The AIDS pandemic, and one little ministry that's battling it

One of the main goals of this blog is connect us. Unless we are connected, we will be useless Christians.

Yesterday, a friend sent me a prayer letter from friends of hers who are getting their hands dirty in a South Africa AIDS ministry. This prayer letter is powerful. It is made up of photographs with convicting captions. I have copied an excerpt below, but would encourage you to check out the Word document prayer letter yourself here.

Children are mostly left to their own devices from 4 am when their mothers go to the farms where they are employed to weed and work the fields. Some are too small to walk, and simply wait till their mothers return in the afternoons. This child was filthy, hungry, and in such distress that we took her to the doctor immediately. He confirmed that she had been eating sand, and hence the distended stomach.

Join me in prayer. Lord, we pray for this couple Keith and Angela McLaren, and their daughter, in South Africa. Thank you for their willingness to fight in the war effort, specifically among AIDS victims. Lord, we commit these people, particularly the AIDS mothers and orphans, to you. We also commit the little girl in this photo to you. May she grow up to become a woman of God who loves you and is a channel of your love to others. Father, give the McLarens wisdom and a continuous refilling of love from you. Give them the resources and tools and help they need. At the same time, continue to connect us with needs like this; and may we ourselves become more active. We know that the more you give us--including with knowledge of needs like this--the more you will expect of us. Give us a wake-up call. In Jesus' name. Amen.

(If you want to give financially to this ministry, email me, and I'll connect you with the McLarens. Thanks.)