Land of A Thousand Hills

Land of A Thousand Hills

Friday, November 07, 2008

Family of Five.

During my time in Rwanda, my little family of one (me) has grown to a family of five. First, there is my sweet puppie Colby. We found her on the street at about six weeks old. A few kids who live behind our neighborhood were playing with her. She looked tired and ragged. So, to keep the kids from complaining I paid them off for $2USD and took her home.
Then there is the Sureyman family. Sureyman is one of my boy soccer players. He is about 15 years old and an amazing kid. When he was just on my team he was always so thankful and helpful. If I needed anything, translation included, I would always go to Sureyman. Over the course of the year that he was on my soccer team, he never asked me for anything, that was until he was desperate. So about eight months ago I began to take him and his two other brother in as my own. Their parents are still alive, but too old to take care of them. Usually when that happens they throw them out of the house, which is what happened to Sureyman and his brothers. They were left to fend for themselves. I didn't know this at first, but over time and through conversations with him I learned more about his situation and God just broke my heart for them. So, I kind of took them in and began assisting Sureyman with school fees and their family with money for food. The below picture is a picture of Sureyman's older brother who I had just met for the first time in August. I had talked to him on the phone and through e-mail for several months, but in August we finally met. He said he had to meet me because Sureyman kept telling him that I was like his mom. They really are like family.

No comments: