New Partners in Hope Videos

Here is a new video about the new in patient ward at Partners in Hope. (Click on the title to see it. Pretty cool, eh?)

Blessings,
Jerry & Elizabeth

Stepping Out in Faith or Running Ahead?

Things are moving very quickly here. Just as winter ended and I thought, "Great, we can enjoy spring and summer in the mid west." Then, we realized we are now 3 months from leaving, if we leave in August. August makes sense because the doctor I'm replacing leaves in July, school starts August 26th and we want to be over jet lag before the kids start. If we don't leave then, the next option is December, when it would be very hard to find someone to rent or buy our house.

We are in that area where we wonder if we are stepping out in faith or stepping out in front of God's perfect timing. Whenever we pray, God seems to be saying, "August" or is that just me? Logically, there are too many things to do before then:
Sell 2 cars
Lease or sell our house
pack a family of 5
raise 40% more support
start buying & shipping stuff we will need there
and that's just the big stuff.

Oh, did I mention I have my Board re-certification in July?

Just for fun, our kids are adolescents. They are not enjoying monster public schools after Nate Saint Memorial School. The whole school, K - 8, is the same size as most of their classes in the monster public schools.

So please pray we will receive wisdom, and most importantly, that we will be in step with God, not in front or behind. God is still on the throne, I just am not sure which way he is pointing, August or December.

P.S. Since I wrote the letter to a friend, the Lord has increased our support. It sure looks more like August.

Thank you, Lord.

Malawi Isn't in the News Much

Malawi isn’t in the news very much. It doesn’t have a war going on like Iraq or Sudan. It isn’t having atrocities like Congo or Kosovo. It isn’t even having piracy like Somalia or a cholera epidemic like Zimbabwe. What is happening in Malawi is too slow to get the attention of the news. Even the African press doesn’t see much newsworthy about Malawi. What is happening is that people are dying; not by thousands a day, and not in a way that looks gruesome in photos or videos. People are dying of AIDS, slowly, but a lot of them. Not enough to catch world attention, just enough to lose all that attention.

So what to do? Mother Theresa said, “We can’t do great things, just small things with great love.” We give AIDS medicines with great love.

We tested a child who was sick for a couple of months to see if he had AIDS like his mother. When she was told that her son was HIV negative, I saw one of the biggest smiles in my life. The people of Partners in Hope rejoiced with her, loved the woman and her son, and then made an appointment to see her the next month, so that she could keep getting the medicines and the love.

“A man with leprosy came to [Jesus] and begged Him on his knees, ‘If you are willing, you can make me clean.’
Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean.’ ” - Mark 1:40 – 41 (emphasis added)

How do you show love to a person with AIDS? The same way you show it to any other person: a handshake, a look in the eye, a smile, sharing the Word of God.

We look forward to touching the hearts of those with AIDS, and with your help, your prayers, your financial support, you can touch them as well.