Schaumburg Live Work & Play - March/April 2009 - (Page 13) A chance meeting in a college class led to tutoring in computer skills for William Mou. Mou is joined by other Sudanese refugees below left, Arkangelo Diet and Samuel Anei for one of Matt LaRue’s weekend technology sessions at Schaumburg Township District Library. documentary, ‘God Grew Tired of Us.’” He’s quick to add that, even for those who don’t have that amount of time, a quick look at the movie trailer on YouTube or, better yet, the organization’s Web site is educational. “I think the biggest thing anybody can do is just go to rebuildingsouthernsudan.org and – even if it’s five bucks or 20 bucks - just give what they can,” he says. “Getting to know William was one of the best things that’s happened to me in a long time,” LaRue says. “They’re so humble. They’re seriously really nice people. They’re devout Christians. Their stories about fleeing Sudan and trekking through the jungle and the desert and fighting off famine and starvation and making it all the way to Egypt only to be thrown out a couple of years later to go back up toward Ethiopia. There are some really compelling stories there. So sacrificing a little bit of time is nothing, and they’re all so appreciative. They’re just genuinely good people. “I never wanted to get any credit for doing this,” LaRue adds. “It was random chance just for me to have met William. I probably never would have heard of the Lost Boys if I wouldn’t have met him in that class. “But there are no words to describe the feeling you get when you have the Lost Boys in a room and they get it and they all understand a little bit more of what’s going to make them successful on the computer. “At the very end of our sessions, these guys are very upbeat, very happy, and they just come up and give me a hug – not the little one-shoulder guy hug, but a fullon hug – and you can just tell they’re appreciative. For me, that’s the most rewarding thing, just seeing it in their eyes and knowing they’re learning something that can help them.” march/april 2009 Page 13 http://www.rebuildingsouthernsudan.org
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