Several weeks ago, I shared with you how a young man from South Sudan had deeply impacted me.
Today, I want to do a little follow up with a “Mother’s Day story” from someone who has adopted a child from South Sudan. It’s very timely and even more touching.
I’ll be out of pocket for most of the weekend, and may not have a chance to “catch up” until after Mother’s Day…so let me take the opportunity today to tell all of you wonderful Mom’s out there: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
I’ve had something on my mind all week, and keep thinking I’ll write a post. Then I don’t. I’m not good at much, but I’m GREAT at procrastinating! Which makes me realize, if all I do is have great thoughts, but no action due to great procrastination, I’ll experience my own great hunger. Just some “food for thought” for myself. I do bounce around a bit…sorry! 🙂
Normally (well, always) my wife uploads my posts because she actually knows how to do it. But she explained a few things to me the other day, so I thought I’d give it a go on my own today. Here’s to hoping my attempt is successful. (And if you’re reading these words, it has been!)
REAL HUNGER for a REAL BOY
Sunday I had an opportunity to hear from Andrew Mohandis, a young refugee from South Sudan. Due to God’s mighty work, Andrew is now attending college near where I live. I call him a “refugee” because he has been delivered from a life of unbelievable danger. As a boy, he and his family were ripped apart when some of his siblings were abducted. He and his parents then spent several years living in the woods, eating whatever they could find for survival. His father taught him to hunt and fish, and also encouraged him to share his blessings with others who were living in the forest—family or not.
After a few years, U.N. Peacekeepers were able to establish some semblance of safety for the people of South Sudan. At that time, Andrew’s family moved back to their village. However, there were still weekly attacks, including bombs dropped from airplanes. The U.N. workers would sound an alarm, and all of the villagers would run to take cover in foxholes they had dug themselves. Andrew spoke of how this was a time of singing and praying for him and his family, but also a time of loss, as there were almost always casualties somewhere in the village. By the time Andrew was a teenager, some missionaries had helped him attend high school in Uganda, but even there, he witnessed much bloodshed.
Andrew concluded his time of testimony by sharing with us that, as much as he enjoys the freedom and safety of life in the U.S., his plans are to return to South Sudan and begin a school there to help other young children who need love, food, security, and education. He’s been blessed for these past few years with a life he could have never imagined when fighting to survive out in his boyhood jungle. Yet he is itching to return to that war-torn area, so he can be a greater blessing to others. Powerful.
You can read some of Andrew’s testimony, in his own words, here: http://threesixtybirmingham.blogspot.com/2010/08/from-sudan-to-birmingham-for-sake-of.html
HELPFUL HUNGER
I’ve thought frequently of Andrew this week. His story and some of your blogposts have reminded me of how important it is to “count my blessings” and not get caught up in my own problems or worries. And Scripture has served as another great reminder!
But then this morning, my wife and I were talking about the book The Hunger Games (which I’m currently reading), and she mentioned something about how some of the characters in the book had the benefit of not being hungry. It was these people who had the luxury of being entertained. Any number of things could entertain them—even the starvation and deaths of those less fortunate. And in that conversation, I realized that one of my greatest problems is that I live with the luxury of being entertained. So much so, that when not “entertained,” I have the luxury of dwelling on my own worries a bit too much!
In days to come, I hope I will be more like my new friend Andrew: Thankful for this luxury I now know, but hungrier than ever to share my blessings—however meager they may be—with those who don’t have the luxury of being entertained.
New View From Here 