The Metro and West regions of the Nairobi church recently had a six-week series of lessons about HIV and AIDS as part of Sunday service. The series covered topics such as a background of HIV and AIDS, stigma, support groups, the importance of knowing your HIV status and was presented by George Khisa (left), who works for HOPE worldwide Kenya in assisting children orphaned and/or made vulnerable as a result of AIDS.

This series replicates one that was conducted in the Nairobi church’s East ministries last year. While the teaching was excellently presented, highly informative and eye-opening, it struck the heart and brought the reality home to all when 2 disciples, Lucy (below, right) and Dunson (below, left), shared about how they found out they were HIV-positive, how they reacted to finding out, and how they have learnt to live with HIV. Their courage, openness and detail brought the audience to their feet in applause and appreciation, and helped some who have not previously disclosed their HIV-positive status to disciples to share with George and seek guidance.

Dunson has been on both radio and television to share about the ups and downs of living with HIV and AIDS. To the church Dunson shared that though initially he struggled for many months to accept the truth about his status, “I now see that there is a reason for God allowing this to happen to me; I have been able to help many people who are living with HIV and to train doctors in aspects of working with people living with AIDS.”

The Sunday after the last presentation, Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV was offered at the venue of the Sunday service, and 33 individuals made the most of the opportunity to find out their HIV status and get appropriate guidance.

The response from the church was incredibly positive. “The series was very informative and very encouraging both for those infected and those who are not,” said Ben, and John shared, “The church is an institution where eyes and hearts should be open to embrace all so that those who don’t find love in their homes find it in the church. It is up to us as disciples to create the right environment. Too often believers feel that HIV comes from sin. Even if it were so, though, the church is for sinners.”

“The talk on stigma was of great impact,” Mercy said. “Sometimes I’ve overdone it in trying to encourage someone living with HIV in our ministry. I was enlightened and I know what I need to do. People living with HIV and AIDS need my love, not my sympathy. Today’s sharing (about stigma) was part of helping the infected to open up and the rest of us to deal with it appropriately.”

Judie shared, enthusiastically, “Today’s session (about stigma) took people to another level. We have the opportunity to give people hope.”

About the initiative to conduct the series, George says, “It was felt that there is need to reach to disciples who are living with HIV. Disciples who are HIV-positive have felt that disciples don’t understand their situation and so have felt more at ease sharing with non-disciples. They have felt that confidentiality has been low among disciples. This series was successful in the East ministries and that inspired us. Nguku (who spearheaded the sensitization in the East) has been of help.”

A support group for disciples living with HIV has now been set up to meet the unique needs of these courageous men and women who are not viewing being HIV-positive as the end but are holding to their faith, living powerfully for God, and, in some cases, using their life experiences to educate and empower others.

Undoubtedly, the series also went a long way in helping those who may not be HIV-positive to train themselves to be godly in learning how to love those in the congregation who are HIV-positive, overcome prejudice and ignorance, and make the church not only a house of prayer for all nations but a house of prayer for people of all conditions.