JANUARY 2010
AIDS ... afraid , helpless , orphaned , homeless ... people in
need. Wikipedia defines acquired immune deficiency syn¬
drome (AIDS) as a disease of the human immune system
caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
This condition progressively breaks down the immune
system and leaves individuals susceptible to infections
and tumors. Although treatments for AIDS and HIV can
slow the course of the disease , there is currently no vac¬
cine or cure. AIDS is not just statistics. AIDS has faces
as well as victims , and women and children are the ones
who often suffer the most. Take a look at faces of AIDS.
P aces of fear
"E" lost three children in the last
five years and was recently diagnosed
with tuberculosis. Several years ago
she was told her blood was "dirty,"
but it wasn't until a few weeks ago
that she was finally told she is HIV¬
positive. She cried as she shared with a friend that her
husband was told of her illness, but doesn't want to hear
her news. She was angry, because he was the one who
had all the girlfriends and has been ill off and on for the
last two years. When asked if she had shared this news
with anyone in the church, she said no. The fear of rejec¬
tion, abandonment and loss of caring family and friends is
great. Pray for the women of Africa; many are victims of
sexual abuse or HIV-positive husbands. Pray for God to
shine in their hearts for them to know life eternal.
Paces of ignorance
Sharing information about AIDS in a
cattle camp in southern Sudan can be chal¬
lenging, but the people seemed genuinely
appreciative that we would teach them
about AIDS and the Word of God. We
worked with volunteers who did really
well considering this was our first group
and our first time staying in a cattle camp. I think we
proved to the people that we do care about them. The men
from the States were able to get into a lot of great conver¬
sations with the young men and the elders at the camp.
Sadly, they were propositioned with young girls who could
be their "wives for the week," but had the opportunity to
explain with grace and biblical insights why they couldn't
do that.
P aces of death
To be diagnosed with AIDS
is a death sentence, and it strikes
fear in the hearts of those who
are told they have it. Six million
adults in South Africa live with
the fact that they are HIV-positive, and 35 percent of preg¬
nant women are HIV-positive. As described in The Pharma¬
cist , an American medical journal, in June 2009, AIDS is an
epidemic in South Africa. With many anti-retroviral drugs
(ARVs) available, are patients being treated? Sadly, even
when patients receive the free medication, they often sell
the medication on the street for money. "When families in
poverty are forced to choose between medication for one
member of the family and food for everyone," the choice
is simple. They sell the medication for food money. Pray
for those who are dying without ever hearing the Gospel.
Pray for South Africa!
P aces of hope
AIDS is a global problem facing
our entire international community: the
Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia — THE
WORLD. We can search anywhere on
the Internet and find reports of AIDS in
countries around the globe. Rick Warren,
pastor and author of The Purpose Driven
Life , shares, "The Church will last for eternity; and because
it is God's instrument for ministry here on Earth, it is truly
the greatest force on the face of the Earth. That's why I be¬
lieve tackling the world's biggest problems — the giants of
spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease,
and ignorance — can only be done through the Church."
(rickwarren.com). Pray
for the church to be
faces of hope to the
hopeless in the war
against AIDS.
JANUARY PRAYERPOINTS:
Faces of AIDS
^ Global prayer points
** BGR
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