• According to UN statistics, the entire country will literally die – wiped off the face of the earth by 2050.
“Our people are
dying and we have no money for coffins.
Usually people are wrapped in a blanket and set into the ground. The families are able to pay for simple
funeral catering (the funerals are at their homes and the dead are buried there
as well) but coffins are expensive.”
“How much is
a coffin?”
“Usually
around $150.”
But what struck me most and what I can’t get out of my mind
was the man we met on the way to the house.
He was about my age or older, walking along the dirt path. We passed him as we were almost at Lindiwe’s
house. He waved us down and asked us
where we were going. I figured he needed
a ride but we were going the opposite direction. I rolled down the window and he smiled a kind
smile as we told him we were looking for Lindiwe’s house. He brightly responded that he was the
neighbor – we could see the blue door of his house from where we were
stopped. He then got very sad when he
referred to the sad thing of the husband dying and leaving all those kids
behind.
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I'm motivated to join God in his global reclamation project. He's on the move, setting his sons and daughters free from their places of captivity. And he's partnering with those of us who have been freed to go and free others.
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Some of those statistics I wasn’t aware of. I will better know how to pray.
Good morning Seth,
Your blog post each day is part of the cycle of my daily devotions. Thank you for being authentic and caring.
One of the challenges for organizations and Christian ministries who work in places around the world with such dramatic data is that we have a culture of disbelief. The increasingly effective tools at the disposal of a ministry allows the capture and distribution of “sadness and hope” as never before. Websites, CD’s, DVD’s, brochures and compelling prose are more the norm than not anymore. And many consumers just don’t know how to sort through the options. There are more every day.
The problem of people dying of HIV/AIDS is clear. And many ministries are very adept at asking people to help. Recent data suggests that new nonprofits organized around African assistance and HIV/AIDS specifically are exploding.
The two neglected disciplines continue to be:
1. Describing a credible solution to the problem.
2. Thanking people and appreciating their investment.
Any organization can grab a moment of misery.
Great ones show solutions that ultimately reaffirm the veracity of their claims.
Blessings friend.