A group of 30 to 40 children from a local orphanage came to our little clinic for their monthly checkups. All of these children are HIV-positive. Most will not live to see their 10th birthday. But when these children come into the clinic, they see that they are loved and valued. It was very humbling for me to get to sit with these children, give them cold water and proclaim Jesus to them.
The name of the clinic means “hope” in the local language, and that’s what so many people desperately need when they come here. Many see their disease as a death sentence and struggle for purpose to continue.
I met a remarkable woman on our staff. She has seen more difficulty in her life than I could imagine. She is HIV-positive and also lost her husband to AIDS. After her husband’s death, she stayed to care for her in-laws rather than return to her mother’s house. She has one son whom she also struggles to care for. After the death of her husband, as a woman, she had no right to her family’s property. But God protected her and that property, and this past weekend, it was given to her and her son. The Father has proven faithful in her life over and over.
If you ask her about her life with HIV she will tell you, “I am so thankful for HIV/AIDS, because without it, I never would have met Jesus Christ.”
Angela, a student at West Texas A&M University, is serving in South Asia with Go Now Missions. Her last name is withheld for security reasons.
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