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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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With the assistance of your donations, ELWA offers monthly support group meetings, medicine, food, and even home-based care to those trying to cope with the devastating disease. In addition, ELWA counselors teach life skills to help people living with HIV/AIDS provide for themselves in the absence of family support.
But ELWA goes beyond simply meeting physical and medical needs. One of the primary goals of the counseling staff is to equip those living with HIV/AIDS with the knowledge and skills they
need to live a godly life and have a positive impact
for Christ in spite of their diagnosis.
Positive Impact for Christ
Faith, another participant in the program, has
taken the call to help others to heart. "God has
saved me for a purpose," Faith realized. "Now I
go around to tell people that AIDS is real--even
though it is painful and shameful to go in front of
thousands of people and tell them my weaknesses
and disease, I want to do as Jesus did, to help save
a dying world."
Thanks to the care she received at ELWA, Faith feels much better than she did
when she first came. At that time
she weighed only 61 pounds. Now
she is up to 110 pounds, and she
thanks God for carrying her through.
She is also very grateful for the
encouragement of the support group.
"Those with HIV/AIDS really need
help because of all the rejection they
go through," Faith says.
Thankfulness, in fact, is common
among all the patients attending
the support group. When they were
asked if they would share their stories
with you as financial supporters of the
ELWA counseling program, nearly
all were willing to openly give thanks
to God for what was given to them
through your generosity.
These grateful men and women want to take this opportunity
to thank you for your prayers,
thoughtfulness, and financial
gifts, but they also plead for
your continued help. They fully
understand and appreciate the vital
work of the ELWA hospital in their
lives and in their community--and they desperately want it to
carry on.
Project Number 95209
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| Unlike Western cultures, in Africa HIV/AIDS is almost entirely a heterosexual issue, and most of those who suffer are innocent victims--children born with the disease, rape victims, or faithful spouses infected by unfaithful partners. |
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