Paa Aree’s husband died from an AIDS-related illness fifteen years ago. Being left a widow meant that she had to bring up her 6 year old daughter, Gate-see, single-handed. This was extremely difficult. Three years later, life became even more difficult as she herself ended up very ill and in hospital. Other than the weekend visits from her daughter which she treasured, she didn’t have many visitors at all. Gate-see was the only ray of hope in her life.
However, one day, someone did come to visit her. He seemed to understand how she felt, including her fears about the future. He told her that he knew many other people who were also HIV positive and were getting so much better now that they were taking anti-retroviral medication regularly. Later he also told her about Jesus, who could give her new hope for the future. This was her first contact with the ACET Thailand’s Singburi team!
Today Paa Aree’s face is radiant. How did this come about? Paa Aree, and Gate-See (now 21 years old) came to faith in Jesus. Once a month Paa Aree hosts a church meeting in her simple home attended by local Christians - some of whom are also HIV positive. Paa Aree’s life has been transformed from being full of fear and despair to being full of hope for the future.