Extreme Response has arrived

The ER team arrived this week for a week of activities with Living Hope, a ministry of the church where we are serving these three months. Part of the team is pictured at the right.

Extreme Response is in it's 11th year. It was started by two missionary couples in Quito, Ecuador when they wanted to respond to the extreme conditions some people were living in at the dump. Since then, ER has become involved in extreme conditions in over a dozen countries. Jerry and Dawn Carnill (HCJB missionaries) have gone full time with ER and relocated to Atlanta where they have established an office. Barb and I serve on their Board of Response.

We are now into December, and there will be activities in South Africa, Ecuador, Philippines, Nepal, Malawi, Ivory Coast and India (and, perhaps some other places) this month teaching and celebrating the love that Jesus has for the poor. Some of those activities will have teams of Christians from North America helping.

Today is World AIDS Day, and here in Cape Town we will take over a local mall and wear bright green shirts that say "Stop aids now! God loves us all, HIV positive and HIV negative. Your body is God's temple--use it wisely".

There will be a special program and AIDS testing. It is a day to bring attention to a major problem here. Pray for those that get tested today only to discover they are HIV positive. Pray for those that work with them after that. Many come to know Christ during this time.

Yesterday we served a lunch to the 170 workers at Living Hope. Many of these folks are HIV positive and have met Christ as a result. Read the story of Bongiwe that I posted last month. What a wonderful team of workers who know exactly how to help these people best.

After the mall we will visit an orphanage, some of the results of AIDS. We want to love those children in the name of Jesus. We have a Christmas party planned!

Pray for us these days as we travel with the ER team. Everyday we will be interacting with people from different townships, some homeless, all receiving food, hygiene kits and clothing in the name of Jesus. It is wonderful. EVERYTHING you do down here makes a difference in someone's life!

Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to myself"...that's exactly what we want to do.

Ron and Barb