Most people in Africa struggle each day to live in horribly difficult circumstances. They live in the shadow of a vicious killer. They live and die with AIDS.

The enemy is everywhere but most acutely felt in sub-Saharan African where the disease has propagated the longest. The number of victims is staggering. Almost 9,000 people die each day in Africa from AIDS or the infections that slip past the victim’s compromised immune system. That is almost three times the number of people who died in the twin towers in New York - people with names, faces, dreams and families.

The impact on family life is devastating. Thirteen million young children are living on the street today. The World Health Organizations predicts that number will grow to 43 million by the end of the decade.

Through this tragedy of historic proportions, God is calling us to show what we are made of as believers. He is inviting us to demonstrate that we have understood Jesus’ message and that we have heard the cry of the poor.