Siloam's "Lost Boys"

From the Desert to Our Doorstep…
A Day in the Life of Siloam’s "Lost Boys"

Originally published in the Summer 2001 edition of Healing Waters
By: Alissa Dyer Anderson, Director of Volunteer Services

The mid-South heat scorches down on a group of teenage boys as they walk into the cool haven of the Siloam Family Health Center waiting room, accompanied by a representative of one of the local refugee resettlement agencies. This heat is nothing to these young men, known as the "Lost Boys." They have survived far hotter days in the deserts of the Sudan, a country in Africa, where they walked thousands of miles, collectively, under a much brighter, blinding sun.

Alissa Anderson, Director of Volunteer Services

In 1983, war broke out in the Sudan, which borders eight neighboring nations. This war originated primarily between the Islamic government and those who refused to adopt and/or practice this religion. Christians became the largest targeted population for oppression. Many lived in the southern region of Sudan. When overt violence became the norm, thousands fled for their lives to bordering nations, such as Ethiopia and Kenya.

Adults were murdered and girls were taken as slaves during government-sanctioned attacks, leaving mostly young men (between the ages of 4 and 18) to journey across the desert in pursuit of food, shelter and education…in pursuit of freedom. Today, after years surviving in refugee camps following their trek, many of these young men are finding freedom in the United States. Relief agencies expect 110 youth to be resettled in Middle Tennessee. Siloam has seen 15 of the first to arrive. Everyone has been touched by their stories. Staff members share some of their impressions and recollections.

Ellen Bishop, nurse, recalls, "The first group of ‘Lost Boys’ that came to Siloam, I remember well. Several of the boys cried when I gave them their immunizations. I began to cry with them because I knew that they had survived far worse experiences in their short lives…it grieved me to cause them additional pain."

Morgan Wills, physician, was particularly impacted by one 19-year-old. Dr. Wills shares, "This young man recounted the day that he returned to his village from the nearby fields to find it burning from a government-sponsored attack. His parents sent him in the care of a teenage ‘uncle’ to flee on foot toward the East. They were to head for Ethiopia. Neither had any idea how far away it was or the ordeal it would be to make it to this destination. He remembers joining other youth in flight (eventually hundreds of displaced youth traveled together). He witnessed other boys being eaten alive by lions and crocodiles, drowning in a flooding river, and falling by the wayside from hunger and exhaustion; left behind to starve to death. This boy was 11 years old at that time."

Clay Satterfield, family nurse practitioner, reflects, "These young men are such an inspiration to us all. Whenever I ponder their stories, I feel conviction. I had a great home. My family was never more than a few minutes away, much less thousands of miles or indefinitely lost. Murder was not a word in my vocabulary. Bombs never fell from the sky. But, no matter the struggles of our Sudanese friends, they have joy. They smile. They laugh. They love to meet people. They are instantly your friends. They rest in what the future can be, not what the past has been for them. Who am I to complain in the face of such men?"

Beth Bancroft, family nurse practitioner, offers, "Their stories are staggering. I once spoke with one who had arrived just the previous afternoon. It is likely that until a mere three days prior, he had never seen electricity, running water, or an endless supply of fruits and vegetables at any local grocery. His eyes were glazed. I could not imagine the sights those eyes have seen…friends starving, brothers drowning, family members dying. And, now, he is here…ready to begin a brand-new life. How does one go about putting such things behind? All they’ve known is hunger, loss, fear, separation, and tragedy. But, they are here. And they have each other. Many of them know Christ. And, in Him lies their hope. In Christ is true newness of life."

At Siloam Family Health Center, our mission is "to share the love of Christ to those in need through health care." We believe that through this mission, we will see our Sudanese friends gain the healing and hope, both physically and spiritually, that they need and deserve to begin their new life here.

They have much to learn as they integrate into this foreign culture and we have much to learn from them. We have witnessed their initiation into the small technologies and so-called luxuries present in our clinic and in their homes that many Americans take for granted—toilets that flush, door handles that lock, even the delicacy of home-made chocolate chip cookies!

We at Siloam are honored to assist the "Lost Boys" (and every refugee patient) and hope to be a resource to buffer and teach as they navigate this strange and wondrous New World. We welcome them with open arms.