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Most of us have heard the staggering statistics associated with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, but only a handful of us in America have ever seen tears in the eyes of a fatherless child, heard the cries of an orphaned infant, or attended the funeral of a loved one who died from the disease.
In Africa, the opposite is true. People may not know that 60 million people have been infected by HIV, but they know how their own lives have been affected by AIDS. Everyone, it seems, knows someone who is living with--or has died from--the disease.
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| Growing the Church in Peru Not Only Wide, But Also Deep |
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| In 2006, more than 400 Peruvian believers received training and resources through SIM's theological education assistance program--a vital part of meeting the spiritual needs of the rapidly growing church in Peru. |
Recent statistics indicate that the evangelical church in Peru has doubled in size over the past 10 years. Although this is great news, it also presents the tremendous challenge of finding qualified spiritual leaders to shepherd these new believers toward maturity.
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Famatta is 31 years old. During the war, two soldiers raped her--soon after she started getting sick. She went to the Eternal Love Winning Africa (ELWA) hospital for help, and she was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS on March 21, 2003.
Like so many others in Africa, Famatta did nothing to "deserve" AIDS. Nevertheless, she has suffered not only from the terrible effects of the disease, but also from the stigma that accompanies it. She has been shunned and shamed by her community, and even her own family has turned her away. "Sometimes," Famatta says, "I just cry about the state I am in, but I know God is there. He has the power to heal me, and He will take care of me."
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| ELWA workers demonstrate Christlike compassion and servants' hearts as they care for men, women, and children who suffer from HIV/AIDS. |
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Famatta is among the hundreds of HIV/ AIDS victims who have been abandoned by their families but embraced by friends like you. Through your caring response to their plight, Famatta and some 400 others have benefited from the support and
encouragement provided by ELWA counselors and hospital staff.
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Throughout the world, SIM's ministries to meet physical needs are intentionally integrated with other SIM ministries like discipleship and Bible teaching to meet people's spiritual needs. |
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In Burkina Faso, thousands of children are malnourished and desperately need better nutrition, but their families cannot afford the food their children need. And with a disappointing harvest again last year, the problem could get worse.
But SIM’s nutrition center in Piela is working hard to help. In 2006 alone, the center cared for 534 severely malnourished children and 47 orphans. As a direct result of the clinic’s intervention, about 68 percent of these malnourished children were discharged on their way to complete recovery.
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| With yet another disappointing harvest, many parents in Burkina Faso are simply unable to provide adequate nutrition to their children without your help. |
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Growing up as a girl in Côte d’Ivoire, Africa, is not a confidence builder. Sometimes girls hear phrases like, "It’s too bad you’re a girl," "It’s
not worth sending you to school," or "Let your brother eat first." It’s no wonder many women view themselves as insignificant or incapable. But as the Maison Dorcas project has illuminated, these women are capable--and courageous.
Maison Dorcas exists to help Muslim-background women who have made a decision for Christ. These women are often rejected by their families, and with neither skills nor self-confidence, they have little hope of supporting themselves.
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