Hand in Hand Global Mission Support Blog Digest

Sam and Cindy Wolf are ELCA missionaries in Kenya. Sam is pastor of Nairobi International congregation and works with the Dagoretti Swahili Church. Sam and Cindy also work in developing an AIDS outreach program. To support the Wolfs, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

George Odhiambo

George is a big man with ruggedly handsome features. But his body has been ravished by AIDS. Here in Kenya they call it the wasting disease, and looking at George one can see how it got its name.

George Odhiambo is a member of our English speaking congregation and lives in the slum village behind the church. He was born in a small village near the Uganda border, one of eight children.  The family was fairly well off as his father worked as a butcher, until his father died, and then poverty hit.

After his father’s death, George was forced to drop out of  school. There was no work in the area so George made the 600 kilometer journey to Nairobi and got a job as a life guard at a sports club for expatriates.

He married and had four children. They still lived in the slum, rarely had disposable income but he said, “we ate.”

Then in 2002 his wife got weaker and weaker and died. After her death, George found out she had AIDS.  AIDS carries a horrible stigma in this country. Many people still prefer death to disclosure.  She left George with four children.

Within a year George became too sick to continue working. A social worker convinced him to go to the Coptic hospital, where he was also diagnosed with AIDS. The hospital is now providing him with medicine.

Eventually George found work helping an older neighbor to do his banking. The neighbor promised to pay George but he never did. So George withdrew the money owed to him from the neighbor’s account. He was sentenced to 18 months for theft.  After serving only four months, George was released.  This happened shortly after Cindy and I came to Nairobi International Lutheran Congregation.

He began selling eggs.  He makes less than a dollar a day. Now he and his children eat, but only one meal a day.  For growing children and an adult with HIV who needs to take medicine three times a day with food, this is not a good situation.

George is a wonderful, faithful member of our church.  He is one of those rare people God made who are just good and gentle.  Today we were able to find him a job as a part-time night guard, so perhaps his life shall improve.

I asked George for a statement of his faith.  “Pastor,” he said, “God is good! And God is always!”  I must admit his words somehow made me ashamed.

Sam and Cindy

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Paula was in South Africa with the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa where she worked with the HIV/AIDS program. She served July 2006 through June 2010. Prior to her service, Paula resided in Greeley, Colorado.

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Persons living with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia

Megan Bradfield (ELCA Global Mission staff), Phil Baker (Regional Representative) and I were visiting HIV/AIDS projects in Indonesia implemented by the HKBP – the largest Lutheran Church in Asia. One stop was at a local prison where the church works among the people who have been imprisoned for various crimes including drug abuse and sex offenses.

As we came out of the prison, Megan asked me what was next. I replied “lunch with sex workers.” Megan started laughing. I wondered what it was all about and Phil was curious, too. In response, she replied, “Because you said ‘lunch with sex workers.’” I said this was true as our next program was to have lunch at a restaurant with sex workers and drug abusers. Megan said “it was not because of what you said; I was laughing because the way you said it.”

We did meet up with a dozen men and women who had been invited by the HIV/AIDS staff. Meeting for lunch was an incentive for them to come to talk to us. After lunch we went back to the project office to have a conversation with these people.

A man described that he was HIV positive and his wife was not only HIV positive, but she also had tuberculosis. They have four young children; two of them HIV positive. He was in tears when he described that his wife was unable to work because of her poor health and that the entire family was dependent on his income alone. He told us how hard he works for a small income driving a mini cab as he pays major portion of his earnings to the owner of the mini cab. He told us that he is grateful for the treatment and care he receives from the HIV/AIDS project, though that was insufficient at times.

A newly married couple told their story about how they realized that the husband was HIV positive immediately after their marriage. They do not want to have any children at this point. The wife told us that she is trying to support her husband and praying for his healing.

Two young women involved in sex trade told us about their painful stories. One of them was HIV positive. They told us the stories of how poverty and hunger brought them to this trade, and how they don’t like what they do but they do not have any other alternatives.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, with the abundance we enjoy in our lives, let us not forget the true meaning of the celebration – the birth of Jesus Christ, who came to this world, walked amongst the sick and the downtrodden, and died on the cross for us all.  No matter what differences we have among us, one issue remains a constant – there are many who need our help and our prayers.  Pray that we all make a commitment for the upcoming New Year that we will come together as one and serve those who the world sees as “one of these least.”

Richard Sarker
Regional Representative, Asia Pacific

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