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Saddleback couple serving with God’s heart at local AIDS agency
By Manda Gibson
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| Dave and Carolyn McLendon are co-guardians for a girl whose mother they met through a local organization serving people with HIV/AIDS. The McLendons help her with school work and take her to church with them. They know they can’t make such a dramatic difference in the life of every family affected by HIV – but they’re doing what they can for this one family. |
Dave and Carolyn McLendon had lived a good life. They had long been involved in ministry, serving in positions from Sunday school teacher to a church’s director of evangelism. And with more than 40 years of marriage under their belts, they were enjoying retirement as they continued to serve God through Saddleback Church.
But then they heard Kay Warren talk about the worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic. At first they just were curious. Then, at a training class, they learned that Long Beach, Calif., the community where they live, has California’s second highest per capita HIV infection rate.
“We felt guilty because we lived in Long Beach and didn’t know what was going on,” Dave said. “We had to get involved to help out some way or another.”
Though they were eager to help, they weren’t totally comfortable with getting involved. They did not know of anyone from a church working in a Long Beach HIV ministry and did not know what to expect, but they knew God was calling them to minister.
Soon the McLendons started volunteering with the C.A.R.E. Program (Comprehensive AIDS Resource Education Program), a local Long Beach organization. They found that HIV affects people from all age groups and all walks of life. They were surprised to see how many mothers and how many young men hooked on methamphetamine had HIV.
“HIV is such a tragic disease,” Carolyn said.
Finding their ministry places
Dave and Carolyn each have found their own particular ministry place in the C.A.R.E. Program.
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“I don’t want to be like the people in the story of the Good Samaritan who just walked by the person who was injured.”
Carolyn McLendon |
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“I found a niche working in the food bank and with the families,” Carolyn said. “It breaks my heart to see children affected, with their parents being so sick. They don’t have the opportunities just to be a child.”
One C.A.R.E. caseworker asked the McLendons to offer support to a single mother and her daughter, doing things like taking the girl places and helping to socialize her to American culture. Eventually, the McLendons became her legal co-guardians. Each week, the girl spends several days and nights with the McLendons. Carolyn helps her with school work and takes her to appointments and lessons. The relationship has opened up the doors for the McLendons to take the girl to church and to share Christ with the girl’s mother too.
When the mother was mugged, her food stamp card – with $143 on it – was stolen. Being too ill to work, she was in desperate need of another card. When Carolyn took her to the doctor, they prayed together before they went, asking God to guide them to understanding people who would help with a replacement card. She did receive the card. Later, her daughter told the McLendons: “My mom’s been saying ‘Praise God’ all day.”
The McLendons are praying that the mother and daughter will become Christians.
“We pray for the family and show the love of Christ to them,” Carolyn said. “We want this little girl to experience God’s purpose for her life. We can’t do this for all the 200 kids [whose parents are part of C.A.R.E.], but we can do it for one.
“We hope the people at the C.A.R.E. Program will see that if they allow [church] C.A.R.E. Teams and other Christian families to help these children, it will make a big difference.”
In addition to helping with children and in the food bank, Carolyn does fundraising for the C.A.R.E. Program. She visits local businesses to request donations.
Dave calls himself the “eyes and ears” of the C.A.R.E. Program. He drives the van that takes program clients to doctor appointments and on other needed errands, so he often visits people in their homes where he can listen for and see their needs.
‘Grandma’ and ‘grandpa’ offer spiritual guidance
In addition to the tangible work they do with C.A.R.E., the McLendons also find that people often open up to them emotionally and spiritually.
“We’re in our 60s; we’re the grandma and grandpa of the C.A.R.E. Program,” Dave said. “That helps because people will open up to us. We offer an ear so people can tell their problems and we can pray for them. That’s our ministry there.”
Because C.A.R.E. is a secular organization, the McLendons aren’t allowed to initiate spiritual conversations, but they’re free to share when people approach them with spiritual questions.
“I talked to a lady last week; she has been through hell,” Dave said. “I told her, ‘God loves you and there is a purpose in your life.’ I gave her a real quick little plan of salvation and told her I would be praying for her. She started crying and said no one had ever said that to her before.”
At events like Christmas parties, people often pour out their hearts to the McLendons, opening the doors to spiritual conversations.
Involving more churches
The McLendons also are helping other local churches get involved in addressing HIV/AIDS. One nearby church has helped by providing supplies, donating funds, and assisting at special events. Some people from the church are planning to complete Saddleback’s C.A.R.E. Team training to learn more about hands-on HIV/AIDS ministry.
“They’re excited and see the needs are great,” Dave said.
The McLendons are working to recruit other churches and hope that local pastors will be inspired at the Global Summit on AIDS and the Church.
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“I know what the heart of God is: He meets us where we are and loves us. We need to be out there telling people God loves them and Jesus is standing there with his arms wide open. Just walk right in and he’ll give you a hug like you’ll never believe.”
Dave McLendon |
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Dream big, pray big
They also have dreams for other ways their ministry could expand. Carolyn dreams of a home opening up that would allow parents who are sick with HIV/AIDS to continue living with their children.
Dave hopes to see Christian doctors and case managers start a faith-based HIV/AIDS organization. At that faith-based organization, Carolyn hopes children would be mentored and tutored, becoming empowered to live purposeful lives.
“We know that these dreams cannot be fulfilled unless God does it,” Dave said. “He can open doors and hearts if this is his plan.”
Serving with God’s heart
Now that they’re involved, the McLendons won’t give up the ministry, though they admit that it often is mentally and physically challenging.
“I don’t want to be like the people in the story of the Good Samaritan who just walked by the person who was injured,” Carolyn said.
Dave says that God has given him compassion and empathy to understand how people could find themselves living with HIV.
“I know what the heart of God is: He meets us where we are and loves us,” Dave said. “We need to be out there telling people God loves them and Jesus is standing there with his arms wide open. Just walk right in and he’ll give you a hug like you’ll never believe.”
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