to live.
yesterday I picked up one of our moms and went looking for her daughter and step-son. A few months ago their dad took them to live with him - rather unexpectedly and hasn't brought them back yet. the kids living with their dad is not the problem though. It seems to be a safe and happy situation for them.
what initially was simply going to be us driving to the other side of town and talking to their dad, figuring out when we could get his son to the hospital to get his medication started became infinitely more complicated when we learned they are not in Battambang town anymore, but living way far out in the province.
while I could sympathize with the mom's desire to have the kids back living with her, I can't say I totally agree with her strategy of her, me and a police officer going to track down the kids and bring them back. Instead we opted for a much easier route of leaving my phone number with the grandmother and asking him to call the father and tell him he needs to bring his son in to get his medication squared away. lo and behold I got a phone call this afternoon.
we'll go to the hospital tomorrow morning to get his blood test and hopefully will be able to start him on his medication quickly. and the little girl is not so little anymore. She seems to be growing well.
and now, these kids are special - for different reasons, but they have each pulled compassion out of my heart.
Rua is 9 now. I met him about two years ago. He is the only little boy we knew before he was tested and found to be HIV+. I still remember when I found out he had AIDS. I remember exactly where we were on the road as a friend and I were riding our bikes out to a village to run a children's program. There was anger and frustration and sadness - and I am glad to have felt all of those emotions because I do not want my heart to become hardened to the realities I am surrounded with.
About a year ago when his chicken pox were at their worst he started coughing up blood and we found out for certain he was struggling with tuberculosis. He ended up missing the rest of the school year and is still finishing his medication for that.
Sweet little Rua has dealt with so much more in his life than he should - and yet he is still sweet. And maybe that is where my desire to see justice really comes in - because Rua is just one of many who should not have to deal with so much. So I pray for injustice to cease in the lives of each of my little friends and I have hope that they will see a better tomorrow. Rua's name means "to live" - he will.
(I'll tell his sister's story a different day.)
what initially was simply going to be us driving to the other side of town and talking to their dad, figuring out when we could get his son to the hospital to get his medication started became infinitely more complicated when we learned they are not in Battambang town anymore, but living way far out in the province.
while I could sympathize with the mom's desire to have the kids back living with her, I can't say I totally agree with her strategy of her, me and a police officer going to track down the kids and bring them back. Instead we opted for a much easier route of leaving my phone number with the grandmother and asking him to call the father and tell him he needs to bring his son in to get his medication squared away. lo and behold I got a phone call this afternoon.
we'll go to the hospital tomorrow morning to get his blood test and hopefully will be able to start him on his medication quickly. and the little girl is not so little anymore. She seems to be growing well.
and now, these kids are special - for different reasons, but they have each pulled compassion out of my heart.
Rua is 9 now. I met him about two years ago. He is the only little boy we knew before he was tested and found to be HIV+. I still remember when I found out he had AIDS. I remember exactly where we were on the road as a friend and I were riding our bikes out to a village to run a children's program. There was anger and frustration and sadness - and I am glad to have felt all of those emotions because I do not want my heart to become hardened to the realities I am surrounded with.
About a year ago when his chicken pox were at their worst he started coughing up blood and we found out for certain he was struggling with tuberculosis. He ended up missing the rest of the school year and is still finishing his medication for that.
Sweet little Rua has dealt with so much more in his life than he should - and yet he is still sweet. And maybe that is where my desire to see justice really comes in - because Rua is just one of many who should not have to deal with so much. So I pray for injustice to cease in the lives of each of my little friends and I have hope that they will see a better tomorrow. Rua's name means "to live" - he will.
(I'll tell his sister's story a different day.)
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