Final thoughts...

Living positively. That’s a phrase I’ve heard a lot in Kenya but am only now starting to really understand. To me, that phrase could be a catch phrase for living the good life or the latest advertising slogan promising happiness and fulfillment. In Kenya, however, this phrase has a very specific meaning. It refers to people who are HIV+ but who are still approaching life in a positive way and in addition to taking care of themselves, they are making an impact in their local communities. In Kibera, we met an older woman who is HIV + and who lost several family members to AIDS. Her daughters were both HIV+ (contracted through prostitution) and one had lost her husband and child to the disease. The old woman was making a life for herself and had adopted a little boy who had been abandoned (he is also HIV+). In Kenya, there is still such a significant stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. People don’t understand how it’s contracted and many believe it is a curse or punishment. Those who admit that they are HIV+ are often shunned in their communities – even their churches – and lose their jobs and often their families. We have met so many people who are “living positively” with AIDS here and who are maintaining their health while making a difference in their communities. Many are vocal about AIDS – how it is spread and how it can be avoided, even though that often means discussing topics that are still taboo here in Africa. My friend, Rachel, is passionate about the AIDS epidemic that is sweeping this continent. She participated in an award-winning AIDS documentary called “Window of Hope” (look for it on youtube). When she was an education professor, she trained future teachers in how to teach about AIDS awareness, prevention, and treatment, and now children in classrooms across Kenya are learning about HIV/AIDS and how to protect themselves and their families. The other part of living positively is that these people still possess tremendous faith, in spite of their death sentence. It would be so easy to blame God and turn away from him in circumstances like these, but somehow, they draw even closer to Him and use their circumstances to spread the Gospel of Christ’s love and grace.

In the US, our lives are often unaffected by HIV/AIDS, but there are other tragedies that befall us, and when I think of the phrase “living positively,” I think of people I know personally who, when faced with tremendous challenge and desperate situations, choose to maintain a positive outlook and use their challenges to show Christ to the world. Jill and Ben gave birth to a micro-preemie. While the outlook was bleak, they chose to live positively, to put their faith in Christ, and to share their journey with the world around them. Today, their daughter Whitney is almost two years old and has beaten the odds placed against her. Her story, and her parents’ willingness to approach challenge in a positive way, have served to strengthen the faith of so many people and to inspire others to “live positively.” The same is true for Callie, a young woman diagnosed with brain cancer. Even in her darkest moments, she placed her faith in Christ and chose to share her journey in a positive way, inspiring and motivating others. These stories have impacted my life and so many others. The same is true for those living positively with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. They are changing the world through their faith – one person at a time.

In Kenya, we see so much that shocks and despairs us. It often feels like the problems are so huge, that nothing can be done. But I have also met people who believe that planting seeds – one life at a time – is the only answer to solving the challenges of this country and our world as a whole. That inspires and motivates me to live positively.