September 10

God before me

Take my life

“I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”
Psalm 118:17 (NIV)

After I arrived in Lesotho (leh-SUE-too), I began volunteering at an
orphanage. One child, B., instantly captured my heart. Her mother,
who was HIV positive, suffered from tuberculosis (TB) during and
after B.’s birth. Therefore, the child was exposed to TB and HIV at
birth. After her mother’s death, she came to the orphanage.
One day, I walked in the playroom to find B. crying. I picked her
up and playfully raised her above my head. Suddenly, mucus fell from
her nose and into my eye. Fear swept over me, as I knew I had just been
exposed to HIV. The chances of transmission were slim, but I was still
terrified.

The following days were filled with blood tests and the start of antiretroviral
medications. I called on my Savior for peace of mind. At first,
I only wanted answers from God. “Do I have HIV?” “How will my
parents react?” “Why is this happening?” I had watched many people
suffer from AIDS, and I wasn’t sure if I could do it.
After days in prayer, my attitude transitioned to a desire to see God
glorified. Once again, I surrendered my life to His will for me.
Weeks later, B.’s test results returned. She was HIV negative! I rejoiced
with her, grateful to the Lord of hosts—not only for knowing
that B. was HIV negative, but that I was also.

It took this experience to help me understand what most Africans
go through emotionally and spiritually. “Take my life and let it be consecrated,
Lord, to Thee.”

—Amy, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa

Lord, “take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Take my moments and
my days. Let them flow in ceaseless praise.” Thank You that You protected this
young missionary from AIDS. Protect other missionaries in Africa who work
with the HIV-positive. Amen.

Next day