Our condolences to the family of uncle Ling who went home to be with Him - 09 August 2009, Uncle Ling’s health took a turn for the worst on Sat - 08 August 2009. Yet we are comforted that he had gone home to be with God in a far better place.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.”
Was with him in the hospital till he went home, comforting him that he will not die alone. We, the staff and residents at Crisis Home are humbled, we are able to provide him, two baths a day, three good meals and two snacks a day and getting plenty of rest and also time to watch some television movies. Please continue to pray for the other residents for a good recovery and respond to the HAART (HIV medications) prescribed and to help prevent illnesses and infections.
We would like to give all the glory to God for the great and wonderful times He has bless us in the month of June 2009 at Crisis Home.
Praise Report - June 2009
1. Thank you to the group of students from Lim Kok Wing University who came and did a documentary on HIV/AIDS education. This documentary will be shown to their fellow students and bring about awareness and knowledge to remove fear and discrimination toward individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
2. Thank you to the group of students from Inti College (Subang) who came to have lunch with us. They were able to learn more on HIVAIDS by speaking with the residents and received teaching session that was conducted.
3. Thank you to the 4 students and staff from Fellowship of Evangelical Students (FES) for the opportunity they had been exposed to the work at Crisis Home - caring for individuals living with HIV. It was a great experience for them.
4. Thank you to our friends from Port Klang Methodist Church (Chinese) for their monthly visit and cooking some western meal for us. They brought along abundance of durians and rambutans.
5. Praise God for Jeff and Ling who had opened their heart and accepted God as their Lord and Saviour.
6. Praise God for Wong and Fei who has completed their treatment for tuberculosis (TB) and has been given a clean bill of health from the doctor.
7. Praise God for Wai whose immune system level has risen from CD4 of 3 to a higher CD4 of 166.
Prayer Request - July 2009
1. Prayer for all the residents and staffs for their health and growth in the Lord.
2. Pray for Jeff who has been hospitalised and for doctor to save his eye sight.
3. Pray for Ling whose red blood cell count is low.
4. Pray for Wai, Fei and Chai’s baptism.
5. Prayer for the students from Inti College (Subang) who will be coming to conduct interviews and write stories of the residents. Pray that their testimonies will be a blessing to the general public who read it.
6. Pray for our sharing session on HIV education in the homelife groups of Subang Jaya Assemblies Of God Church as part of their Mission Month emphasis.
7. Pray for God to provide all our need of foodstuffs, supplements and finance.
God bless and thank for all your support.
Prayer Requests:
1. That God will use me as I long to make a contribution to His work
2. That God will provide a new and better place for us as we set up another home when we downsize the present Crisis Care Home.
3. That the staff, residents and I will continue to develop healthy relationships
4. A group of students from Lim Kok Wing University as they come on 5 June 2009 and learn together and do a documentary as we look forward to mobilize a holistic and more effective response to the challenges of today’s HIV pandemic.
4. A group of students from Evangelical Students (FES) www.fes.org.my as they do an attachment / internship with Crisis Care Home from 17 to 19 June 2009
5. A group of students from INTI University College as they come on 20 June 2009 for HIV/AIDS education and awareness
6. Pray for Ling and Jeff who is sick and not getting better
Thank you so much for your prayers. If you would like to write to me, I’d enjoy hearing from you. I trust that by God’s grace and your prayers, June 2009 will be a profitable one for His glory.
Together We Are The Solution
It has been a year now since (City Hall) served us notice to move out or face a fine of up to RM50,000.00 and a daily compound of RM500.00. They came again on 18 May 2009 and informed us (Crisis Care Home) to move out from our premises. The reasons being some structures we put up for the ease of our residents and the residents association do not agree to what we are doing - caring for individuals living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis in Crisis Care Home. For the past year we have written many appeals and certain public figures has also appealed on our behalf.
Crisis Care Home has been a home for 171 residents since 2003. Majority are referred from the Government Hospital because of their condition, homeless, full-blown AIDS and needing 24 x 7 cares. Many are physically challenged and have opportunistic diseases like tuberculosis, pneumonia, meningitis, psychiatric problem etc caused by the HIV virus but with treatment from hospital and the care they received at the home many has since recovered and has since returned to society. While they were at the home, they are exposed to education and awareness on HIV and how to prevent from spreading the virus.
We have tried many people & avenue but it is a very sensitive issue. Town council knows it is very sensitive to evict just based on what we are doing. Town council needs us to get approval on the structure set up. They have also come and fine us for petty things like breeding mosquito larvae etc.
We have an architecture bro to help us draw up the plan for submission but we need the landlord to sign & approve for submission with all the cost bear by Crisis Care Home. The landlord is not willing to sign.
We need to find a place to build up the home. Question is will the residents in the places we are going to, will welcome and allowed us to be there. With fear it has brings about discrimination.
There is a great need to bring about awareness & education on HIV/AIDS and knowledge on individuals living with HIV/AIDS. “Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”
Crisis Care Home will not fight the council but consider moving to a more “suitable place”. The owner does not want any trouble/publicity. She was uneasy when town council and the residents association called her and we respect her decision. Anyway, we have decided to dismantle the structure.
Crisis Care Home is the home for 16 residents of whom 7 are physically challenged (OKU) and 2 are senior citizens (warga emas). They are here because they are homeless with no family to care for them. We are a charity shelter home and not a commercials business home.
In Malaysia People Living With HIV/AIDS do not have a shelter home provided by the government. Most of these homes are run voluntary and supported by the public donations. There is no special home for us to go.
Crisis Care Home is kept clean & tidy to the best of our ability. We have not caused disturbance to the neighbourhood.
All of the residents are on HAART (treatment for HIV/AIDS) provided by the Sg Buloh General Hospital and referred from the hospital to the home for ease of transportation to the hospital. If we are to move to another place, it will create problems to their treatment.
People Living With HIV/AIDS faces discrimination and are rejected by the local community. It needs to be overcome together in providing support and care is a “local community environment” so that the responsibility of care can be share together. “Together, we are the solution”
Thanks for all your help. God bless
International AIDS Memorial Day 2009 is on the 17th of May this year. It is our opportunity to remember the 12,000 people who have dies from HIV/AIDS in Malaysia. It is also a good opportunity for us to show support and encouragement for those living with HIV and the communities most affected by HIV.
HIV is threatening many like never before. Globally, children under 15 account for 1 in 6 AIDS-related deaths and 1 in 7 new global HIV infections. A child under 15 dies of an AIDS-related illness every minute of every day, a young person aged 15 to 24 gets infected with HIV every 15 seconds while 15 million children are already orphaned by AIDS.
More than twenty years into the AIDS epidemic and HIV/AIDS shows no signs of weakening its grip on human society. The number of children, adolescents and young people in the path of the pandemic and at risk and in need of protection continues to rise daily.
AIDS is depriving many of their human rights – of the care, love and affection of their parents; of their teachers and other role models; of education and options for the future; and of protection against exploitation and abuse.
In Malaysia, new HIV infections are doubling every three years with an average of 17 people testing HIV-positive daily. Of the 84,630 people already infected in Malaysia as of December 2008, almost forty (40) per cent occur in young people below the age of 29. Perhaps the biggest challenge that is facing Malaysia is that people are still largely unaware about the disease, resulting in high-risk behaviours, stigma and discrimination.
This year the theme of International AIDS Memorial Day is “Together, We Are The Solution”. This reflects the facts that we all have a personal responsibility to combat HIV/AIDS and it is only by working together that we will be successful.
There is a great need to help the residents and I welcome any suggestion and help that are available. HIV/AIDS can give a negative effects to the residents. The most visible effects are those of psychology, economy and their health. Even with much caring HIV/AIDS still takes it’s toll. Effects include collapsed life, collapse of social relationship, loss of employment and livelihood, not to mention the emotional toll it takes on them. Emotional reactions often shown are shock, disbelief, worrying, relationship complications, prolonged grieving and aggressiveness.
“When you invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind and you would be blessed”
The residents of Crisis Home was invited for a movie outing together with pop corns and soft drinks by our friends Fauziah, Roslan and Ben from PT Foundation. We had a great and enjoyable time watching a local comedy movie “Talentime”. There was joy in their hearts, laughter in their voices and smile on their faces.
Thank you to our friends from PT Foundation for inviting the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Although we would not be able to pay them back, God assured that they would be blessed and that God would reward them.
God loves the less fortunate. He invites us to love them by opening up our hearts and homes. Opening up our hearts and homes blesses both us and others. We are all here by His Grace and Love.
The most effective weapon you have against HIV is knowledge — understanding how the virus progresses and operates, learning how to monitor your health and staying informed of your treatment options - this is an important step in taking charge of your own health.
Equally as important is emotional support — from friends, family or a group. An opportunity to interact with people who are going through or have been through a similar experience is invaluable.
Many people continue to live healthy, happy lives more than 10 years after testing positive for HIV. The bottom line is that testing positive for HIV is not a death sentence. Treating your body well, following your doctor’s instructions and maintaining good mental health are simple steps you can take to manage your health. Different things work for different people — find out what works for you and do it.
I fully support Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s criticism of smokers (New Straits Times March 28, 2009).
We all know that smoking is a health hazard, so I hope smokers will heed Nik Aziz’s advice and seriously consider giving up this dangerous habit.
(New Straits Times March 28, 2009). KOTA BARU: Muslims who portray their Islamic image by wearing robes and skullcaps, but smoke, are more despicable than cows, Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said yesterday.
He said cigarette smoking was banned in Islam, and doctors, because the habit was hazardous to health.
“For example, a cow which defecates in the middle of the road, (we) cannot take legal action against it because it has no brain and cannot think. But human beings, who have brains, for them to do something which is wrong in religion and health-wise, what more when they are in an attire which symbolises Islam (wearing of skullcaps and robes), they can be regarded as being more despicable than cows,” he said in his weekly religious talk here.
Thank you for your prayer. There has been good report from the residents and you has encouraged them. This is from their sharing about their health.
1. Wai (CD4 is 3). He was having pain and difficulties to walk. He is able to walk better now and the leg is not so painful now. Even though his CD4 is at a critical level and virus load is still very high (536) he has a very good appetite and has gain a lot of weight. The virus has affected his brain but he is very much stable and alert now.
2. Fei (CD4 is 53). He was having TB of the stomach and has very bad stomach pain. He is now helping to drive the van to bring the residents for their hospital appointment. He is recovering from an operation to remove part of his large intestine.
3. Chai (CD4 is 66). He was having pain and difficulties to walk. He is able to walk better now and the leg is getting stronger but still not so stable.
4. Rajoo (CD4 is 229). He is our oldest residents age 64 years old. He was having ache all over his body but is getting better physically.
5. Kanna (CD4 is 320). He is feeling weak for the past 2 weeks.
6. Wong (CD4 is 441) He is 56 years old and was having pain in his both his legs and was losing weight due to poor appetite. The pain is his legs is not so bad now and his appetite is back to normal.
7. Yap (CD4 is 162). He is blind because of the effect of the virus. He is also feeling depressesd because hs CD4 level has dropped from a high of 320 to 162 this month and suspected to heart problem. Has encouraged him to keep on praying.
8. Lim (CD4 is 320) He was having a very bad cough due to asthma and his lung has been badly damaged that the doctor cannot do anything about it. He is beginning to breath better now.
9. Meng (CD4 is 385) He was readmitted to Crisis Care Home because his family was not able to care for him.
10. Hee (CD4 is 187) He has been in hospital since September 2007 but he is helping to be a peer support for the new patients in the ward.
11. Thong - He was having joint pain on his right hand but has recovered now.
12. Yen - He was having pain walking but is getting better now.
13. Luke - He is our youngest resident (17 years old). Seeking for a vocational training for him to learn a skill.
Thank you for your support