Saving Grace:You can bring new life to the lost and hopeless
When Grace* was pregnant with her second child, the hospital told her she had HIV. She was given no counselling or support, just left to deal with the news. She returned home devastated.
Her family discovered her secret and disowned her, throwing her and her young son out into the street. Now Grace lives in the slums of Hyderabad and begs for food. But she is like a shadow, her strength fading daily. She says to me, “What will become of my children? I do not know; I need to live.”
When Jesus died on the cross for us, it was the greatest act of grace in history. We did nothing to earn it, we certainly did not deserve it. It was a gift of love, of extraordinary generosity that we can never reciprocate.
Since Grace was diagnosed with HIV, she has known only stigma and rejection. This is true of many of the 33 million people across the world who are living with HIV. Regardless of how they were infected, they desperately need that same compassion and mercy that God extends to us in Christ.
HIV/AIDS is one of the most pressing health problems of our time. Will you help us to show God’s grace to those who need it most?
* Name changed to protect her identity
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ABOUT ACET
ACET (Aids Care Education and Training) is a compassionate Christian response to HIV and AIDS. We work through an alliance of locally managed Christian organisations in over 20 countries. Each project works in a way that is appropriate to local needs, but all provide:
- Compassionate, unconditional care for all who are affected by HIV, regardless of how they came to be so. We take a stand against stigma and discrimination and encourage acceptance of those with HIV.
- Professional life-saving education which encourages healthy lifestyle choices to minimise the risk of HIV infection, and gives young people confidence to resist peer pressure.
- Training of volunteers through churches and other faith based organisations.
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