We went to Support Group on Sonday night. For those of us who have been to Support Group before it was a time to be anticipated - for those of us who had not been, it was a time to wonder what it would be like. Support Group was as crowded as always. More women than men, as always, lots of children and babies running around. We started with worship music – my favorite! It is so incredible to stand among these (HIV) positive people as they sing and dance before God with all the passion their hearts can hold. These are people who are barely eking out a living, many of them have been discarded by their families, they have an incurable (right now) disease, they face challenges that would crumble most of us and they sing at the top of their lungs about the goodness of God. It is so humbling to be in the middle of all this faith – knowing that my faith, in spite of how much God has blessed me, is so weak in comparison. I am learning more about faith and God’s power, and utter dependence
We heard several testimonies but the one that just tore my heart was the one from Florence. Florence had been studying to be a nun when she was physically violated by either soldiers or insurgents. A while later, after she kept getting ill, she was sent to Faith Alive where she tested positive for HIV. She was immediately removed from the convent and sent home. She was afraid to tell her parents, fearing their reaction. When she finally told her mother, her mother threw her out of the family and told all of the village. The village immediately ostracized her. A few months later, barely alive because of how the village was treating her, she was once again taken to Faith Alive. With the acceptance and help she found at Faith Alive, today she is as healthy as she can be, she is self-supporting and she is determined that she is not going to die from HIV/AIDS.
On Tuesday I danced with my friends at the 8:00 devotion, but then Dele told my about Simon, and I didn’t really feel like dancing anymore. Simion was one of the toddlers that I fell in love with (one of many) – his mom was one of the students in the sewing class. Simon died a couple of months ago – but not from HIV – from measles. He was diagnosed and three days later had died. It is hard for me (as an American) to understand how this could possibly happen! Wake up, Valerie – you’re not in Kansas anymore! Welcome to how most of the world lives!
Dr. Chris is now calling Samee “Mom” and Evie “Auntie.” I had explained to him that I call them by these nicknames because of the huge influence that they have had on my walk with Christ and he immediately adopted them. Evan is a big hit with the children, they swarmed him at the Support Group. Every time we see Char she is holding a baby, this morning at church the same woman who gave her the baby yesterday sat down next to her, handed her the baby and disappeared again. It is so much fun to see her with them. Norm is always being hugged by people he met during the last visit, he is so excited about spending the night in Bakin Kogi and actually pounding nails into the new clinic. Ivy and David tend to be the quietest of our group, but are the hardest working. They both seem to be the first to volunteer and are enjoying this adventure. I am constantly amazed at the wisdom of Papa God in this team that He has assembled. From Evan in his early 20’s, to Evie & Samee who are in their 70’s, and we have multiple ethnic groups and a multitude of views, and yet we truly are a team, we have melded so well together.