Fight or Flight...

It's 2:40pm, 1981...I am watching the clock-my ears waiting for the bell to ring.  What am I going to do?  I was passed a note a few minutes before "meet me after school for a fight!".  Do I run home as fast as my little legs and NHL running shoes can go?  Or do I put up my dukes and say enough is enough-no more calling me names-no more teasing me about my looks...ENOUGH!  Fast forward to 2009, Randall Street Monrovia.  A man sticks his hand into my side cargo pant pocket to take my wallet-what do I do scream and run away in fright?  or stand up and fight...

Taya and I have just having fun-she would kick my butt!

Well if anyone of you know anything about me you know the answer to both of these scenarios-which by the way are true stories.  When threatened, the body produces a whack of adrenalin, your heart rate speeds up, blood flows in super speed to your muscles getting ready for your response to either physically fight or run away.  Now I know that we don't experience these extreme situations very often-at least I hope not!  But there is a time when our decision to fight or flight has bigger ramifications than just us getting punched in the nose by a big grade 3'er or getting your wallet stolen.

I am talking about when we decide to fight or run away from serious issues that impact the poorest of the poor everyday.  We see and hear about people suffering with disease, famine, war whatever it may be-and when we do, whether we know it or not, we make a decision.  Turn the channel, say a legitimate "that is terrible", or we say "that is terrible I need to do something about what I have just seen or heard".  Fight or flight...

In Liberia HIV/AIDS is real.  It is also shadowed in secrecy and stigma.  People who are told they are positive don't tell anyone-for fear of being ostracized by their family and friends-or even worse, the church...People run from those with this disease.

SP Blood drive to help those living with HIV/AIDS

Not so with the staff at SP Liberia who are engaged in assisting those affected with HIV in many different ways.  Our staff are fighting.  They are taking a stance and fighting for those who can't.  They help those who are too weak to go every month and get their drugs from the hospital, they make sure that they visit every family that is infected, they make sure that there is blood available for those beneficiaries who are in hospital struggling to stay alive.  My adrenalin starts to rise and my heart pumps when I think about our staff and the people we are helping who have been left for dead.  We will stand and FIGHT-we will not run and pretend that HIV/AIDS is not a problem or hope that a different INGO will take care of 'those' people.  No...that is not who we are called to be...EVER.

Last spring when I was at the Foya hospital we were visiting some of our HIV/AIDS patients.  This little baby caught my eye-a little bundle of "future" right there lying on a little mattress on the hospital room floor...

Beyond cute...

Will I fight for her?  For her future here in Liberia?  If she gets infected will I still fight for her-or will I run.  Run-turn the other way, turn the channel in my heart and mind-and fill my my mind with instant excuses to appease myself-  "There are so many-what can I do?", "It's ok someone else will take care of them"-I am not trying to be harsh-my intention is not for you to feel guilty as you read this.  But ask yourself,  "what do I stand for -what would I fight for?"  We all have our things that really get us going-child trafficking, women's issues, clean water..whatever it is -you know what tugs at your heart-God put that in you-and now it's up to you to do something... 

I run for a purpose-not to run away but to run to-I will run to the hard issues that we fight for here in Liberia.  It may be women's literacy, it maybe helping farmers with their farms, or teaching children about the importance of education-trust me there is a lot to fight for!  I am a runner who likes to fight...and I thank God everyday I am.

Stay tuned on how you can help 'fight' with us, here at SP Liberia...I have a little announcement to make!