R4L clinic group church begins in Durban area |
|
These people are from an HIV Reach4Life (R4L) support club so this picture doesn't show their faces (that would be illegal in South Africa). They walk from villages where there are no clinics and no Bible believing churches that don't mix Christianity with ancestral worship. Peer Educator Sibonelo Nyawose asked the clinic manager if he could use the parking lot to run R4L church services on Fridays. Permission was granted and since August, these men and women have been coming to the R4L "Clinic Parking Lot Church." A Christian businessman donated the chairs. Pastor Emmanuel is meeting with Sibonelo weekly to go through a Bible study and any church administrative issues. |
|
R4L camp becomes a church! |
When Peer Educator Vangeli Lubisi organized a R4L camp for the weekend for his village R4L club in St. Lucia, the kids were so fired up by the program that they refused to go back to the ancestral churches, and requested Vangeli to come pray with them on Sundays at the home of one of the kids. By April 2020, neighbors and parents of the kids were joining the prayer time and have now formed a church. (Pictured above is the Sunday School for the church.) Every Sunday the villagers gather at a tribal hall which has been made available by the chief. A Peer Educator training is planned for this village next year as there are many schools requesting the program in this area.
|
|
Giving Tuesday, December 1 |
Please consider giving to us tomorrow (December 1) on Giving Tuesday! We support the R4L AIDS prevention and youth development program. Over 257,000 kids in four countries (South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, and Lesotho) participated in 2019, and the program is now expanding into Botswana and Zimbabwe. Giving Tuesday is a day to show generosity to others in various ways, including items, time, or finances. Many of our supporters have already given generously this year. If you have not had a chance to do that yet or if you have additional resources, you can go to our donate page to make a contribution. When you get to the drop-down “projects” box, click on “Reach4Life.”
|
|
World AIDS Day, December 1 |
December 1 is also World AIDS Day. The main goals in addressing AIDS globally are for people to know their status, those who are infected to receive treatment, and viral suppression of the virus to be achieved. In sub-Saharan Africa, about 87% know their status, 72% are on treatment, and 65% have achieved viral suppression. Women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa continue to be the most affected by new HIV infections (59%), with 4500 adolescent girls and young women between 15 and 24 years old becoming infected with HIV every week. (UNAIDS press release, July 2020). The R4L program is teaching young people to make wise choices so they will avoid getting infected. |
|
Older students train lower grades |
|
There is a lot of interest from many young people who want to be trained as “foxes” (older learners teaching younger learners). The team pictured here is from Honeydew. These grade 10 learners will be leading small groups from grades 8 and 9, after school and in the community. Hope (dark grey dress) who attends Far North High, is already teaching 230 young people there on Tuesdays and Fridays. She plans to grow her group with help from her friends.
|
|
R4L youth group says they need a church! |
|
This church in Zandspruit (Johannesburg area) was started when seven young people from a R4L youth group informed Peer Educator Nhlanhla that there was no church in their area. Pastor Emmanuel stepped in to assist with weekly meetings. Nhlanhla has always felt a strong sense of God’s calling to be a pastor and he is now being mentored by Emmanuel to lead this church. Nhlanhla is doing a great job and the little church is growing! Kamo, a “Fox" Peer Educator, spoke to her parents and the church is now using her home to meet. An additional blessing is that Kamo's mom and grandmother made commitments to follow Christ!
|
|
Testimonies from the field! |
|
 |
Sharon Talavera 23, Faith Mission Church leader from Maputo, Mozambique, says, “We as the youth of Maputo want to say Khanimambo meaning thank you, to all those that have made it possible for us to receive Bibles. My church youth has grown in number and spiritually since we started the Program in January. We cannot wait for the Portuguese translation coming out next year. Lives are being transformed here in our village. Parents are bringing their youth to join our church and community groups. The Peer educator training and all resources we have been getting from Phakama in South Africa have been a blessing. There is a lot of accountability required for each Bible given to a kid and the spiritual progress of each kid partici-pating in the groups. All that has grown me as a young leader, and I appreciate being part of this great movement. We are continuing next year and extending to other villages as there is a demand to run this Program.”
|
|
|
|
TKO Milito, 17, from Cullinan township, says, “I am a recovered drug addict, for 3 years my life was hell after a friend introduced me to a drug called Tic (meth). I started stealing from neighbors to feed my bad habits. My family tried everything, but nothing worked. They took me to the most trusted traditional healers, but no one could help me. Then came Pastor Phakathi in a rehab where I was last year, he taught on emotional pain page 480 in the R4L book. It all made sense something in me broke free and I accepted the Lord. Now I am a member of Christ’s Love church in Pretoria after moving from Cullinan and now I lead a group of 65 boys in my community who need help like I did. The R4L program is a change agent in our townships and villages. I have been trained as a Peer educator and I want to train others to reach the lost of our community using the R4L book.”
|
|
|
|
|
Lungile Maduna, 16, Swaziland, says, “I used to go at the maiden reed dance where we are checked if we are still keeping ourselves pure “virginity testing”. The last reed dance I went to, we were introduced to the R4L Program. I have since joined a R4L girls club. I have learned that it is Jesus who helps a girl to live a pure life, not culture. It is the value I have found in him that I cannot just throw myself at boys. I am an expensive creation of God, Christ died for me and I am no longer just practicing culture, but I am kept pure by God’s grace.” |
|
|
|
“My name is Vusi Raluko I’m18 years old. R4L found me at Bosasa Krugersdorp Juvenile Prison last year. I was arrested for robbery at gun point. My life took a wrong turn when my parents died 5 years ago. I felt no one cared about me and joined a gang. I had never read a Bible in my life before and never been to Sunday school. Now I am a child of God, maybe getting arrested was a good thing because my life changed when I met my Peer educator Brother Sifiso. I came out of prison in Feb this year and joined a church youth group in Tshepisong township where I stay. This book has wisdom, this book speaks I have heard it and I will never be a gang member I am now a kingdom member. Next year I have signed up to be trained as a Peer educator in Johannesburg.”
|
|
|
|
Sign for R4L office and banners for the field |
|
A sign was recently hung outside the office at the Johannesburg R4L headquarters, which has brought higher visibility to their presence there. Kabelo (right) designed the sign as part of his Multimedia Coordinator responsibilities. Standing at left are Thandy and Emmanuel. Additional banners were also ordered for the various provinces, to be used in the field.
|
|
The current Rand exchange rate is still good at 15.46 Rand per dollar. |
|
Please partner with us in the Amazon Smile program! Go to smile.amazon.com. Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials. On your first visit, you're prompted to select a charitable organization from a list. Please select Prevention Time! (To change your selection, from your desktop, go to Your Account and select the option to Change your Charity. Or, from your mobile browser, select Change your Charity from the options at the bottom of the page.) We will receive 0.5% of purchases made at Amazon. Thanks for your help!
|
|
Prevention Time thanks you for your interest in our organization. We are a 501(c)3 organization and all donations are tax-deductible. Prevention Time has no paid staff, so our administrative costs are minimal. To help support the ministry in sub-Saharan Africa, please click on the donate button below. |
|
Sincerely,
The Prevention Time Board
Lorna Packard
Mindy Sauerlender
Mary Schumacher
Kim Ives
John Packard
|
|
Pastor Ed Kelley IV
Margaret Kiyohara
Janis Schlepp
Sara Dickinson
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
