G8 warned of ‘moral betrayal’ over AIDS funding

This article makes it all the more critical that we keep at fundraising for HIV/AIDS work!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/g8-g20/africa/g8-warned-of-moral-betrayal-over-aids-funding/article1583868/ 
Full article included below. 

G8 warned of ‘moral betrayal’ over AIDS funding
Summit’s emphasis on maternal health will mean little, critics say, without funding for treatment of one of the world’s leading killers of women
Geoffrey York
Johannesburg — From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Friday, May. 28, 2010 4:04AM EDT Last updated on Friday, May. 28, 2010 8:04AM EDT
While the G8 is putting maternal health at the top of its agenda for next month’s summit, fears are growing that the club of wealthy nations is neglecting one of the biggest killers of women: AIDS.
Many of the biggest Western donors are freezing or reducing their budgets for AIDS treatment, leaving nine million people at growing risk of death because they cannot get medicine, including six million in Africa alone, activists say.

Hi everyone! Well, 6 concerts, 530 people in total attendance, and just over 400 cds sold! It's been a great couple of weeks singing and promoting MCC's work with HIV/AIDS, hopefully raising awareness, and raising money for the work of MCC's partners. Thanks to everyone who came out and showed their support, hopefully enjoyed the music, bought cds, and donated money. Quite apart from the fun we have had, the issue is so critical and dire. Funding for HIV/AIDS is declining worldwide, from big governments and organizations, to individual donors. People are suffering even more, and no longer receiving the treatment they so desperately need.

I was caught off guard by a comment a few weeks ago by someone who said they didn't like AIDS, and would not give money to support the Generations Program, because "all of those people are just screwing around." Makes me want to weep. AIDS is far more complicated than unhealthy relationship choices. Rape has become a tool of war. Women and young girls are at such great risk. Poverty and hunger drive women to make awful choices to make sure that their children are fed. Cultural practices such as polygamy complicate the issue further. And so many more complexities in the crisis that is AIDS. And people that are suffering from no fault of their own, are stigmatized and left to suffer. It is tragic. But we know that there is also hope and amazing work happening around the world with MCC partners, and we want to continue to support them as much as we can.

We have met so many folks that have encouraged us to continue to raise awareness and money to support the work of Generations. Thank you!

Kim

Calgary Release Concert!

Hi everyone! We had a great time at Foothills! The gym was packed with friends and family! There was great food, lovely decorations, and hopefully some good music too! I find it way more nerve wracking singing in front of people I know, so tonight I think I hit the top in terms of nerves and stress...sorry Darryl and Jonny. But people seemed to enjoy themselves. On a couple of tunes we had Megan Enns, Heather Schellenberg, Rachel Braul and Jesse Thiessen join us. They, plus another 5 or 6 people, are on the cd on two tracks...The House and With My Own Two Hands. It was great fun to have them with us tonight!

Joseph called us today. It was so good to visit with him again. When he called he was having a late supper with Elizabeth and her family. After exchanging greetings, he told us about his week. The budget for the AIDS program in Najile is spent. They have no money to take on more patients, particularly those in the second stage of AIDS, who require more intensive care and treatment. So, on Joseph's regular rounds of walking and visiting clients, he was told about a man who was abandoned by his family because he had AIDS, and was living, suffering, on his own. Joseph decided to check in on him. Tepipe was very ill, and needed immediate treatment. Joseph spent much of the week with him, caring for him, getting home most nights long after midnight. He managed to take him to Nairobi on Friday. After being turned away at one hospital because of the cost of treatment, Joseph found a public hospital that was willing to give Tepipe a blood transfusion. Joseph will go to Nairobi tomorrow to visit him. I told him that the work he is doing is so good, so important, and hard. He said to me that God calls us to serve, but sometimes serving can be very complicated and difficult. The barriers that Joseph and the GAR staff and clients face are huge. Today Joseph challenged, moved, and inspired us again to do what we can to continue to raise awareness and money to support not only his work in Najile, but MCC partners worldwide who are involved in such critical work with AIDS. Humbling.

Calgary and Didsbury next!

Yup, Foothills Mennonite in Calgary this Saturday at 7:00pm.  Join us. Jonny G is coming with to provide vocals, viola and mandolin (if we can find one for him in Calgary).

Then it's out to the country for a show in Didsbury... the start time is 5:00pm, with a meal. Then on to the music.

Good Times

It really was fun to have a few extra folks join us.  JP, Joey, Julia, Clare...

Me again. I forgot to thank the students from Westgate Mennonite Collegiate, who spent a Saturday evening serving and cleaning, when they could have been at a birthday party! Thanks to all of you for being a part of the evening!

Hi everyone! Well, day 3, concert 3, and another amazing evening with folks that are so kind, affirming and bought a whack of cds! Tonight we had our cd release concert at Douglas Mennonite in Winnipeg. We think about 325 people came. They enjoyed the most amazing array of tortes, hummous, and other goodies! The organizers, bakers, setterr-uppers, and taker-downers were incredible, just as in Brandon and Morden. And then there were the musicians...this evening we had the great pleasure of having on stage with us Joey Penner on bass, John Paul Peters on key board, violin and electric guitar, Jonny Guenter on viola, mandolin and vocals, Julia Kasdorf on vocals, and Clare Schellenberg on banjo and vocals. What a treat it was to sing with them and enjoy the amazing music they made!

Grace Mennonite in Brandon, Morden Mennonite, Douglas Mennonite...thank you to everyone who organized the events and hosted us so well. We are grateful and humbled by the support and welcome and affirmation of our music. And what is most gratifying is the money that is being raised for people like Joseph to continue the amazing work that they are doing.

Tomorrow Steinbach!

Thanks everyone!

Kim

Morden

A great reception in Morden, Manitoba.  Little kids dancing in the front. The Bare Yogis opened up the evening with a set of classic rock hits. We slowed it all down with our future folk hits.  Good times. Big thanks to Harold Hildebrand-Schlegel and Stephanie Dueck, pastors at Morden Mennonite for getting the ball rolling and then all the folks who picked it up and ran.

First concert in Brandon

Kim and I had a very nice time in Brandon: A lovely turnout and very warm reception. Arnold Hildebrand and the folks at Grace Mennonite put on a very nice event including three song opening act, Peter Letkeman: a retired chemistry professor who loves country gospel.

What are all those words on the CD cover?

What, you can't read them?  (see the cover here)
OK, so they're a bit small... but they're good. It's a description Kim wrote up of the theme: "Take Your Place" and it's worth a read.