WAD or World AIDS Day was celebrated officially yesterday
and some sectors with HIV and AIDS advocacy are still celebrating it this week.
Information, activities, updates and news on this were all over in all forms of
media. It’s good to see that many are still getting involved in preventing the
spread of HIV. I just wish that more faith based organization specifically
churches will be also part of this and do their role not just in awareness and
prevention but also in waning off, if not completely eradicating the HIV and
AIDS-related stigma and discrimination.
Being a part of “Channels of Hope” or CoH movement that
motivates and equips churches on this issue, I still believe that if they got
more involve and strengthen the values and principle of “kingdom living”
especially to young people, it would make a huge difference.
Last Friday and yesterday, I was in New Buswang, Kalibo,
Aklan to conduct CoH workshop for a group of young people who are all HIV
advocates and peer educators. This was the first time where all my participants
were 95% youth with ages from 20 and below. I was even surprised to have two 11
years old who have participated and was a bit worried though how this workshop,
with all the information and learning, will affect their very young minds.
Honestly, I have never done this activity with participants as young as them
for they are still children and could have been in a workshop of this kind with
different approach designed for their age!
Well, I got no choice but to facilitate the event and opted
to ask assistance from the older members of the group to guide them thoroughly.
Working with young people is truly amazing with all their energy and inquisitive
minds and behavior; it was just infectious that I only felt the wooziness after
the two-day event. Based on their feedback, they were all just blessed and so
happy to be part of this experiential and life changing learning! It was also
their first time to see personally a person living with HIV in me. For them CoH
is totally a whole new different experience and I am just glad that we have all
enjoyed.
In the morning, I was invited to be a guest at their local
TV program “Kapihan sa Aklan” hosted by Edwin Ramos. They were also celebrating
the WAD and I was there to share my involvement and experience in this
advocacy. UNTV and also a media person from GMA 7 who used to be one of my
participants were there and asked me to give a brief message to their viewers.
This TV guesting, sharing a bit of my life and showing myself to their viewers
was the first time for me. And the best part of this, I was able to tell the
people that our life must be live for Him and only then we can find the true
meaning and purpose of this life He have given to all of us, and only through
God that I am able to do all of this. I just prayed that whoever will see me on
these interviews would be blessed and this will open the way for me to do this
ministry more freely and publicly in God’s perfect timing.
I really thank God for making all these things happen and
assuring me of His presence and guidance everywhere I go and whatever I do in
His name. Living this life for God through Jesus Christ makes it truly awesome
and great! All the praises and honor goes to Him.
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