SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

Dear Friends,

To hope is to know pain yet allow love and joy.

I am going to share with you a few insights of the lives of our children:

Our children - your children and mine, those infected by HIV/AIDS and those who care for them everyday take on an enormous task: physical, mental, psychological, and social. None of these is less significant than the others.

A few of the experiences that our children, and their families may experience are: disfigurement resulting from certain opportunistic diseases, i.e. cancer or serious wasting of the body, sometimes called Thin Disease; dependency on medication for children, more medical care than a young body normally can endure; limitation of developmentally appropriate functioning due to disease and medications.

As you know there is no cure. Life spans often are longer now but death still comes early. Many of our children, in addition to facing their own death, have lost one or more parents or family members. HIV/AIDS children who should be delightedly self-absorbed by friendships, video games, constant eating, sports, dancing, education and future plans are instead grieving, encountering great stress, absorbing an initial diagnosis and sometimes required to live the lie that parents choose in lieu of isolation and the certain stigma that follows community awareness.

The great British scholar, C. S. Lewis, used a phase about life: "surprised by joy." In the most difficult of situations, he learned that sometimes things can occur to distract sorrow. We of REACH recently observed that truth.

Over the Labor Day week, REACH Camp brought children infected by HIV/AIDS and family members together with REACH staff, with a cadre of professionals, college students from across the nation and community volunteers where all were marvelously saturated in and distracted by joy. Camp. Fun. Love, hope and courage won the day, filled the hearts of those accustomed to sorrow and grief.

Children and the family of REACH danced, played hard, received education and supported each other with the continued assurance of safety and confidence.

Thank you for making REACH Camp a reality and I can tell you with certainty that what you invest in REACH has wonderful far-reaching consequences. That is why I tolerate fatigue, why we at REACH spend more energy than we actually have –for our children, their families and the communities in which they live.

I do not hesitate to ask you to give generously to REACH and to pray for our volunteers. They and the staff of REACH daily give of their lives serving Christ often in conflict, darkness and tragedy, but are challenged by their service experiences to go out to attempt great things for God to bring joy to a world in need.

Sincerely,

Susan K. Slonaker

Please help the children with a gift of $25, $50, $100 or more. Give online, through the United Way, at your workplace with matching funds and with the Combined Funds Drive www.cfd.wa.gov/ REACH's charity code is #1478845.