|
June 3, 2006 THE SOUTH AFRICA AIDS CATASTROPHE LETTER #1Dear friends and family and everyone I can possibly reach with this letter, In the nation of South Africa right now, as you read this letter, it is literally the worst of times the world has ever seen. I am speaking of the exploding pandemic of HIV/AIDS that is covering the southern half of Africa. The United Nations has declared it to be, ‘THE WORST HUMAN CATASTROPHE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD’! Over the next few weeks, every Sunday, I am going to send you a one page letter. I will describe, to the best of my ability, the enormity of this catastrophe on the African continent. Please, please read these letters. I pray they will help you become acutely aware of this catastrophe and respond from your heart. I am appealing to everyone for heroic action and help. Please take the liberty to forward these letters to many others. Right here where we live in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa the HIV/AIDS rate is as bad, and maybe worse, than anywhere in the nation. In our local black and colored (mixed race) communities in Jeffreys Bay, the world famous surfing Mecca of Africa, the AIDS rate is between 65% and 70% according to the local medical clinic survey! Every week we are ministering to victims of AIDS, we could be ministering to them every hour of every day, even if we had the help of 100’s of people. They are the members of our church, in every business, on every crowded sidewalk, in every street, and on every block of most communities. The more HIV/AIDS victims we embrace the more the terrible reality of it all sweeps over us like a gigantic wave. We are in the very midst of this catastrophe and it has become a major focus for us, and may well absorb us completely. In support of this vital ministry we recently sent my wife Jody and Patty Allen to an HIV/AIDS conference. It was very informative and helpful, but the facts are horrific. EVERY DAY in Africa the death toll to AIDS is twice that of those who died in the Twin Towers in America! Every day 6 to 7 thousand people die of AIDS in Africa. Almost 1/2 of these deaths are in SA! This will increase rapidly unless individuals and churches rise and confront this terror and act with heroic faith and courage! IN THE EARTH TODAY the nation of South Africa is AIDS GROUND ZERO! We are contending with myths, ignorance, and denial about AIDS, traditional healers and ancestor worship, witchcraft mixed with Christianity, and huge stigmas from community and family against those infected. God is helping us to strategically deal with these forces and we are learning how to prevail over them. Progressive healing is flowing but it is directly correlated with our ability to minister to infected people on a regular ongoing basis! And that is where our greatest challenges arise, lack of resources is handicapping the ministry. The entire ministry only requires about $6000 a month to maintain the current operations. This is with a full time team that averages 17 to 20 members, several part time members, a church building, 5 homes, and 2 cars to maintain. That’s a lot of bang for your buck! While our financial support has decreased at the same time God is pressing us to fully engage this crisis. I need to raise at least $2000 in monthly support to meet this current monthly budget of $6000 and increase slightly. Every dollar above that will empower us to reach out to 10’s, 100’s, and even more HIV/AIDS victims with healing and empowerment! I am asking you directly, please partner with us and become a monthly financial supporter of this ministry at ‘AIDS Ground Zero’ in South Africa! Support checks can be made out to GMSA and mailed to P.O. Box 18592, Spokane, WA 99228. An email note from you would also be most welcome and appreciated. I will be sending pictures with my future letters. Check our website Latest Pictures - February 2006 - for some pictures of the HIV/AIDS ministry. God bless you exceedingly and may you bless South Africa, Pastor Dallas Sphar, GMSA & Storehouse Africa Generational Church
|
|
For more information, please [Contact Us]
|
