As I mentioned in “Our Latest Prayer Requests” post from April 28th, the CROSS Project is helping out at a Feeding Program for over 100 HIV-positive children through a local church in George Compound. The church is Faith Tabernacle Church that is pastored by Wozifera Ngoma. Pastor Wozifera and his wife, Easter, both work for ACTION Zambia in our Pastoral Leadership Development program teaching a discipleship course – Navigators 2:7.
Pastor Wozifera contacted me this morning with the news that a 14-year old girl, who had been coming to the Feeding Program and was HIV-positive, had passed away at the hospital. Kristin, Kristin’s Mom (when she was here in March), and Eta (one of our CROSS Project national workers) all had spent some time with this young girl, and Pastor Wozifera and Easter and the other folks at FTC have spent a lot of time with her, ministering to her at the Feeding Program week in and week out. Please pray for this young girl’s family as they go through this difficult time and that God would use her death to bring many sons to glory!
This girl’s death this morning has made me think of the following two verses (below) from Revelation and how there are so many children here in Zambia who do nothing wrong, but they contract HIV from their moms when they are born or through abuse and who’s lives are filled with so much emotional and physical suffering and are often cut so short. I’m so looking forward to one day not living in a Genesis 3 world anymore! Below is a picture of Wozifera and Kristin talking with the girl – she’s the one in the pink.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things (HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, sexual abuse) have passed away.” Revelation 21:4
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” Revelation 22:20.
Derek and Kristin Dearth 