The Longest Day

I think that today was the LONGEST day ever! We had a meeting with a large group of people that all have an interest in combatting HIV/AIDS. Each one of them had time to share or preach. We got to the church at 9 am and it didn't start until 10:45 and we finished at around 5:30! It's tough to sit in a chair that long! But there were some great speakers.

We had the minister of education's assistant there, as the minister was working with the strike and it is amazing at how much they were asking for the church to get involved in their schools. They are realizing that their strategy of using condoms is still keeping the HIV/AIDS problem at huge rates here in S.A. The only thing that will work is abstinence. Government doesn't want to say it isn't working but the statistics are proving it! They basically encouraged us to take this message into the schools and it is welcomed! That is very exciting! Our schools would never allow a faith based program in them.

Then we also heard from the representative of the National Aids Council. His statistics were staggering! 40% of women from 20 - 35 are HIV positive in some areas in S.A. This number is basically the same for several years now! We didn't even see any dip in the chart that they showed!

We also heard form Dr. Phalatse who was a fireball for Christ! He just said abstinence is the ONLY way to get a hold of this problem and he was powerful and entertaining and really interesting to hear from. We don't know if he has heard of Smart Choices but he covered all that we covered but much more Christ centered! He held nothing back. He and his wife have also started publishing a bi-monthly local magazine and welcomed us to submit articles for publication.

Then Glynn got up and he also did an excellent job sharing what we are doing in the schools and he refuted the National Aids Council (he had already left) but emphasized that only abstinence is going to stop HIV/AIDS not a national push using condoms.

One of our students from Botse Botse school last year.

Then we had Dawie and Lizel Pieterse from Campus Crusade for Christ and they shared how they are working in local communities to help build homes for orphans and community sights for soccer and how they work with local groups to teach skills to people so they can learn life skills to work. They are doing an amazing work all over the world! It was very inspiring to hear all that they are doing as an organization. All of this activity is part of a fairly new initiative by Campus Crusade called GAIN for Global AId Network.

Then we heard from Hospice workers and what they are doing with the sick and dying and what they are doing with the children left behind. They were asking for more help from the churches as well. And asking for people to take in orphans.

Then we also had a group of teens who did a skit that they present in the schools from a group called Life of Art. It was done in the Tswana language but even so you could get the point.

Then there was a group called Love Life and they ministered to those infected with HIV/AIDS kinda like what He Intends Victory does at our church.

That is what made for the LONGEST day ever. But it was also interesting to see so many people working together to help bring relief and healing to so many hurting people.

Tomorrow we are supposed to present the Smart Choices program to church leaders so they can go back to their churches and get the program going in their local schools. (when the strikes end)

Tammy