It was a long break for me, being away from "public health"...... However, I read an amazing article by George Verwer about HIV/AIDS. Here is it......
HIV & AIDS
The global crisis of HIV and AIDs in almost beyond description. I’m sure you have read articles with the statistics, and like me, you find them overwhelming.
I have been involved in this battle for about for about five years with a strong emphasis on prayer and I believe we have seen specific answers to prayer. We have seen more nations, churches and key people become proactive and committed to the task.
The Christian and secular media are giving this much more coverage and the biggest influence on me over years is what I have read in news magazine. The November 7th, 2005 issue of TIME is the best issue I have seen that features the global health crisis, especially HIV/AIDs.
Three years ago I became involved with The Judah Trust who are committed to prayer mobilisation. They have a book that will soon be off the press in partnership with OM India Literature. It is a key book that needs to go into many languages and flooded out around the world.
Patrick Dixon spoke at our General Council meetings about four years ago and made a great impact. It is exciting to see different OM Fields getting in to the action, especially South Africa, India and the ships. We have a long way to go, but I believe we have made the major turn in the right direction.
Rosemary Hack is now helping coordinate the HIV/AIDs response within OM and we in Special Projects are staying in touch with her.
Our ministry in Special Projects is mobilising people to pray, given and get involved. We have had unique opportunities to speak to hundreds of thousands of people, especially if we include radio, video and TV exposure. We have sponsored the book Aids & You and The Truth About Aids (a much larger book). We have purchased large quantities of other publications and distributed them widely.
To be honest, we have found it very hard to raise funds for this ministry. There still seems to be a huge amount of confusion or apathy about the whole crisis. I believe that every believer in the church should be able to give something.
How should we respond to this global emergency?
1. Let’s receive the truth and vision into our hearts. Let us, as the Word of God says, “Weep with those that weep.”
2. Let us engage in more specific prayer, especially for those infected and those working among them. Pray for the wide range of preventative action.
3. Pray for the release of greatly needed finance. We can be proactive ourselves in giving and motivating others to give. Challenge the leaders of your church to have an HIV/AIDs Sunday when the need is shared and an offering is taken.
4. Try to visit an HIV/AIDs Hospice or ministry. Try to have some HIV friends, demonstrate the love and reality of Jesus.
5. Pray for workers to go into HIV/AIDs related ministries. Be willing to consider this possibility yourself.
6. Read at least one or two books and collect articles from the press on the subject. Check out related websites.
7. Get involved in distributing information and materials that can awaken people and get involved in prevention.
8. A number of key articles have emphasized the need for the right information and all of us can be more informed and more active in passing on vital information to others. In the end, it will save lives and people will come to know Jesus!
9. Get tested for HIV/AIDs especially if you think there is any chance whatsoever that you were infected.
It is important for us to see how our own life and ministry fit into all of this. We all have different ministries but I believe that if we are faithful to the Lord in whatever we are doing that in the end it helps in this great battle.
I still believe the greatest thing we can do is pray and bring men and women to a knowledge of the Saviour.
By George Verwer, November 2005
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