At Play In A Land Of Death

If you have some time, you should check out an article on ESPN's homepage right now. Here's the link:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=zambia

This awakening to AIDS in Africa is really nothing new, it's just been "popularized" if you will. I know there has been some discussion about doing something with it for offering money at Conference in the future. We have to do something that's for sure.

We had a group of students do a trip over there last summer and spend 30 days in Zimbabwe and South Africa. They stayed at an AIDS orphanage with little kids who's parents have died from it. I remember first becoming aware back in the day when Keith, Chris and I went and met the Pembertons. Brenda, who led the trip for us last summer, tells a story about the kids and how starved they are for love and affection. The kids on our trip were allowed to stay there and spend the night with the kids if they wanted. Many of them did and one of the guys told the story how when he got there he was ready to sleep on the floor. Of course, this meant snakes, rats etc but he was willing. However, the kids told them he could sleep in their bed. Finally they convinced him to and he did. He then realized that 5 or 6 of them crawled up with him and they slept that way all night--it meant so much to them because they are so lonely. Nothing inappropriate happened, it wasn't dirty or wrong (sad how our minds go there isn't it?!), they just simply wanted to be close to someone. Brenda said that when they left at the end of the month the van ride was one of the hardest and most silent she could remember. They knew they'd never see many of those kids again and it tore them up.

That story is tough for me. Its harder when I think about how a couple nights ago our little man came downstairs crying and wanting to sleep with us because his room was scary. Of course most of the monsters in his room are under his bed and I always tell him they are smaller than him so he has nothing to worry about. Okay, so I actually tell him they are in his closet.

But these kids have no one to run to. They are in an orphanage and a little thing like having a mom and/or dad to run to isn't an option. Somehow, it doesn't seem fair or at least right.