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Missions

The Gift of Death

They are called the "Gold Widows," women whose husbands work in the gold mines of the mountains of Lesotho, a country in southern Africa. These men return home only at Easter and Christmas. For the past decade or so when these men return home, they not only bring gifts and material goods, many also bring with them the AIDS/HIV infection—the "gift of death." Women and their newborn babies are being infected and most do not know they have a deadly disease.

The sixteen-passenger taxi comes to the end of its run. The driver discovers a small bundle under the seat—it's a newborn baby. In a country where an abandoned baby was never heard of, the sounds of crying orphans plague the area. Most of these babies are AIDS/HIV infected—they've received the "gift of death."

Assemblies of God missionaries Alan and Pat Pettenger face these challenges as they return for a third term to Lesotho, a small, independent kingdom inside South Africa. The "gift of death" affects nearly one third of the 2 million inhabitants of this tiny country.

The mountain people need awareness of the AIDS/HIV pandemic and the women and children need counseling and testing to determine if they are infected. Teaching about home-based care is also needed so those dying can be adequately cared for. All this must be done with the goal of bringing people to Christ for salvation and healing.

The Pettengers return to Lesotho with a burden to address this problem. They will train pastors and laypeople who attend Assemblies of God churches. They will also mobilize a combination health care and evangelistic team to go from village to village counseling, teaching, testing, training and reaching people with the love of God. The Pettengers need prayer for more workers and for wisdom.

The Assemblies of God World Missions Africa regional office developed Cry Africa to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Cry Africa conducts educational seminars to mobilize church and community leaders, and facilitates testing and counseling to help prevent mother-to-child transmission. To contact Cry Africa, call 417-862-2781, ext. 1675.