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Life with Hope Ministry
 Millie
attended the annual HIV/AIDS conference at Saddleback in December
2005. Thanks to Janet whose area of Mission was health care and
specifically HIV/AIDS for working so hard to ensure that Millie
was able to attend, and for personally hosting Millie. Thanks to
all of you form the first team for working so hard to make Millie
feel home away from home. That visit birth a burden in her heart
.This burden has resulted into a wonderful ministry to people infected
with and affected by HIV/AIDS called “Life with Hope”
On her return Millie Immediately embarked on initiating a care ministry
for people with HIV/AIDS and their families. The primary objective
of the ministry was to care for the infected and affected families’
emotional, material, and spiritual needs. Their other goals were
to raise awareness and educate people on the scourge, which they
were able to do among families and young people. The ministry was
named “Life with Hope” and it had about fifteen
members. Some of the members are themselves infected. Members received
basic training from a professional on how to go about their ministry.
The initial task was to identify clients and this was not easy because
people are stigmatized. The identified clients were regularly visited
by the members who took with them food and anything useful to their
clients. All the initial activities of the ministry were to prepare
the ministry for an official launch. Beyond that, the ministry has
gained a status not only within the church, but even out in the
community with many testimonies.
In Millies's own words: When the first team came
to Bombo, Janet Folcke was particularly interested in the HIV/AIDS
condition in the community. She asked me several questions regarding
this. All I had was sketchy information from general assumptions
I had gathered over the 4-5 years we'd been involved in Bombo. Honestly,
my husband and I had blinders upon our eyes, unwilling to realize
how rife our congregation was with the disease. I did know that
a good number of people in the congregation were infected, but that
was about all I cared to know at the time. I thought just having
members who were HIV+ could bring a negative stigma to our small
church.
The Saddleback team worked amazingly hard while she was in Bombo
to bring us to our senses. Janet also worked faithfully to see to
it that I attended the 2005 HIV/AIDS conference that took place
in November to December at Saddleback Church . She gradually warmed
my heart and opened my eyes to what the Lord was wanting me to do,
making me realize that I did have a need to attend the conference.
She took care of everything right from me getting a passport, visa,
tickets, stay, return etc. Only God can reward you Janet, for such
a heart. Sometimes the words "thank you" seems so very
inadequate!!
The conference left me in tears, with a broken heart, but also
with a determination to make a difference,however small, to give
hope and reduce the spread of this terrible illness. It was not
until I returned to Bombo and began speaking about AIDS that I realized
how pervasive the disease had become. In our village alone there
were at least 50% HIV+, and with the military based included, that
figure rose higher. You see, we live in the midst of this disease,
so much so that it's easy to take it for granted, assuming that
much like malaria, sooner or later you are going to get it. Misinformation
and hearsay have allowed the disease to run rampant among the poorest
and least
educated. Our relatives and friends have died and are suffering
from the same, and our church has so, so many cases. The stigma
surrounding the disease makes it even easier to just let it go as
a bad problem that we can do little to combat. But, the conference
and Janet's continual discussion of the disease made me look at
our situation in a different light. I began to
see pain behind the smiling "praise the Lord" expressions
from the infected/affected people in the church. I began to sense
the hardship that one went through when they gave a joyous testimony
saying they are grateful to God that they, along with the entire
family were "very sick" but God has healed them and they
are back on their feet again. When someone died, it was always of
malaria, so no one was forced to discuss the unthinkable. I, myself,
had to repent of such a passive attitude I had towards HIV/ AIDS.
Realizing what the Lord's plan for me was, I left a very good paying
professional job with a bank, and by faith began the HIV/AIDS outreach
in our church. It was a very scary step to take, since I was the
breadwinner for our family, but having unconditional faith in the
Lord made it possible.
The first challenge was to get this burden across to my husband
and the church in a manner that would get them equally disturbed
enough to do something about it. Alex was very positive and receptive,
and so was the church. Alex gave me the pulpit one Sunday, and I
preached from Rick Warren's notes on the role of the church in combating
this disease, and how the church is best placed as the only institution
that can effectively bring about change. As a result, I got about
20 people registering as members of what would be an HIV/AIDS ministry
at the church that morning. You must realize that a year ago these
same people would never have done such. It was the work of the Holy
Spirit.
Since then the growth in our church has been phenomenal, and ever
increasing openness and recognition of HIV have continue to grow.
Little by little the stigma has been torn down, and our members
are reaching out to the ill and dying, as well as caring for the
orphans and those left behind. While this is a horrible circumstance
to endure, God is
present and offering everlasting hope, unconditional love and acceptance.
We eventually called this ministry "Life With Hope".
Our purpose is to give hope to people infected and affected with
the disease. Our activities are summarized into six categories:
1. To restore hope to those infected and affected by the disease.
2. To practically demonstrate care and show love to the infected
and affected e.g. Help with household tasks, take food items etc.
3. To participate in eradicating the spread of the disease through
sensitization and education..
4. To present the Gospel of salvation to the infected and affected.
5. To provide fellowship for encouragement and openness, particularly
for those infected with the disease. A forum for the infected to
share openly is so vital because stigma does not allow them to do
so.
6. To awaken the church to its role in combating the disease.
So far, we have been able to carry out most of these activities.
We do weekly visits to the patients whom we call "clients".
We gather whatever monies we can, buy food items, even clothing,
and then visit theclients in the community. A good number of them
have accepted Christ, come to church, and have had their hope restored.
We've also officially launched the ministry within the community
and have asked the church to give us a Sunday annually specifically
to address the HIV/AIDS issue.
I'd like to give you a case scenario of a young lady named Reste
Asimwe. Life with Hope identified her in the military hospital.
She and her months old baby were terribly weak, very emaciated,
with no one to look after them and no money for food or extra medication.
They were a sorry sight, easily discarded as gone cases. Life with
Hope encouraged her, gave whatever little material support they
could, encouraged her to come to church, and prayed for her. She
came to church with her very tiny baby and gave her life to the
Lord. The love, acceptance and encouragement she received from the
church restored hope and meaning to her life. She radiated into
a stronger, joyous, pleasant and lively lady. Unfortunately, her
baby passed away. Although this devastated her badly, she soon came
around again and slowly regained her strength and joy in God and
in the believers around. Through Fauzia, her Life With Hope contact,
and love from the church, she is totally transformed. Her health
has been regained. Her run-away husband re-appeared and took her
to her home district. She recently visited the church - healthy,
glowing, and full of gratitude. If you saw Reste before, she looked
like she would die any moment. But look what God can do!!
The other case scenario I'd like to give is Merab. Merab is the
widow to the late and founding pastor of Bombo Pentecostal Church
. She is a strong pillar of leadership and service in the church,
currently heading the fellowship department of the church. She
is very much in love with God and zealous for His work. Merab lost
her husband and only child (6 year old daughter) to HIV/AIDS. Watching
her daughter develop full blown AIDS and painfully pass away in
front of her heart broken mother is one of the hardest experiences
we've been through. A few months ago, Merab fell extremely sick
very suddenly. If it wasn't for our faith in God and His miraculous
healing power, we would not have Merab in our midst today. To say
her healing is a miracle is an understatement. It is a supernatural
miracle!! She was as good as gone. Merab's story is a testimony
of how Life With Hope has helped to break stigma. Through the constant
encouragement from Life With Hope and our inviting guest speakers
and counselors, Merab has now opened up. She wants to be a part
of Life With Hope and is advocating for the fellowship aspect of
Life With Hope to be fully developed. Some others that were quiet
about their status are now willing to join the ministry wholeheartedly.
Slowly by slowly, stigma will
be dealt with. Life With Hope recently spoke to our youth openly
about dating and courting in relation to HIV/AIDS. Bidock, who leads
Life With Hope under my oversight openly testifies about his being
infected. All these events are slowly breaking the loud silence
caused by stigma.
Finally, I'd like to thank Elaine and Don for initiating Align
Ministries. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Align Ministries
is helping us especially materially and financially meet the needs
of HIV/ AIDS clients in our community. So far we have
5 clients who receive regular support from sponsors in Align Ministries,
and two others awaiting sponsors. We are able to provide food, clothes,
mosquito nets, and much needed medication for the clients. I've
attached photos of Christine Namugga, Millie Nabachwa, and Jennifer
Nampima receiving some of these items and the joy on their and their
children's faces as they receive the help. The gentleman giving
them the items is Bidock Wilfred, the leader of Life With Hope.
Thank you all sponsors of Align Ministries for helping Life With
Hope to carry out it's objectives. Through your contributions, many
are not only receiving these necessities, but finding Christ through
your love, and getting hope and life restored to them
Well, God bless you all. We love you. May we continue to be vessels
for His use and glory.
In Christ’s service,
Millie Ojera.
Some Photos
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This Lady
lives with HIV/AIDS |
This Lady lives with
HIV/AIDS |
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She sells roasted maize to earn a living
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Millie together with women living
with HIV/AIDS
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Life
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