Mwendwa Muange

August 25th.
Today is my little guys birthday.
Mwendwa Muange turns 12!
He lives in Kenya.
He wants to grow up and be a pilot.
He has dreams and a desire to live.  
His name means "Beloved."
His mom has died of AIDS.
His dad is very sick with the virus.
Mwendwa was recently diagnosed with HIV.
He is one of the many children in Africa born with this fatal disease.

I am his adopted American mom.  My mind takes me back to meeting him in Kenya.
I gave him a soccer ball and an Ohio State Football shirt.  We played.  We talked.  We exchanged smiles.  He wore my sunglasses and I taught him the peace sign.  I didn't want to leave his home.  A house that sits far out off dirt roads in the Kenyan countryside.

Not a day goes by where I do not pray for this little guy.  I think of him often. He holds a special place in my heart.  Happy Birthday Mwendwa.  May God keep you safe my little man...