Experiencing Grace

The last couple of days have been a time of incredible learning and growing days for me, more so then others.

The last couple of weeks I have been serving with and learning from an organization called Grace & Light. Grace & Light does HIV/AIDS awareness, care and testing by partnering with churches. Their big vision is that people would be open about their HIV status and realize that people living with HIV can still live productive, active, and healthy lives. They encourage people who are positive that through being open they allow others to come alongside them to encourage and take the journey with them. They also encourage those who test negative to join with those who are positive in accountability groups so that if someone is negative they will stay negative and that someone who is positive will have the care and support they need to make healthy choices for their life. They try to do this by sharing the gospel, teaching openness and showing love.

This organization does their testing on Sundays. They speak with the congregation during the service and then offer counseling and testing afterwards. On Sunday I was able to go along with them to help, this gave me a firsthand opportunity to see how they carried out the work. Out of 120 people tested we had one positive which is great but it was still very tough to witness when that person found out she is positive. The positive is a 15 year old girl named Linda. It is difficult for me to describe how I felt when I saw Linda find out her status. Inside I was thinking that I have no idea or frame of reference to even imagine how she must be feeling. I realized that all I could do was go and sit beside her and show her that she is not alone. As a group we all prayed for Linda and also thanked God for the others who were tested and were negative for HIV by God’s grace. As we prayed for Linda I was overwhelmed by so many feelings that sound really simplistic when written down but I will try – I felt scared for Linda, that so much in her life will change from this point on, I felt sad that she has HIV and I just cried because the issue of HIV was real for me in a way it never was before this experience.

As I have had some days to think about that day and to pray for Linda and the issue of HIV I realize more and more the blessings I have in my life. This experience was not only so I can look at my own life and be thankful but to see that there are people struggling with so many different things not just HIV and that the only way to defeat stigma, discrimination and isolation is to show others grace and love and the only way we can fully do that is through Christ Jesus.

The following Tuesday I went along with a Grace & Light staff member to meet Linda at the clinic so that we could wait with her as she and did the confirmation testing. After a long wait, her second test at the clinic did confirm her positive result. As we waited with Linda I was able to talk with her a little and I found out that she likes art and drawing. She drew me some pictures and she also attempted to teach me how to draw – which is not an easy task at all. She also taught me how to play a sort of Nigerian version of tic-tac-toe! I was glad that I could at least help Linda smile a little and I hope that God will use those couple of hours I spent with Linda to remind her that she is valued and that she has gifts and talents that she will still be able to use and most importantly that God loves her so much. Psalm 25:5 is what I hope for Linda and I pray that she will grow and learn more about God every day.– Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Although I only served with and helped at Grace & Light for two weeks I was impacted by the reality of HIV and the work that is required year in and year out to educate and help those affected by HIV and AIDS. I have been shown a lot in the last couple weeks and I know God will continue to teach me so many things because of this experience.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:23-24