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The Citizen, 2008-02-28, Page 6The regular monthly meeting of the Happy Gang Seniors is Feb. 27 at 12:30 p.m. Greg McClinchey will be the guest speaker. The Happy Gang Seniors will host an afternoon of cards at the Londesborough Community Hall on Thursday, March 13 beginning at 1 p.m. Admission is $5. There will be door prizes. Proceeds from that afternoon will benefit the Auxiliary to the Clinton Public Hospital. Londesborough is hosting the first of this annual card cavalcade. Many of us make a practice of watching the evening news from London’s A-Channel. But reports of things outside of Huron County may not get our full attention. About a month ago the station carried the story of a car accident involving a student from Fanshawe College. Katie Abbott, daughter of Vicki Lobb of Londesborough, was hurt in that incident. She was in London Hospital overnight having suffered injuries to both feet. Currently Katie is staying with Burt and Vicki as it may be some time before she is walking unassisted. A little encouragement from village residents would surely be appreciated. Conditions couldn’t have been better for the fourth annual Easter Seal Snowarama on Feb. 16. One hundred riders took to the trails from the Londesborough Hall. The 130-km. run ended at the Blyth clubhouse where everyone enjoyed a barbecue and door prizes were awarded. Jim Middegaal won the custom fridge and the 50/50 winner was Brandon Taylor. Betty Ortlieb had the most pledges with $750. The organizers thank the approximately 100 others who also supported the day by coming out for breakfast cooked by the Londesborough Lions. An early estimate of proceeds of $12,600 exceeds last year’s figure. These monies will assist disabled persons in Huron County. PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2008.Education, support, awarenessand talk were words heard time andagain throughout the conversation Elma Plant had with the ladies of the Londesborough UCW on Monday, Feb. 18. A nasty streamer off Lake Huron made driving hazardous in the early evening. Consequently a smaller than usual number of ladies benefitted from Elma’s visit. Although HIV/AIDS was not a new disease in the early 1990s, very little about the disease was known by the general public. When Don and Elma Plant learned they were infected by the virus they were both sent into a tailspin. And the decision to go public about their diagnosis was not made easily. Pregnant with her third child in 1991, Elma took part in a study being done by a Clinton doctor at the time and offered blood for testing. She feels God had a hand in her life then for without that test she may have been close to death before discovering her condition. In the years since and through her work in and with the AIDS network, she and Don have recognized they were fortunate to live in the Londesborough community for they have received tremendous support over the years. Other communities across Canada are not so gracious. Don and Elma feel truly blessed by that support and thank the community for their continuing acceptance. Of 300 persons diagnosed with the disease in 1991, only five are still alive. Initially praying to live long enough to see Caitlyn go tokindergarten, Elma is now worryingabout the fact that Caitlyn will soon be driving. Education is the only way to remove the stigmas and fears that still surround this disease. AIDS is not contagious. It is a communicable disease and one can become infected four ways: through blood, unsafe sex, shared needles and mother’s milk. This piece of information alone means you can approach an AIDS sufferer with compassion not apprehension. Don and Elma are on a program of antiretroviral drugs. Don’s infection has responded better to these drugs than has Elma’s. This is a normal result between the sexes. Don has been able to go back to school for a degree and now works in Kitchener. They have made awareness of the disease a goal in life. A person carrying the AIDS virus dies because they can’t fight infections from other sources allowing the HIV virus to take control of the body. Elma noted that a seven-county anonymous testing centre in London reports that 80 per cent of new cases found at that centre are from Huron County. Those new cases are 95 per cent heterosexual persons and equally divided between male and female. This is a staggering statistic. That is why Elma emphasizes the need for education and awareness of the causes of the infection. These are two essentials in the fight against any disease. However she feels thisdisease has been pushed out of thelimelight by campaigns about cancer and heart disease. HIV/AIDS is incurable and expensive to treat and 40,000,000 men, women and children of all ages are suffering from the disease worldwide. The infection rate is faster today than ever before. Therefore, Elma stressed that it is imperative parents get comfortable talking with their children, and others, about safe sex and drug use. The average age of diagnosis in Canada is 25. It is 15 in Africa where the disease is rampant. It would seem the basic message of protection is not getting to people. After years of seeking funding at any level, the Huron County HIV/AIDS Network has just received their first major donation of $30,000 from a Christian community. This should give the group more clout in their awareness campaign. What can people do? Elma encourages everyone to talk about the disease, support and instigate awareness projects here and abroad and pray. It is easy to become overwhelmed by this disease and individuals need to be supportive, never judgmental, to sufferers. Quoting John 14: 27 Elma stated that God can be the foundation for the fight against AIDS. It was a strong faith that influenced their decision to go public and that has sustained them throughout the years since. Perhaps their advocacy about the disease is what has given them the strength to fight their owninfection.For information about the disease and how to help, call the HCHAN at 519-482-1141. The next gathering of the Londesborough UCW will be for the World Day of Prayer Service on Friday, March 7 beginning at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend this annual service prepared this year by a council of women of Guyana. The title for the services is God’s Wisdom Provides New Understanding. On the third Sunday of Lent, the message at Londesborough United Church on Feb. 24 was titled The Precious Gift. The senior choir sang as anthem, Blest Are They, a hymn. As church was cancelled due to icy conditions the previous week, two couples led the Lenten Tennebrae and added symbols to the cross. Reading from Matthew 22: 15-18 Len and Betty Archambault recounted Christ’s questioning by the Pharisees. Reassurance was offered that hope is in Christ. He takes on all our pain. Chief priests and elders plot against Jesus in Matthew 26: 3-4. Steven and Christina Duizer suggested that as others kept Christ from harm Christians should thank those folks who help them on their way and in turn help others. Rev. Pat Cook told the children about the artisan who 500 years ago introduced the Praying Hands to the world. All this artist’s works were done to the glory of God. The hands of a friend of the artist were the model for this famous piece. The children were told how they can use their hands each day when they pray. John 4: 5-42 was the supporting scripture for Rev. Cook’s message to congregants. It is the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Because Jesus’ teachings were for all people, He chose to go through Samaria rather than around that country as others did. Breaking a custom of the times by talking to the woman Christ offered her living water. Not understanding initially what He meant once He told her of her life, she forgot all else and ran to tell others about the great teacher. Christ gave the Samaritan woman the gift of grace, a precious gift of love. That same gift is offered to all; no strings attached. Christians don’t need to earn this love; they need only accept the gift of grace, should share it with others. The movie being aired at Londesborough United on Friday, Feb. 29 is Lady and the Tramp. The Sunday school invites everyone to a free family skate at the Blyth arena on Saturday, March 1 from 4 - 5 p.m. There will be chili and hot dogs following; please bring finger desserts. Londesborough United will hold a Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday, March 2. The senior choir will gather for practice that morning at 10 a.m. as well. The official board, former and new members, will convene at 7:30 p.m. on March 5. Be sure to pick up the minutes from the previous meeting prior to then from the narthex. You've got the news The Citizen now offers electronic subscriptions ZAP! For more information call: The Citizen 519-523-4792 If you have access to the internet you can get the news the same day you do at home, at no extra cost ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD No more waiting days for delivery: You can access the full edition of The Citizen on the day it’s published No exorbitant postal costs. The same local subscription price of $32.00 applies. Go on-line to: www.northhuron.on.ca and click on to subscribe today! Excellent idea for those who live far from home. The Citizen ANNOUNCEMENT Doctors Dean Nisbett, Paul Padfield and David Weaver are pleased to announce that Dr. Simon Taylor has joined Huron Optometric Centres on a full-time basis. Dr. Taylor joined our practice on a part-time basis in 2001. With the recent move of our Clinton office to the new, larger location on Albert Street, Dr. Taylor is now available for appointments in either location five days a week. Call to arrange an appointment today. New patients welcome! 68 WEST STREET GODERICH 519-524-7251 90 ALBERT STREET CLINTON 519-482-3677 NEWS FROM LONDESBORO By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296 PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO Minister delivers The Precious Gift AIDS victim shares story, factsat Londesborough UCW meeting Breathe through a straw for 60 seconds. That’s what breathing is like with cystic fibrosis. No wonder so many people with CF stop breathing in their early 30s. Please help us. 1-800-378-CCFF • www.cysticfibrosis.ca