3rd Update

This update is about the worst and the best about life. About disease, the worst, and about the best those who help those with disease. Today we went to get Brian - the six year old child sick with AIDS. As I had shared earlier he is the nephew of a close friend here in Kenya. Brian, like most children who have AIDS, became infected by his mother. His mother died when he was a baby. He doesn't remember her. His father is infected, too. Brian is just like Rebecca and Faith were when we first met them. He is very sick. He has sores all over his little body and his tummy protrudes either from malnutrition or worms. He speaks little and doesn't smile. He is on ARV medication - lots of pills to keep him alive. We brought him here to the apartment and he will stay here as God performs yet another miracle for a little innocent child affected and infected by AIDS. Pray for little Brian for God to remove the hundreds of sores from his body, for him to improve nutritionally and for him to be able to go school. Just remind God he healed Rebecca's sores so we know it is possible.

The best part was the second place we stopped after getting Brian - it is near Mt. Kenya and we walked in the tea plantations just like the picture David Gruber put on the GOA folders. The home we went to was a very special place and a wonderful visit for every team member - there were 11 of us. The farm had cows, rabbits, chickens, gardens and much love, joy and laughter. The guys sang as loud as they wanted because no one was around for miles. We left carrying sugar canes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes all picked or dug from the garden. We all felt blessed to spend this time however short with this family in the country of Kenya. It was like God gave us a day in the country before we go spend to 4 days in Kibera - the largest slum in the world. Brian has been fed, bathed, medicine put on his sores and given his many pills that are keeping him alive. He is sleeping now.

The team looked up children with AIDS on a website and learned some information about children who have AIDS. In 2007 almost a half million children were born infected with HIV. Nine out of 10 of infected children live in sub-saharan Africa. Forty children an hour in the world die from AIDS. The Reach-A-Million team understands more everyday why they are doing what they are doing - trying to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

God continues to bring AIDS very close. Today it came even closer to the team.

Connie

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