Baby Joao's death

Joao died today.

I don’t understand why a child is born to suffer, only to die 9 months later. I don’t understand why his father has been allowed to experience the loss of his wife and child while the same virus that murdered his family  pulsates through his own body. I do not understand why people go hungry while others kill themselves by overeating. I do not understand why bad things happen to good people.  I don’t understand why so much grace has been abundantly poured out on me while others suffer. As you can see, there is much that I do not understand about this fallen world. 

Baby Joao a few weeks before he passed

There is evil, this I do know. I also know that despite this evil God is still good and loving. God sent his son because of his great love. He cares about his children so much so that he provided the ultimate sin offering, his son.  Through this we have the promise of eternal life, free from suffering.  One day all will be made right, babies will not die of AIDS, mothers will not worry about what they will feed their children and fathers will not mourn.  Until then we have a task, to make this great outpouring of love known. To care for the orphan and widow, to feed the hungry and uplift the downhearted. This is our responsibility as believers, we are the hands of feet of God.

There is a reason God has allowed me to experience what I have here. His extreme love and compassion for these people is evident through the people he has brought here to serve them. These believers have said yes to the call of Christ, to deny themselves, pick up their cross, and follow after him.  So where is everyone else? Where is the church? Christ’s bride has become complacent, self-consumed, lazy, and apathetic to the cries of the poor. She needs to be awakened.

What could be accomplished if the bride of Christ would grasp her lover’s deep compassion for the poor?

Joao's Story

Of all the children that have captured my heart here in Dondo, there is one that stands out.  It is not likely that this little boy will ever grow up to have a voice to tell you his story so I feel compelled to share it for him. I share it in hopes that it might spark something in whoever is reading this to help.

The first day I met Joao he was wrapped in blankets carried by his father to the nutrition center.  I commented to one of the workers that he must have been born just a few weeks ago. I was so excited to hold him! As I held him in my arms I knew that this was not a well-baby, his breaths were shallow and I could feel his bones under the blanket.  His father tenderly undressed him to put him on the scale, he weighed less than 8lbs.  His Dad looked at him with sadness in his eyes, I soon learned why. Joel is 9 months old and his mother died of AIDs soon after his birth. Both the child and the father have AIDS and are getting progressively worse.  

HIV can be transmitted from mother to child through birth or breast milk. The chances of the virus being transmitted this way are reduced to less than 2 percent if the mother is taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) during pregnancy.  The problem is that this medication is not available for everyone.  For those who are able to get the medication they often do not see the need to take it because the symptoms have not become life altering yet or they don’t know they have the virus. If babies who are born with HIV are not treated it is not likely that they live past their 2^nd birthday.  

But there is hope! There are organizations all over Africa that are dedicated to getting medication and education to people to stop the spread of AIDS.  CRI is one of them. Whether it is through prayer, money, time, talents or advocacy we can all be a part of not letting Joel’s story become any other child’s story.   

Joao and his Dad.

 For more info on how to help check out www.childrensrelief.org