Today I had a training program with the workers in the PEPFAR program and we discussed ARV's, how and when to give, and how to encourage adherence to therapy. We also talked about nutrition and how important it is for clients on ARV's to eat a balanced diet. After saying this, one of the counselors laughed. He procedeed to say how the statement made him laugh because many of his clients are going hungry, and have a hard enough time getting food for one meal a day. Then a few others jumped in with the same complaint that their clients are going hungry. The truth is that a large percentage of Nigerians are living under a $1.00 a day. They mentioned when they go on their visits and see the living conditions and the lack of food, they are moved to compassion, and give out of their own pockets to someone with a greater need. That is the gospel in action.
"I will never know what it means to be starving" I told them. I was speechless. What could I say that would not sound cliche or patronizing? I can never fully understand there plight. Even the hospital workers who sat in front of me who have good jobs compared to most Nigerians, are also struggling to find food to support their families. As an American with a nice car, nice place to live and money for anything I want, I cannot relate to their struggle. At that very moment I felt guilty for never having known what it feels like to be hungry; to not know where the next meal will come from. Why was I born in America and not in Africa? I didn't choose this life, and neither did they.
These are just some things I have been thinking about lately. You can't face poverty and not be affected by it somehow. I don't have an answer to the big issue of poverty, but I do know that I need to praise and thank God for all the resources I have been given. Then I need to turn around and give away what he has given me to bless someone else. None of it belongs to me anyway, for all that I have is the Lord's.
Some things I am thankful for today:
1. Clean water-many of the clients I see every day struggle to have clean water for drinking and cooking. Most children die of diarrhea due to lack of clean drinking water. I have a filter and easy access to clean water every day. All I have to do is turn on the faucet and water pours out.
2. Food-many Nigerian's struggle to eat one meal a day. I am able to eat three meals a day and can afford things like Chicken and rice which are very expensive here.
3. A nice car-Most Nigerian's don't have a car, and either take a taxi or a motor bike for transportation. Many of them have to trek (walk) far distances. My car takes me wherever I need to go in a short amount of time.
4. Electricity-my Hausa teacher told me they have had problems with scarce electricity for over four months. Electricity is bad here and without a generator, most people live in the dark after the sun goes down. They use candles for light. I have battery lights in my house so when the electricity is off, I turn on the lights and can see well.
5. Medicine-60% of Subsahara Africa doesn't have access to health care. Clients come to me daily and say they can't afford the medicine that has been prescribed for their sickness. When I am sick all I have to do is go to my drug cabinet and take medicine, or go to the doctor and they will prescribe something for me and I can afford to pay for the treatment.
Today I am thankful for these things I have always taken for granted......
My friend Kara came on tuesday to visit me from Wheaton. I am so thankful for her support, and I pray her time here is life changing. Today we went to a village called Gyero. Over 70 boys and 12 girls live here. Many of them are orphaned and used to live on the street. They receive free health care, education and food as well as discipleship and spiritual encouragement.
Boys playing games outside
These are the precious girls who are new to Gyero. Before this, only boys were staying there.
We began to share about Jesus with her, and she has made the first step by leaving. I shared with her how she can make a choice to get out of this relationship, that with Jesus she can have a new start. I am proud of her for moving back home, and know if she trusts in God, he can deliver her out of this darkness. She can be set free from the prison she is living in. For a brief moment when I looked at her from the side, I thought I was seeing Ladi.....it caught me by surprise and was as if Ladi was sitting right next to me. I paused for a minute, then I told Ruth how before her big sister died, she knew Jesus. I said to Ruth in tears, "Before Ladi died, she knew Jesus in her heart... you can know Jesus too!" It was one of those moments I will never forget. I felt such joy as I remembered Ladi's transformation those last days of her life. Despite the desperation of Ruth's plight, I was filled with an amazing peace as I felt God saying to hang on and continue sharing the hope of Christ with her. As I talked she kept her head down, but at one point in the conversation she looked up at me with tears in her eyes. That was the first time I had ever seen her cry. Until now she has been untouchable, never had a problem, everything was always fine and she never needed anything from anyone. What was happening to Ruth? God was breaking her down slowly, the ice was melting and he was softening her heart. After we talked and cried, Ruth was very quiet. She was really contemplating everything and I could tell God was working on her. I knew she would need time to think about all the things we shared with her. It takes time for people to break free from bondage.
We have a little baby named Isa (above) who was very sick at birth and whose mother died of AIDS. He has been living with his grandmother since birth. We assumed he was positive and started him on ARV's to save his life. He grew very well and gained weight, was healthy and then we tested him and he was NEGATIVE!!!! It was so amazing to us all and we were exstatic. I got the privilege last week of visiting his family, and telling the grandmother that he does not have HIV. What a great feelings it was to say that, I have never been able to do that before. His grandmother broke down in tears with joy that her grandson was free of the horrible virus that took her daughter's life. You can't imagine the weight that was lifted that day. So besides taking her grandson Isa, she also has four of her own and also her brother's baby. Women here often take many children that are not their own and care for them.
Fatima, Hauwa and ????, three of her girls. The baby above is the new addition, she is Safiya and the grandmother's niece. Then the last baby (who is her own child) was sleeping during the pictures...
Her name is Simi and she is fifteen years old. She is an orphan; her father died many years ago and her mother, who abandoned her when she was three months old, died just three months ago. Simi had been living with her grandmother since she was a baby. She was one of our clients for the last few years and taking ARV's from our hospital here. We saw Simi on a regular basis, but all of a sudden she stopped coming, and we heard she was hanging with the wrong crowd and stopped taking her ARV's. We called her to come to our place so we could talk and counsel with her. Her grandmother brought her, and sure enough she admitted to stopping her drugs. On several other occasions, many of us tried to talk with her about changing her behaviors, but all of our attempts failed. Soon after that visit, Simi's grandmother came to us in tears to say that Simi had run away. A friend of her's had been a bad influence on her and was convincing her to make unwise decisions. Last we heard she was still in Jos somewhere but we haven't seen her since last year.
Nearly three months after burying her six month old baby, Ngosonom is starting over. After leaving her baby to rest in the village, she has been in a sewing program here at the VVF Center. With a renewed sense of hope and purpose in life, Ngosonom is learning many sewing skills and improving every day. She is now making dresses, skirts and decorative pieces. 
The water board has been on strike for almost a week now, and there is no city water coming in. Our two water tanks are almost empty and the water crisis is elevating. We have been seriously praying for rain this last week. We were using the rain water to flush toilets and do laundry. On saturday someone sent a Water for Life tanker to help fill our tanks some, but then the Lord did something amazing. He sent a terrential downpour and our tanks were filled to the maximum. What a joy it was watching the rain fall and thanking GOD for it. I am going to pray for rain more often.!!!
