Afraid to break the silence

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9

Pastor R recently buried his wife. Only a few days earlier, he and his wife had learned they were both HIV-positive -- and that his wife had full-blown AIDS. She realized this news was a death sentence, so instead of using additional family resources, she stopped eating and died. The pastor admits having had two moral lapses and believes that is how he and his wife contracted HIV. Their families, who are not Christians, abandoned them upon learning the news. R must now care for his three children alone while he deals with his own illness. He is telling people his wife died of cancer rather than break the shameful silence surrounding AIDS.

* Pray that West African pastors will not be afraid to confront the epidemic.
* Pray that pastors will be honest about the effect it is having on their churches.