Guess Who

We've been learning about a special person. See if you can guess what country he is from based on his circumstances:

1. His nickname is David and he is 11 years old.
2. When he was 7, his dad was murdered.
3. He lives with his single mom in a home with one bedroom. He has eight brothers and sisters. Since his mom cannot work, she is currently making money by renting a corner of their family room to another family with 7 kids. The space is separated by a sheet hanging from the walls.
4. He sleeps on a couch with his brother. Sometimes he falls asleep listening to one of the neighbors getting beaten by her husband.
5. He likes basketball, but can't play at the park near his home because there is too much violence. "My brother's told me that if I go there, I will get shot."
6. He doesn't know what TIVO is and he's never been in a jacuzzi.
7. The school he goes to is only in session four hours a day.
8. His mom cannot work and they don't have a car. Sometimes he does the shopping for his mom.
9. He listens to a lot of rap music and watches the Family Guy.
10. His two older brothers are currently in jouvenile hall for gang violence. His home is surrounded by gang violence and drug dealers.
11. He signed up for "Big Brothers, Big Sisters" because he wants to know what it is like to have a normal brother.

You might not guess he's from America until the last few clues. David is actually from Orange County.

A few months ago, Jeremy volunteered to be a big brother for "at-risk" youth in Orange County. He finally got his new little brother a few weeks ago. Jeremy has played basketball with him, taken him to the beach and arcade, and gone swimming with him. They are becoming really good friends. David keeps saying "this is the best day ever" when they are together. He even drew Jeremy a picture of the Sacramento Kings.

It's amazing to hear the stories that Jeremy tells of this little boy and all the things he goes through. I'm fascinated with the two very different worlds that Jeremy and David come from, yet, they only live 15 minutes away from each other. I love Jeremy for his desire to help make a difference in this boy's life. It's so attractive, don't you think? But I can also tell that David is making a difference in Jeremy's life, too. I hope they become lifelong friends.