Dear friends,

I copied a song down here. It is from Angela, a young girl with English as a second language, it is both special and sad.

Many people ask what we gonna do
AIDS came in the world for the young ones
Our mother land needs all our lives
AIDS is still a threat—a threat to every body in world
wakeup in the morning ask your mother what shall do
wakeup in morning ask your father where shall I go
wakeup in the morning ask your uncle what shall I do
AIDS is still a threat—a threat to everybody in world
End

This is a very sad poem from a child who should be thinking of life and not death. She has watched so very many die and has almost given up, sure that she also will die young. Angela sounds helpless and desparate.

She then added this:

Days are filled with sorrow and our hearts are lonely with care
Burdens are lifted at Calvery ,Jesus is very near—
Burdens are lifted at Calvery—Calvery—Calvery
Burdens are lifted at Calvery, Jesus is very near—

Cast your cares on Jesus to day
Bring your worries and fears
Burdens are lifted at Calvery, Jesus is very near—

This really touched me deeply. I almost cried when I read it. Her grandmother brought it to me and she was worried that something was wrong. She does not speak a word of English. The girl Angela is living with a very old grandmother and 12 other orphans, all cousins, sisters and brothers. They just survive with little food and in a mud hut. We try to send all of them to school but that leaves little extra. The grandmother works very hard keeping these kids. The writing is not very much but it shows the thinking in a young girl of at first hopelessness and then hope in Jesus. It is what we feel this child program is about.

I hope you are all fine. Love and gratitude to all of my friends, Carol