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Sunday, March 07, 2010

HIV Positive Pizza Party

“I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” - Oprah Winfrey

Those are the words that went through my mind as I sat there taking another bite of my pizza at Rock & Vida Cafe. All around me were the sounds of laughter and chatter. And every now and then, a group of people would burst out singing "Happy Birthday" as there were a few birthdays being celebrated that nite. By now you probably already have a question on your mind, what is Rock & Vida Cafe?

You may recall from earlier blogs that CCNV has a major event that they have been hosting ever since 2005 called Rock & Vida. It is a rock and roll concert to create the awareness of AIDS and it's harmful effects. This year, Rock & Vida was held on Dec 5 in the Plaza de Congreso right here in Buenos Aires. The concert is free and the church pays for the artists who are set to play as well as they arrange every detail of the event.

It has been barely 3 months since we did Rock & Vida 09 and already they are preparing for Rock & Vida 2010. Rock & Vida cafe is an event that they hold every Sat in the church. There youth can buy food and drink, play pingpong, dance Salsa and Merengue with some friends. And all the money raised through purchases of food goes towards Rock & Vida. After being around this church and actually getting the chance to see their inner workings, I'm beginning to see why they are so successful.

You see, Rock & Vida isn't something that they choose to do last minute at the spur of the moment. It is something they prepare all year for. And not just the youth here at Rock & Vida Cafe, the fact is that the whole church is in on it. Last week, I was here at Rock & Vida Cafe where we had a rock band come and play right here in the cafe. I was with my friend Diana and she was the one who told me the reason for the event. It is truly amazing how this church is looking after every single detail of the event. And what's even more amazing, the church members are giving whatever they can of their own free will to help make this event happen.

Diana herself told me that she has made a commitment to the church to give 200 pesos towards Rock & Vida. It is about $60 USD, which is ALOT for an Argentinean. The average wage here is 800 pesos a month ($200 USD). Sometimes more and sometimes less. Argentineans may not have alot of money but they sure to have alot of faith! Each individual may not have a big salary but the success of Rock & Vida and many other projects of the church is that they give faithfully and give whatever they can. And it all the giving eventually adds up bit by bit.

The church is also preparing in other ways. They are having Rock & Vida Camp in April to equip the youth with vision and purpose. I also remember about a month before Rock & Vida, all of us hit the streets and went out trying to get people to do surveys to see what they knew about AIDS. That was a real eye opener for me. Never in my life had I ever been part of something like that. In short, they are preparing one whole year to make those 4 hours of that one nite a success. I may not be able to be at some of these events the next few months while I am in Canada but I'm doing all that I can while I am here in this country. Even if it's just sharing a bite of pizza with a friend here at this HIV positive pizza party :)

Amorous Alpacas

Amorous Alpacas