God Grew Tired of Us

At first it was strange to me. A strange land, a strange people, everything was strange; I didn’t know anything about Africa really, I’ve seen some things but nothing that prepared me for this documentary. I thought, “They look so different, they look so strange; yet they are my brothers and sisters.” Then as the film continued on I began to see them clearly. The Lost Boys of Sudan were displaced in 1987 when civil war broke out in Sudan and the villages of southern Sudan were attacked and genocide ensued. These boys fled hundreds of miles on foot to Ethiopia in hopes of refuge: their bodies were skeletal, but they survived because of their spirits. They are fighters; I learned that today. They soon had to make another long trek to Kenya, where they stayed for ten years before something happened which would change many of their lives forever.

A group of these “Lost Boys” were selected to go as refugees to the United States and begin a new life. It would be a better life: or so they hoped. At first it brought a smile to my face to see them encounter simple things like electricity, indoor plumbing, and running water but then I saw them struggle to adjust to life her, to our culture, and my heart went out to them. One of the Lost Boys in particular, John, struggled with being separated from his kin, from his people in Africa. But they are resilient. That’s something we can learn from them. They also enjoy the simple things in life: radio, singing, dancing. It is so different from many of us here in the USA.

They also taught me about how many great opportunities we have here that others don’t have in the world. We should be grateful for what we have; we should be grateful for the gift of being self-reliant. They are.  John was an inspiration for me. He showed selflessness when he sacrificed his dream, a college education, to help out those still in Africa by working two to three jobs to send them money. What a great example of Christ-like love.

No matter the color of our skin, no matter where we are from, or what our personal situation is in life we are all children of God. They taught me this. At first they were foreign to me, their culture and life style was alien to me but now I see them for what they are, beautiful. The dignity that they have, the strength they posses, it all speaks to me. It speaks to my soul. We are all children of God. We can all feel His eternal love. Whether we be millionaires living in Manhattan, or displaced refugees from Sudan we all have the right to live our lives in a way that brings us happiness. We all have the right to be self-sufficient. That is a gift that we as Americans need to treasure and appreciate. You should all take time to watch this video, it will help you broaden your horizon and open your mind to new ideas; that’s what it did for me.

With love,

Will Glade

The one walking beside you.

Here is the link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/294405