Brrrrrrrown Baaaaaag.

Hey hey, you guys!  How are things going there?  I hear it's cold and windy and snowy.  No lie, I'm pretty jealous.  Enjoy it, be happy for it, take lots of pictures in it - because when you celebrate Christmas next year, you may be in a place where it is completely different.

For this brown bag letter, I'd like to tell you about the place where I'm working.  It's called the House of Resurrection, and it's an AIDS Haven.  It's like a nursing home, except it's for people who have AIDS.  The patients live there, sleep there, eat there, everything.  I just started working at The Haven about a month ago, so I'm still learning the ins and outs of the place, but I've really enjoyed my work so far. They have about 10 or 15 adults that live there, and a lot of children - all under the age of 12, I would guess.  Some of the kids are really very sick, and the secretary said the reason they don't have older kids is because they just simply don't live that long.  What a huge reminder that life is not to be wasted.

I've been working in the nursery with the babies, which is both challenging and fun.  There are 2 girls and 5 boys that stay in the nursery, and they are all at different levels of health.  The Haven is for children and adults who have gone into the hospital because they've gotten sick and are HIV-positive, but they can't take care of themselves.  Some of the babies and the kids are AIDS orphans, but most (if not all) of them are HIV-positive.  There's one baby boy who is a year and a half old, and he just came in a few weeks ago.  His forearm is the width of my thumb - he's very sick.  Everytime I see him, I think of how fragile life is, and how dangerous the consequences of our actions can be.  Amazing how little Lusipho can make me think twice about how I affect people.  He won't even remember me.

I have learned a lot from working at The Haven.  I think the first thing I learned there is that kids are kids, no matter where they are, no matter how sick they are.  Babies cry for the same reasons all over the world.  Kids steal toys from each other no matter what they're playing with, and they'll always find a way to entertain themselves.  It's amazing, and I just know that God created them to be that way.  The second thing I learned is that people in this world need a lot of love, and to stop giving is not an option.  For example, my second day of working in the nursery, the head nurse left me alone with the seven babies.  ("Babies" meaning anywhere from a year to three years old.)  They were hungry and cranky and their Barney tape was over, and I had no clue what to do.  Three of them were crying, one was holding onto my leg for dear life, two needed to be changed, and the other one was somehow sleeping through it all.  They each needed attention in a different way, but I couldn't give them everything they needed at once.  What I wanted to do was sit down and relax for a second, but there was no way I could do that to them.  They needed things!  So what did I do?  Loaded up as many as I could in my arms (and the one on my leg!) and went down the hall to get help.

Working at The Haven has taught me a lot about God.  He is so huge, so infinite, that He can give each of us exactly what we need without thinking twice.  He doesn't have to think about which one of us comes before the other - our needs all matter.  Our needs are all the same.  My needs are the same as the needs of the people who stay at The Haven.  Your needs are the same as the needs of the person next to you.  They all matter equally to God.  He loves us all equally.  He chose us, He wants us.  He wants to take care of our needs.  Do we let Him?

How often do we grab onto Him, hang onto His hand for dear life?

Some days at The Haven are very difficult.  To tell you otherwise would be lying.  But that's how it goes in ministry, especially when you work with people who are very broken and very sick.  I'm thankful beyond words for the opportunity that God has given me to work at the AIDS Haven, and I'm thankful that He has the wisdom and amazing sense of timing to use others to teach me what I can't seem to teach myself.

May God use someone to teach you big lessons this week.  Please don't stress out too much while they form the teams - it really will be okay.  That I can promise you.  God is going to take care of everything.  He's got this one.

I love you guys, and I am praying for you from PE.

-Tara.

[Shout outs.]

To Cassey - I saw some of your videos on Facebook.  You are cray-cray!  And...I'm still praying.  If you need to talk, you know where I am.  PS: I would have been totally stoked about the concert too.  :)

To SBH - I really like that Sandi Thom song.  Like, really!  We've been listening to it every morning.  And getting it stuck in our heads...every morning.  Thank you!  I'm glad it makes you think of me.

To Jedda - I really like your name.  Let's talk sometime, hey?

To Rachel - I miss you and your smile.

To Sommer - Let's go camping sometime!  Like in GV!  I'll bring the chocolate and you bring the marshmallows.  Whaddaya say?

To Kristen Pope - Remember during Camp Adventure when I was trying to do our devo at night and I kept getting text messages from a certain boy?  Oh good grief!  Haha, what a time.

To Matt Hoadley - I'm still waiting on Skype!  Where you be?

To Lily - If I were there in Lubbs, I would snuggle with you.  You can be my mom anytime.  ;)

To Patty-Pat-Pat, Ralph, and Sunshine Barb - I love you guys, and I'm so glad you went to Italy.  I hope you ate lots of good food and had a great time.  Feel like taking a little road trip down to the RSA?  I miss you over here.  (PS: Kris, I still can't remember which one you are and which one I am!  Oh I have issues.)

To all the rest - Hang in there, have a great week, and read 2 Thessalonians 3.1-5.  It really helped me out.  Stay strong, stay in the Word, and take care of each other.