After a couple months of holiday, enjoying family and friends in the U.S., S.M.A. Lay Missionary Jen Viola returned to continue her mission service with the orphans in the Ilemela AIDS Outreach Program in Mwanza, Tanzania. When Jen tells of her ministry with the orphans, her energy and zeal for the well-being of the children is obvious as she speaks. Jen tells a touching story about a young man Peter.

We had a client, Peter, who tested positive for HIV and immediately came to register at Uzima Center. A few days later, Peter was feeling very ill and asked his family to help take him to the hospital. Because of limited means, they were not able to, at that time. After a few days, he was getting sicker and decided that he would come to us for help. Since Peter was poor, he had no bus fare, so he decided to walk from his village 15—20 miles away to our center. It was a two day trip. Jen mentioned that during his two-day journey, Peter was helped by some good Samaritans. They walked with him, shared their bread and helped carry his load.

He arrived on a Sunday afternoon, so no one was there to greet him. Luckily, the parish priest who lives next door found this person dying of AIDS on our steps, gave him food, and tracked down our nurse. She rushed him to the hospital in a taxi. Peter was suffering from not only HIV+, but Tuberculosis. Our nurse also works at that hospital, so she would check on him daily and bring him food (it is expected that family members bring food for the patient). His family was able to come to visit. After almost two weeks in the hospital, Peter died.

I am sad, and grateful at the same time, that Peter is a part of my life and he died surrounded by the love and care of the hospital staff, family and visitors from the Uzima Center. He wasn't even registered with us for a month but had enough faith to reach out to us for help.