Every night these boys remain on the compound with little to do. They spend their time reading and inventing games with the various knick-knacks they've managed to find lying in the dirt. The joy they find in the simplest things amazes me! All of the boys who live at Oasis are around the same age as my 16 year old brother, Ben. I love you Ben, but I really don't think you could maintain a sane state of mind if you had entertain yourself like these boys have to. The boys at Oasis are lucky to have electricity, but that's about all they get. There are no video games, ipods, pool tables, air soft guns, televisions or computers. They don't even have board games or art supplies.
I still find it hard to believe that they are Ben's age. They've all experienced such difficult lives, and although each boy has a different story, they are all alone in this world. Most have been on their own since before their 10th birthday and some since they were just 6 or 7. I can't imagine a life without parents, without my brother and sister, without aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, and without anyone to care for me at all.
These boys are becoming my brothers. I enjoy the time we spend together and treating them to things like movie night. Movie night was certainly a special occasion for these boys. They absolutely loved it, and I know I did too. I loved seeing their faces gleam with smiles and I loved hearing their laughter fill the room, but most of all, I loved seeing them experience the joys of childhood. With no worries and no cares, only excitement and happiness.
I still find it hard to believe that they are Ben's age. They've all experienced such difficult lives, and although each boy has a different story, they are all alone in this world. Most have been on their own since before their 10th birthday and some since they were just 6 or 7. I can't imagine a life without parents, without my brother and sister, without aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, and without anyone to care for me at all.
These boys are becoming my brothers. I enjoy the time we spend together and treating them to things like movie night. Movie night was certainly a special occasion for these boys. They absolutely loved it, and I know I did too. I loved seeing their faces gleam with smiles and I loved hearing their laughter fill the room, but most of all, I loved seeing them experience the joys of childhood. With no worries and no cares, only excitement and happiness.
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