Our road narrows to a track then becomes so sandy that we have to abandon the car and walk up an incline to a cluster of tidy homes built from sticks, mud and straw. Once it had been the home of one man, his five wives, and their 22 children. But now the father and four of his wives have died of AIDS, and the surviving wife cares for all 22 children. They tend a small garden, and she weaves grass mats to sell, but there’s never enough food for all of them.

	The Lulisandla Kumntwana coordinator visits the home where 22 orphans live with their caregiver. Their only source of income is a mat-weaving project; one mat is shown at lower left. Leanne Hardy photo

A coordinator from Lulisandla Kumntwana (“Reach Out to the Child”) visits regularly—-a point of hope and compassion for this AIDS-ravaged family. This time he brings a parcel of food and a little cash. As we enter the home, children bring mats for us to sit on. Other children farther away have heard the car and come running home. After proper greetings all around, we lead the family in singing a Christian song, and then we pray for them.

Before we leave, the mother tearfully thanks us, and then she makes a strange comment: “I hope God will choose me and my family.” We learn later that this family doesn’t attend church, and in fact had at first been highly suspicious of the Lulisandla Kumntwana team. Her wish to be “chosen by God” gives us hope that the love of Jesus, reflected to her by the LK coordinator, is drawing her to faith.

Two other orphaned families receive help and comfort from Thandazile (not her real name), a Lulisandla Kumntwana volunteer. She married young, regularly suffered brutal abuse by her husband, and bore eight children. While she was in the hospital for the last birth, her husband’s brothers murdered him and then tried to steal her property. During those terrible days, her mother became a Christian, and soon brought Thandazile to church and to faith.

From the bondage of depression and isolation, God has transformed her into a confident follower of Jesus. A 20-year-old brother heads one of the orphan families in her care. She helps with housework and gardening and, most important, tells them about God’s love. After a long time of seeing His love in action, they recently decided to “follow their ‘mother’ to her church.” We pray they will choose to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives.

Read more about the Lulisandla Kumntwana project in South Africa at www.hopeforaids.org.