Is There a Cure?

I conducted 30 interviews this past week at Happiness Home.  It was interesting to hear their stories.  I was so encouraged by their strength and their faith in God.  Sometimes it felt like I was interviewing people fresh off the pages of Hebrews chapter 11, which is known as "Faith's Hall of Fame" in the Bible.  The purpose of the interviews is to tell the people's stories through some kind of media: website, handout, book, etc.  The final plan has not yet been formulated as to the best way to tell their stories.

During each interview I asked the person if there was anything he or she wanted to ask me or share with me.  There were the cute questions from the children like, "Do you have buses in America?" or "Is there snow where you live?"  There was one question repeatedly asked by the adults, "Is there a cure for AIDS?"  One guy expounded upon the question which gave me insight to their inquiries.  He told me, "In Burma, we did not know about medication for this disease.  We hear about medication in India, so we come here, get medication and now we feel better.  What if there is a cure in America or some other country and we don't know about it?"  A young pregnant woman was concerned about her unborn child.  She asked me how to prevent her child from getting the disease.  I tried to answer their questions with the limited knowledge I had about HIV/AIDS.  I felt so helpless and uneducated.   

For the people of Happiness Home, it's hard to stay up-to-date with the rapidly changing medical field when the main source of information is via internet.  Bro Rama or Jacob will sometimes bring their laptop computer to share information with them.  There is the additional challenge of keeping it charged since electricity only runs a few hours daily.  Perhaps I can inquire about HIV/AIDS education information and/or curriculum and send it to them. They have every right to be informed.