 |
 |
|
 |
 |
I
strongly believe that biblically, missions rise out of
the local church. In the first century, the church in
Jerusalem sent Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and many
others to preach the gospel, make disciples, and plant
churches.
At SIM, we believe the Church is still called to be the
source of missions. As a mission organization, our job
is to partner with churches and equip them to fulfill
Christ's Commission. In addition, we partner the
church "here" with the church "there"
to form mutually beneficial relationships that strengthen
both churches and empower them for more effective ministries.
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Natasha experiences the
tangible love
of God as she joyfully
tries on her "new"
clothes that were donated
to SIM's
program by members of
a local church. |
|
|
It
has often been said that there are
no real orphans in Africa because
aunts and uncles step in to care for
children who have lost their parents.
But AIDS is rapidly changing that.
In Zimbabwe, an estimated 2,000 adults
die from HIV and AIDS related illnesses every week. The AIDS pandemic is literally
wiping out an entire generation so
that, in many families, there are
simply no parents, aunts, or uncles
left to care for the children.
Natasha, age 10, is one of those children.
She lost both parents to AIDS in 2005
and is now living with her eight cousins
in her grandmother's home. Her
grandmother lost all four of her sons
and their wives to AIDS and is now
caring for all nine children. |
Because the grandmother is too old to work
in the fields, the family is very poor and
food is scarce. Without support from SIM's
HOPE for AIDS program, the future for Natasha
and
her cousins would be bleak.
Fit as Productive Adults
But thanks to the generous gifts of friends
like you, Natasha, her cousins, and thousands
of other orphaned children are receiving
not only supplementary food, but also school
fees that allow them to continue their education.
In addition, many orphans in Zimbabwe are
receiving training in life skills that will
help them deal with life more effectively
and eventually fit into their communities
as productive adults.
Although no program can eliminate the sadness
and devastation an AIDS orphan experiences,
through your generous gifts, SIM is reaching
out to tens of thousands of
orphans like Natasha with Christian love,
support, and most important, hope--for
tomorrow and for eternity.
 |
 |
| In Zimbabwe,
more than 25 percent of
adults are infected with
HIV and AIDS, life expectancy
has dropped to 39 years,
and 1 out of every 12 people
is an orphan. |
|
|
Project Number 96199
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
