, unveils the path that led her to a life of service and diplomacy anchored in her Catholic faith. Each day, in the sacred quiet of her morning time with the Word of God, Ines recalls the role of her father's devotion in her life and the eternal truths contained in Scripture that continue to serve as beacons for her amidst the bustling halls of the Embassy and the demands of her life as a diplomat.
The process of making faith one's own often begins in the face of adversity and, for Ines, it was no different. The loss of her father as a teenager could have shattered her, yet instead it forged a new path bathed in God's grace and steady accompaniment. Whether she was home in Cameroon or living in Paris or studying in New Haven at Yale University's Jackson School of Global Affairs, Ines learned to draw close to the Blessed Mother and to rely more and more on her heavenly Father to guide her.
As a student at Yale, Ines drew close to the Saint Thomas More community, too. Studying in the Golden Center, leading events for Grad Council, spending time with the Chaplains, and meeting peers from other schools across the university allowed the Body of Christ to come alive for Ines in a new way. Not just a place to go to Mass, STM became a home that nourished her intellectual, social, and emotional life, too. That foundation of faith and community gave her the strength to surrender her plans to God's Providence, saying yes to whatever the future holds and to wherever she is called to serve. Her story inspires, convicts, and encourages all who listen to this conversation to trust God with their plans, too.
Show Notes:
Psalm 91
Ines’s father, Ferdinand Oyono
Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Paris
Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
