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ELCA World Hunger first came intoAngel%u2019s life over 10 years ago, when shewas 7. Angel, who lives in Indonesia, wasborn with HIV and lost both her parentsto AIDS when she was very young. Inaddition to needing critical health care, Angel alsofaced discrimination. There have been cases ofchildren with HIV being rejected from schools inher community and of young people with HIV beingdismissed from jobs and expelled from churches.Angel%u2019s older sister, a high school student at thattime, went to her church%u2019s HIV and AIDS committeefor help. The Protestant Christian Batak Church is alongtime partner of ELCA World Hunger, and thanksto the generosity of donors such as you, the churchwas able to care for Angel through its AIDS ministry.The ministry helped provide everything Angelneeded to grow physically healthy: shelter, nutritiousfood and lifesaving medication. The program staffwho cared for her also provided the love and safetyshe needed to grow strong in confidence and spirit.They helped protect Angel from those who couldn%u2019tsee past her diagnosis. Support from donors such asyou gave Angel the chance to grow up surroundedby people who welcomed her as a child of God andan equal member of their community.Your generosity enables this ministry to care notonly for children such as Angel but also for peopleliving with HIV in later stages of life. As the kidsin the program become teenagers and then youngadults, they have access to mentoring programs,peer support groups,life skills training andthe other resourcesthey need to becomeconfident adults.Angel is 17 now, andELCA World Hungerhas stuck with herover the last decadethrough continued support ofthis ministry. Recently ELCA staff led a group ofdonors on a trip to Indonesia to see how theirgifts to ELCA World Hunger are at work there.One staff member recognized Angel from her firstappearance in %u201cLifeLines%u201d 10 years ago and askedwhat the ministry has meant to her. She sharedthat the AIDS ministry staff %u2014 whom she calls%u201cmothers%u201d %u2014 give her strength and hope. %u201cTheyalways support, protect and encourage me in everysituation,%u201d she says.When Angel graduates from high school, she says,%u201cI want to continue my education by majoring innursing to achieve my dream.%u201d Inspired by the careand support she has received, she hopes to care forothers like her.Through your generosity, you havewalked alongside people such asAngel over months, years and decades,answering God%u2019s call to recognize thedignity of all our neighbors.ELCA World Hunger supports health programs around the world where your gifts fundclinical care, maternal and child health, education of health professionals, and communityhealth care workers as they provide early screenings and education in disease prevention.A cycle ofcareHEALTHAngel (right) was firstfeatured in %u201cLifeLines%u201d in2014 (below).If you met Angel in Indonesia, you wouldn%u2019t knowthat she was different from any other 7-year-old girl.But Angel is living with HIV. At an even youngerage, she lost both of her parents to AIDS, and withno extended family or neighbors offering to takeher in, she was withoutAngel%u2019s a home. older sister, a young high school student,sought the support of her church%u2019s HIV and AIDS Committee.The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan %u2013 Protestant Christian BatakChurch %u2013 HIV and AIDS Committee, which is generouslysupported by your gifts to ELCA World Hunger, was able torespond to God%u2019s call to care.Sister Nurhayati, the committee%u2019s director, along withcolleagues Sister Oka and Edwin welcomed Angel into theirhearts and home. In their care, Angel is thriving. She is lovedand physically cared for, with each taking turns making sureshe receives her medication regularly. Angel%u2019s teachers reportthat she%u2019s doing very well and has many friends at schooland at the clinic.Your gifts allow the HIV and AIDS Committee to care forchildren like Angel by providing medical attention, adequatenutrition, and a supportive community so the children andtheir families can live sustainable lives. Your generosity alsohelps support the hospital where the HIV and AIDS Committeeworks and also partnering hospitals and programs around theworld in their efforts to educate, prevent and treat HIV andAIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases of poverty.Thank you for your commitment to ELCA World Hunger.Through you, those living with HIV and AIDS have a placewhere they can receive the support that they need to livefull, healthy lives.Huria Kristen Batak Protestan in Indonesiais one of many global companion churchesresponding to HIV and AIDS with local context, expertise and ingenuity. Yourgifts to ELCA World Hunger support aworldwide network of Lutheran churchesin the important work of identifying andtailoring solutions thatdisease, poverty, help to address and stigmaAngel%u2019sand globally. domestically wingswww.ELCA.org/hunger 9%u201cFor me, as long as there are peoplewith AIDS in this world, we cannot stopcaring for them. They know that there arehands of God to help. They know thatGod loves them so much. I love peoplewho are living with HIV and AIDS, too. Mother Teresa said, %u2018The world today ishungry, not only for bread but hungry forlove and to be recognized.%u2019%u201d %u2013 SISTER NURHAYATI4 | LifeLines