The Bedlam Farm Warriors, the very determined RISSE (refugee immigrant and support center) soccer team arrived at the Pompanuck Farm Institute late last night for a two-day retreat on a 90-acre farm and retreat center.

They were hungry and tired. We fed them and they retreated upstairs to the Pompanuck Meeting Room where they are all sleeping (as I write this) on mats and sleeping bags in from of a warm wood stove. They had lasagna (meat and vegetable) and salad.

When Maria and I left, they were still up, reading, playing UNO and other games, and talking. Ali was sleeping right nearby. They are the nicest people, courteous, helpful and attentive. One would never know what they have endured.

This morning, I’m going over to help with breakfast and go out and buy supplies for lunch, which Maria and I are helping to prepared. the agenda today is up to them – they can sled, read, play games, go to a movie, rest. Tonight, i’m taking them out to a Chinese buffet dinner.

I gave everyone a copy of the YA edition of the best-selling book “Outcasts United” by New York Times reporter Warren St. John. It is the story of a group of outcast refugee kids who formed a soccer team in rural Georgia, and were taken in hand and trained by a compassionate and dedicated woman coach – she reminds me of Ali in so many ways.

The story is uplifting and inspiration, and I was very happy to see most of them were reading it when they went upstairs to get ready to sleep. Sunday, we are all going to meet and talk about the book, two people with the most interesting things to say about it will each get to take a tropical fish home in two special tanks with LED lights.

They also have some good DVD’s to watch, including McFarland, USA, the story of immigrants who become champion runners in California.

I’m looking forward to today, and to the meeting. Late tonight, I am scheduled to read a scary story to them, I’ve chosen “The Tell-Tale Heart” from Poe. I don’t think it will frighten them much, they’ve seen worse, but they love the idea of it, and they taunt me all the time about being unable to frighten them. I don’t really wish to frighten them, if the truth be told.

They are a wonderful group of people and the more I know them, the more I have come to love them. Ali is my brother from another mother (as is Ed Gulley) and I am so lucky to know such people. I’m thinking turkey sandwiches for lunch, with chips and ice cream. This feels so good to me, and thanks once more to the Army of Good for helping to make this possible.

Red, Fate and Gus – they are all asking for them – are coming today. I’ve asked the kids not to feed Gus any food. It is heartwarming to see how devoted they are to Ali and how much he means to them.

I wish you could all see how much this means to these kids and how important it is for them to have this time together out in the country, free from the many pressures they face each day, and the sometimes horrific experiences they have experienced at much too early an age. They are already making great Americans.