On Thursday mornings I get up at an unearthly hour to go and spend a few hours at the HIV hospice in the centre of Johannesburg. Over the last five months we have done various activities with the patients there, from dominos and Jenga to biscuit decorating, making Christmas crackers, mug painting and creating works of art to put on he walls.

Some of the patients were so sick when we first arrived. One lady was really weak, with no energy to talk or sit up. But now she joins in with whatever we are doing and has the most fantastic sense of humour and infectios laugh ever! Another guy there has just become so much more chatty now and is so happy to see us. Another of the ladies has been struggling a lot recently with illness but is now getting better. But the best news is that all of these amazing people have been discharged from the main hospice into out patients!

There is a lady who stays at the hospice who is a teacher from Zimbabwe. She arrived in December and has always been so enthusiastic and pleased to see us and join in whatever we are doing. Yesterday she wrote us such a lovely letter, saying thank you for all our love and care for her over the last few weeks. It struck me so strongly just how much I will miss all of these guys and I wonder what will be in their futures!

I’m so glad we have been able to spend time with these wonderful people and make even a small difference to them. But will they ever know what they have done for me? The sense of hope that each person there has is truly inspirational. One of the things that I will always remember is the children’s room. On the wall above the beds of these kids with HIV are the following signs.
“Jesus loves me.”
“God is my friend and keeper.”
“I am very special to God.”
Amen to that!