A Story of Transformation - Simon Gicheru

Simon Gicheru is a painter from an area called Gathanga, near the CARE for AIDS center in Ruaka. If you met Simon a couple of years ago, you would have learned that he was happily married with three children and a painting business that provided him with enough money to live in a house and send his children to school.

In 2009, though, Simon started getting sick frequently. He fought through Tuberculosis, among other infections, and by October he was confined to his bed, unable to move about or work. At this point, Simon was tested for HIV at the hospital and was found to be positive, with a CD4 count of only 14. Learning of his status, Simon’s brothers and sisters refused to come and visit him, and most of the people around him came to the conclusion that he had little chance of living a normal life again. On top of all this, Simon’s youngest child fell sick and died during the same year, leaving him mired in feelings of hopelessness and helplessness.

By the grace of God, Esther and Peter from the CFA center in Ruaka found Simon in November 2009. Since he couldn’t come to the center on his own, the workers visited him as often as they could at home. They met with his wife, educating both of them about the disease and the medication, and they helped to supplement the food that the family could buy from his wife’s meager income selling vegetables. Only a few months later, Simon regained the strength to walk around and started coming to the center each week. He also found a community that would look past the stigma of HIV/AIDS and accept him for who he is. Esther has this to say about Simon:

“Simon confesses that he found friends who could really care about him. When he joined the CFA program he was a desperate man who needed people to embrace him, give him hope and walk with him. Since March, he has been a regular attendee at the center and at seminars. His health has been restored and his CD4 count is now more than 200. Simon, who is professionally an admirable painter, came this month and told us to pray for him since he feels strongly to get a job. No sooner than the Lord answered our prayers and provided him with a contract just at his neighborhood. He has now started saving with DOREP and is moving forward with his family.”

At the same time that his strength was improving and he was starting to work again, Simon was continually learning from Peter about Jesus and the prospect of life as a Christian. Simon had never been exposed to the Gospel before, but he accepted Christ at the center in April and has since joined a church in his neighborhood, where he regularly attends with his whole family.

As Simon finished his 9-month term with CARE for AIDS last month, he was one of the most appreciative clients, praising God for the change in his life. Hearing stories like his – stories of people who have moved from hopelessness to joy, people who are empowered to live with a purpose, people who are walking with Christ daily towards a better life – give me such cause to thank God and to praise Him for his faithfulness!