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December 2001
Goodness is stronger than evil, love is stronger than hate,
light is stronger than darkness, life is stronger than death,
victory is ours through Him who loved us.
Desmond Tutu
Dear Friends,
November 24th, I opened my eyes to the first glow of morning
seen through the window of the airplane. "Dawn over Africa,"
I thought. "The first of many as I begin to look at this
continent as home." As the day became lighter, my thoughts
went to the events…well perhaps not events but the shifts
and movements in my life that had brought me to be here somewhere
over the Sudan on my way to a conference in Nairobi, Kenya.
In late January of 2001 I packed up to come to the United States
for a year as missionary-in-residence with the International Health
Ministries Office of the Worldwide Ministries Division (WMD).
I looked forward to a year of change, challenges, and new ideas.
What I had not figured on was getting sick at the end of February.
By April we were still not able to figure out what was wrong so
I returned to my parents’ home in California for more tests.
By the end of June it was finally diagnosed and treated and the
doctors gave me permission to return to Louisville at the end
of July. While sick and recovering, I discovered the wonders of
e-mail and working remotely from home.
Upon returning to Louisville, the work was the change, the challenge,
and the new ideas that I had hoped it would be. It was also gratifying
to talk to people in Presbyterian churches who are concerned about
the HIV/AIDS situation around the world and to work with others
in the WMD thinking about what it is that Presbyterians can do
to make a difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters
in partner churches throughout the world.
Through this time of learning more about how HIV is affecting
people throughout the world and sharing the work of the Christian
Church of Thailand’s AIDS ministry in Chiang Mai, a position
came open in Africa, the HIV/AIDS consultant for our Presbyterian
partner churches in southern and east Africa. I must confess that
God truly works in mysterious ways that I, who am hip deep in
Asia since forever, would even consider the position, much less
accept it, with great confidence that this is what I need to be
doing now. I realize that I will have a lot to learn moving from
my childhood home to a place I have never seen before and working
with people whose customs, traditions, and languages are completely
unfamiliar to me. That is part of the challenge and the excitement,
though, because I do believe that what I have learned over the
years of working with HIV/AIDS is something that the churches
may be able to make use of. At this time, I am planning to take
up residence in South Africa in May where I will be hosted by
the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa and living
somewhere between Johannesburg and Pretoria. (Johannesburg has
very good air connections to other parts of the continent.)
For those of you who are wondering about the "really important"
things, Christopher Robin, my Labrador retriever, has spent this
year with a good friend in Chiang Mai, as it seemed it would be
too much to bring him to the U.S. for a year. However, when I
go back to pack up my house and bring some closure to my work
in Chiang Mai (work at the AIDS ministry is going well and will
do fine without me), I will pick him up and we will move to South
Africa together.
It seems that this letter would not be complete without some
comment on the September 11th incident. I must confess that after
the original shock and horror, I found myself surprised by the
sense among the people at large that something like this could
not happen in the U.S. A few days after the attack, my uncle sent
me the quote from Desmond Tutu I put at the beginning of this
letter. Perhaps one of the hardest things to remember through
all the confusion and disruptions is that what was the Truth before
the attack continues to be true even though many things have changed.
"Goodness (still) is stronger than evil, love is stronger
than hate, light is stronger than darkness and life is stronger
than death." As difficult and incongruous as this seems,
it continues to be a truth that we must live by.
The meeting in Nairobi was for church leaders as they worked
to strategize about the next steps for their churches in the face
of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. I felt honored to be there, to listen
to their thoughts and a bit humbled to think that in the economy
of God it was not "us" and "them" but "we,"
as brothers and sisters in God’s family, who must face this
challenge together.
Upon returning from Nairobi, I came back to my parents’
home for surgery the following week. The hysterectomy was nothing
urgent, just something that needed to be done before going back
overseas. As I write, I am grateful that I have been recovering
as quickly as I have and that, besides the tiredness, which I
know will go away, and some soreness that is to be expected a
week after surgery, all is going well.
And then there is the never-ending question of how and where
to get in touch with me … I will be in Louisville until about
the 10th of February. The address there is:
2400 Mellwood Ave. Apt. 1313
Louisville, KY 40206
After the first week of February mail should be sent to me at
my parents’ home:
1420 Santo Domingo Ave.
Duarte, CA 91010
They will be able to forward mail to me even after I leave the
US in March. As soon as I get a new permanent address I will let
you know. However, my e-mail address will not change so please
note, this is my email address:
jguyer@pobox.com
And so this year I will celebrate Christmas here in Duarte with
my parents. Together we will remember that "Love is stronger
than hate, Light is stronger than darkness and Life is stronger
than death" and be glad. May your days be filled with this
Light, Love and Life.
Blessings,
Janet Guyer
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 172
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