Category Archives: Stories

Lopez Lomong: “The fourth lap, help me God!”

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Guest blogger in Stories

In the third part of the Lopez Lomong series, Lopez shares his thoughts as he races at the 2007 NCAA 1500m championships. As he runs, Lopez reflects on the role that running has played throughout his life. Previously, running meant escaping rebel soldiers and the harsh realities of life within a refugee camp. As a student and athlete at Northern Arizona University, he dreams that running will be the key to a better life for the lost boys and the people of South Sudan. * * *...

PHOTOS: Games that will never make it to the Olympics

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Lindsey Minerva in Stories

Games that will never make it to the Olympics | World Vision Blog

Every two years, the world waits in anticipation for the Olympic Games. It is the height of athleticism, competition, and pride in one’s country. For athletes who compete in the games, this event can be the realization of dreams or the disappointment of a lifetime. All of this fanfare, built around games. While the Olympics represent the upper echelon of games, for many, games are simply a way to pass the time, connect with others, and have fun. The Olympics utilize the best in facilities and technology, but many games for people in developing nations involve found objects and a heavy dose of creativity and ingenuity. These games will never make it to the Olympics — and that’s okay. The...

Lopez Lomong: September 11, the day I became an American

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Guest blogger in Stories

In the first installment of the Lopez Lomong series, we shared Lopez’s terrifying experience of being ripped away from his parents by rebel soldiers at the age of 6. After his kidnapping, Lopez was taken to a camp where boys were forced to become rebel soldiers, killing other people, or dying themselves. From there, a series of miracles occurred. Lopez was befriended by three older boys in the camp, who rescued him and fled the camp on foot at night. After running for three days and nights, the boys found themselves at a refugee camp in Kenya. Lopez lived there for the next 10 years, dreaming of what else life might hold and growing closer to God each day. He...

Lopez Lomong’s childhood story of terror

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Guest blogger in Stories

Today’s post is the first in a series that recounts the life story of Lopez Lomong, who will run with Team USA in the London 2012 Olympics, with dreams of bringing home a gold medal. While his current life sounds like a dream come true, his childhood was more like a nightmare. Born in war-torn South Sudan, Lopez was kidnapped by rebel soldiers at the age of 6 with two foreseeable futures: being forced to kill as a child soldier, or being killed himself. Part one of the series tells the story of this dark chapter of Lomong’s life. Follow along as we hear from him on his abduction, being adopted into the United States, and the realization of his Olympic...

Malaria: The disease that silences laughter

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Kari Costanza in Stories

Today, I bought a coffin. We spent the morning in a village in Mozambique visiting Marita, a dear little girl whose best friend had died of malaria last year. Marita was still grieving. She sat quietly while the rest of the children played in high spirits, shouting and laughing through a game of soccer. Marita’s mother invited us to come back later for supper. Hospitality can never be refused, even when the givers have so little. Marita’s father makes just $48 a year in a country to which both people and nature have been unkind....