ABC Africa

I checked out the "documentary" film ABC Africa from the library and we watched it last night. It claims to be a documentary, but it feels more like unedited vacation/mission trip footage. An Iranian director traveled to Kampala Uganda in 2001 to film the AIDS orphans and an organization funded by the US government to aid the suffering Ugandans. I probably could have learned a lot more from the video, but the footage was great. They showed real life pictures and children living in poverty.

The Iranian group stumbled upon a couple from Austria adopting a toddler aged girl, and followed them for some time.

The most heart-breaking footage was of an AIDS hospital, where there was a room full of children - most of them toddlers. A woman nursed her dying child, another child - just skin and bones- cried and cried a raspy cry. I am sure he was in so much pain. Then there is a scene of a dead child wrapped in a blanket being tied to the back rack of a bicycle to be taken to whereever it is they take all these dead children.

The children I saw in those rooms are probably all dead now. It was filmed before ARV's reached Africa. Those children were hopeless. I can't imagine.

I think I would completely LOSE IT if I were in that situation, holding your innocent dying child, not understanding the disease, and having no hope for healing. Not being able to comfort them in their pain.

Lord, I praise You - You are victorious over death. Thank you for taking them from their misery and drying their tears. Please help us comfort and save those who are sick now or will be sick. Please stop this terrible disease!

I've got to do something!

Ministry Highlight: Every Orphan's Hope

At the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit two months ago, one of the amazing ministries we were introduced to was Every Orphan's Hope. We had the chance to visit with the leaders of the ministry and learn more about what they do. We are really impressed by the vision and model they follow. They are a new ministry, working in Zambia now, with hopes to serve in other countries in the near future.

Zambia is a country in south central Africa with one of the worst orphan situations in the world. Because of the HIV crises, about 50% of the population is under 15 (stat from Children of Hope by Vernon Brewer, World Help, Inc.). Children have lost their parents to AIDS, and are raising their younger siblings. With a population of 11 million, 1 million are orphans. 710,000 of those orphans are orphaned because of AIDS. One in 6 adults in Zambia is HIV positive (these stats are from here). The average life expectancy is under 40 years. Because so many adults are sick and dying, poverty is huge.And yet the church in Zambia is strong. Every Orphan's Hope works with the local church to defend, visit, comfort, encourage, care for, and pray for orphans. The model is this:

1. Camp -Empower the church to arrange a one-week camp for orphans. This gets them outside their walls and working together with other churches. American students come to help with the camps, and each American is put with a couple Zambian Christians with a group of children. Each camp has 200 or more orphans in attendance. The message of the camp is Truth, Faith, Hope and Love all found in Jesus. The children connect with the Zambian believers and thus with the local church. After the camp these relationships are maintained. The American student heads back to the US in charge of finding sponsors for the children in his group that week. The camp committee (Zambian believers) becomes the sponsorship committee for the children from that camp.

2. Sponsorship- The orphans who need are matched with American sponsors that have the finances not available to Zambians. The child is supplied in 5 areas of need: food, schooling, clothing, medical care, and discipleship. Right now EOH sponsors about 400 orphans.

Monthly food provisions through sponsorship

3. My Father's House Orphan Homes- The church selects a Zambian widow as a house mom and places 8 kids in a house constructed by Every Orphan's Hope. The house mom raises 4 girls and 4 boys in an 800 square foot, 3 bedroom home. The church gradually takes over financially supporting these homes. The house moms receive training. These orphan homes provide a loving environment and family the children need. These children are also sent to school, a privalege not available to all Zambian children, as there are fees and supply and uniform requirements. They are also provided with medical care. Since some of these children are HIV positive, they receive the ARVs that keep them alive.

My Father's House in Lusaka, Zambia

Children gather in the kitchen for tea time

4. Orphan Sunday was launched by EOH in 2002. This annual event on the first Sunday in October is a movement in the Christian church to mobilize the body of Christ to serve the orphan. Churches all over Zambia are now involved in this event and are taking charge in helping the orphans.

Here is an interesting fact: 99.8% of orphans in the world will not be adopted! What will happen to all those orphans? The church as a whole has to step up and meet the need. There is no other option. We love how Every Orphan's Hope is mobilizing the Zambian church to take care of the huge need around them.

EOH is praying about starting a ministry in Vietnam too.