To all WAIT friends & family,

We are grateful to your help in bringing WAIT to the Caribbean. The first of three reports of the trip events and results is now available!

Washington AIDS International Teens

WAIT teaches people of all ages, races, religions, and cultures about the science of HIV. We advocate getting tested, living abstinent until a lifetime partnership, and good health care for those infected. We teach through the performing arts and other talents and skills, including electronic media and communication. WAIT works with anyone wishing to stop to AIDS in their communities and across the globe.

Teens of the Caribbean

WAIT Initiation Trip March 5th-24th

By Cathlene Bell

Week One: Grenada – Spreading the Word

After several hours of travel, we touched down in St. George’s, Grenada, where we were enthusiastically greeted by our host, Rev. Roddy Portelance of Sudbury, ON - as well as four of his seven children! Rev. Portelance, a longtime missionary in this small but beautiful country, wasted no time in verbally acquainting us with the history and culture of Grenada. We returned to our home for the next two weeks, and slept soundly, awaiting the next day’s events.

Click HERE for the full report.

Local Action

World Media Forum Performance

By Joshua Herstein

Our performance last Thursday was scheduled for the Washington Times’ World Media Forum: Media: the Conscience of Society, a panel discussing the impacts, both positive and negative, the different forms of media have on today’s society. Our group was asked to perform a song for the event, as we are a group that uses media in a positive way to reach out to others, and we were only happy to oblige.

The program started and we heard the keynote speaker Dr. Lee, and the essay entree who won first place to the scholarship, as they gave their take on today’s growing media. There were about 200 people who were representatives to different country media, local middle and high schools (some who coincidently are in the Eleanor Roosevelt HS's "You Choose" Club, which is organizing the May 9th AIDS Benefit Concert), and national media professionals. Aunt Kate Tsubata gave an address about using journalism and all skills to stop HIV/AIDS in all issues of the epidemic. She then introduced our one act, "Wait For Me", explaining how our through our choices, such as abstinence and faithful lifetime partnership, we are making our positive future.They all were very receptive of our performance. They all really enjoyed themselves, no matter the age or background.

Our performance really worked well with the message of the panel, that there’s the potential for media to not just be about selfish exposure or tuning out everything. It can be used to bring people closer, to share important ideals with other, and help everyone know that they can always use their own talents to bring joy to themselves and everyone around them.

Metropolitan Wesley AME Zion Church performance

By Kensei Tsubata

On March 31st, Saturday Morning, the jam-packed DC team of about 20 loaded into the AME Zion church to present to about 50 youth and clergy

“Aunt” Kate Tsubata started off the interaction by presenting the powerful Powerpoint, “First: AIDS”. The audience was at first reserved but yet still attentive to the facts, myths and options to stop HIV/AIDS.

Aunt Kate finished, and introduced the WAIT team. After the breakdance act, the Jack and Jill HIV skit, and the Hip-Hop song. “Wait for Me”, the audience was no longer reserved but clapping along and practically performing back to us while in their seats. We then had the Game Show to test and reward their knowledge, and they were very knowledgeable in their answers. After the informative portion we had the reflective and hope affirming dances of “Beauty from Pain” and “Rose”, and the compassion empowering musical act, “Hero”, which I think moved all of us.  We wrapped up with “You Can’t Hurry Love” and the audience came up and danced and sang with us to show that we all can use our talents to educate, inspire and ultimately save lives. After we presented, many youth wanted to have their own WAIT shirts, and many also signed up to join the team.

Share your heart! Contact us on what you think!

E-mail: info@waitteam.org

Phone: (301) 577-1094

Address: 7752 Decatur Rd., Hyattsville, MD 20784