Life is So Fragile . . .

The post that Bonnie added included some of the details about the loss of one of our young students in a bus accident on Monday when he was returning to school.  So tragic.  A busload of students and staff, including some AU choir members, went to Harare today to participate in his funeral.  This has given students reason to pause and pay a bit more attention to the many blessings that are theirs.
Indeed, life is so fragile.  Let us live each moment to the fullest.

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Recently I've been working with a few of our students who struggle every day ~~ they come from a U.N. refugee camp about four hours from here.  Though their stories are different, they carry the same heartache and pain, for they have left behind their country, their family members, and all they knew before war disrupted their lives.  From a very young age they experienced and carry the memories and scars of the horrible things human beings can do to each other.  All of them suffer from some form of PTSD, feel very lonely and fearful, and carry a heavy weight inside. They are reluctant to share because being tagged "a refugee" carries very bad connotations in people's minds.

These students DO have scholarships and meal cards, but no provisions have been made for them to have any spending money for personal care items, notebooks, pens, etc.  Our office is trying to work out a system for them to be identified and then given more compassion, attention, and caring.  They have organized themselves into a small group or "family," and give each other encouragement to achieve their very best.  These are very intelligent young adults who have some huge obstacles to overcome.  Please pray especially for them as they try to reconstruct their lives.

It's heartbreaking to hear them say, "It's just me ~~ that's all I've got.  No one else is around to care for me or show me the way.  Life was very dark before we got to AU campus, but gradually we are able to see the light."  More than one of them arrived here with only the clothes they were wearing, but were afraid to say anything to anyone for fear of being criticized and looked down upon. Fortunately, other students became aware of their plight and offered a clean t-shirt, a pair of pants, etc.  I cannot even fathom them risking their lives, running away from all that was familiar, trying to live off the land, and not knowing anyone whom they could trust.  And yet still having this thirst for education and a better life for themselves.

All of these students are so grateful for Facebook.  They make numerous attempts to find parents, siblings, and other friends from their former lives, but rarely have any success.  I just want to adopt them as my sons and daughters so they can once again feel a sense of family and security, love and caring. 

Thanks for your prayers for them, and for us as we try to establish a safety net for them.

Gratefully,
Mary Beth