A New Season

Time to Begin
After a break it is time to begin our sewing and computer classes
again and we are preparing for a big start. To begin we have added a new teacher. She has a good Biblical name, Rachel and she joins (l) Namgamso and (r) Paul who is our helper. Rachel is an excellent addition. She was the first sewing teacher at the False Bay College which premises we now use as part of the Living Hope, Living Way economic program. When Rachel first came to me, I did not know how I would use her, but with the death of Khumi, this opened a space. She brings so much more expertise to the program. As well she is a strong, praying Christian woman and this also fits in with our desire to work even more to help the women understand how much God loves them. Already we have eleven women who are eager to begin and so are we. Psalm 138 :8 says: "the Lord will fulfill His purposes for me." It is this promise that give me great joy as we begin.

Goodbye Khumi

Goodbye to Khumi
Yesterday I heard the news that I both expected and dreaded
Khumi Morare had passed, another casualty of HIV and AIDS.
For most of 2009 she battled various illness that ravaged her body and eventually drained her spirit. The last time I saw her, I said
goodbye to a woman who looked like every other emaciated woman dying of AIDS. I gave her flowers, prayed with her and
knew there was the possibility I would never see her alive again.
It was a truth, that, selfishly, I did not want to face. So many of us had invested so much in this remarkable young woman that I just never thought that AIDS would win. I thought we would and with good reason. Khumi was one of the first students in our Evangeline sewing class. As she slowly recovered from her first bout with HIV and AIDS she was close to death when she was sent to Living Hope. As they nursed her back to life, she jumped at the chance to take sewing lessons. From the start I admired her feisty spirit, great work ethic and determination to succeed for herself and her children. She was clearly the one we needed to run our first business and she did it excellently. We talked about a car and she got her driving permit, and an apartment so she could move out of the shacks. She was every body's poster child and was featured on CNN. What went wrong? All of the other pressures she faced in her life were to much for her to cope with this chronic illness and all of its challenges. She gave up and her body gave in. I would not be honest if I did not say that her death has made me question many things, but now I take comfort in the four years we had together. We prayed, laughed, argued, planned and had fun together. She was one of the best students we had. I know how much she loved what we brought to her life. Just before she left the Health Care Center, I asked her if she was ready to die and she said yes. And that is where I now find my comfort. I will treasure her memory and our EM bag is a lasting legacy of her time with us.
Her life will spur me on to do all I can to help women with HIV and AIDS find hope and new life in Jesus Christ. So long Khumi, one day I and all your worldwide friends will see you again.