JANUARY 2, 2005

Dear Friends,

"PEOPLE GET READY, THERE'S A TRAIN A 'COMIN, you don't need no baggage, just get on board... all you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin' ... so go the lyrics to a great gospel blues song. Perhaps never before in the history of knowledge about disease has it been more necessary as a community to join the fight against the ravages of HIV/AIDS; especially against the harm it brings to children.

The United Nations Children's Agency this month stated that "children face dire threats," that governments are failing the more than one billion threatened young people. REACH believes that the amount of energy and the resources we invest in the children of our very own communities reflects our heart for children around the world.

The UNCA report findings are heartbreaking, causing me to weep. A conservative figure states that almost half a million children under the age of 15 died of AIDS in 2003, while another 630,000 children were infected with HIV. It may surprise you that the greatest 'disease' we confront in our work is the reaction of isolation, apathy, and a dismissive attitude toward people suffering HIV/AIDS; toward a scourge seemingly beyond correction even within the church community. The impact reveals far too thoroughly that many people refuse to touch, to dialogue, to leave their comfort zone, to offer hope. There are too few willing to "get on board."

As I prepared to send this letter, news reached us of a major tsunami ravaging South East Asia, causing the tragic destruction of land and life. And as we weep with our own suffering children, we weep for the immeasurable suffering of the world.

Since we are creatures made in God's image, since God created us in and for community, and since from the Bible's beginning to end the command for us to belong to one another does not diminish, then I am convinced it is in disagreement with the plan of God's love to ignore those who suffer. "...You don't need no baggage, just get on board..." it is our hope that by faith and by generosity, you will bring others on board with us; that you will believe with us that in caring for one child at a time, one family at a time, we make a difference and we challenge a child-threatening global crisis.

All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin' - don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord. We at REACH have a tenacious determination to keep that train a-mov'n; we work hard to stay on board. Our great hope is that you will help us make that possible.

Blessings my friends,

Susan K. Slonaker

P.S. Thank you to all of those who give monthly, it means a lot to the kids and me. For those who are not currently giving, please consider 25, 50 or 100 dollars monthly to help sustain our family dynamics and psychosocial programs; and please give beyond REACH this month to UNICEF at www.unicef.org to help the children and families affected by the tsunami.