While the world watched the rescue of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped for more than two months, most were unaware of the spiritual transformation that had taken place 2,300 feet below the earth’s surface. According to Baptist Press and other reports, two of the miners made professions of faith in Christ during their entrapment. Three of the miners were already Christians, including one who had been leading Bible studies for miners prior to the mine’s collapse.
Once the initial physical needs of the miners were met after the collapse, two pastors along with other believers were asked to come to the area to provide spiritual support. Miners were given MP3 files of the late Baptist pastor Adrian Rogers’ sermons and Bible studies in Spanish, along with Christian music. The pastors were able to minister not only to family members waiting for the rescue of loved ones, but also to the international press corps and government officials assembled at the site.
In Haiti, Presbyterian Church (USA) mission worker Mark Hare shares how teaching agricultural techniques is helping families in this impoverished land. On the denomination’s General Assembly Mission Council’s website, Hare introduces readers to Apolleon Jacques, a Haitian believer who is part of a farmer’s group receiving support from the Presbyterian Hunger Program. Several years ago, Apolleon began producing vegetables and seedlings in raised tire gardens and started earning a nice profit from selling them. “Apolleon is enthusiastically teaching the same techniques that have been helping his family in their daily struggle against hunger and poverty. Apolleon challenges us to believe as strongly as he in the vision of a community free from hunger,” Hare writes. As more and more families learn these techniques, it is believed that more communities will be transformed and able to break the poverty cycle.
Finally, from Botswana, a unique partnership between a Botswana church, an American church and the Botswana government has resulted in 48,000 students signing pledge cards to adhere to the principles of abstinence and faithfulness. Also, 25,000 people made professions of faith in Christ through the program.
According to an International Mission Board story, this is significant because of the impact HIV/AIDS has had on young adults. “At first we thought we had a medical problem,” said Sir Ketumile Masire, former president of Botswana. “It did not take us long to realize what we had on our hands was a moral problem.”
The American church, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church of Marietta, GA, matches monies that the Botswana church raises for the outreach program, called Face the Nation. Johnson Ferry also sends several teams to Botswana each year to help with discipleship and training counselors.
What a great work you all are doing! It is exciting to see this kind of a partnership take place and it is a great example to other churches.
Our church helps support with the church in Botswana that facilitates Face the Nation outreach program. It is a privilege to partner with them in their efforts to impact HIV/AIDS.