During this month two more clients have gotten baptized at Imani Baptist and joined the church, and we are so thankful for the community that they are now a part of. Also, two babies have been born to clients, and, because of the procedures that our health counselor taught them, both children have been tested as HIV-negative. There is one mentally challenged client at Imani, but she has recently demonstrated a complete understanding of her medication needs and has shown that she can consistently and properly take ARV's. Finally, CFA assisted one client in having surgery at a hospital this past month, and she is in the process of making a full and successful recovery. We are so thankful for all of these things, and I hope you will join me in praising God for His faithfulness in them!
In addition to all of the good news with clients,
we also have a lot to be thankful for in regards to our workers in the center. Rosemary and Humphrey have done a great job of addressing challenges or issues from the first group of clients and constantly improving the effectiveness of CFA. One challenge in the first group was an expectation that developed for CFA to provide the clients with direct financial support at the end of the program. This time, though, Rosemary and Humphrey have done a great job of impressing upon the clients that our goal is to empower them to support themselves - not simply to give them money. From the very beginning, they have stressed that we want to give them the tools, physical health, and education to financially provide for themselves and their families on an ongoing basis, and the result of this is a group of clients that have really thrown themselves into learning practical skills to generate income. Lately they have attended seminars on bead making, rabbit keeping, productive farming practices, and detergent making, and the clients are petitioning for as many trainings as possible over the next month. It is so exciting to see people who are really excited to learn and who are passionate about working hard to get the income they need for themselves, instead of just seeking a handout!Another issue that Rosemary and Humphrey have made great strides in is the question of how CFA can continue to follow-up with and check on our clients after they leave the center. This week Rosemary and Humphrey met with government officials in the region and registered all of the current clients as two HIV/AIDS support groups - one for men and one for women. Being part of an official support group allows the clients to receive special services and medication at the local hospitals, and it also makes them eligible for government aid programs that host projects like distributing seeds or holding educational seminars. The clients have also agreed to continue meeting as a support group and build on the relationships and fellowship that they have been able to develop over the past nine months. Hopefully this is one way that we can keep tabs on their progress and insure that their quality of life continues to improve even after they are done with our official program.
Thank you so much for joining with me first in thanking God for all that he has done in this group of HIV-positive men and women who face so many difficulties living in Kenya. Also, please pray with me that over the next month they would be prepared for life without attending the center regularly. Many of the clients are saving with a microfinancing organization now, so pray that we can continue to impress upon them the importance of saving and that they will take those ideas with them as they move on in life. Please pray for Rosemary and Humphrey - that they will have strength to continually encourage these people and that they will be blessed for all of their hard work and sacrifice. I speak for the staff, the clients, and all of us here in Kenya in saying thank you so much for your continued prayer and encouragement!
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