AIDS rescue centers are leading children to Christ in Zambia

Zambia (MNN) — 17 million people have died of AIDS since the 70’s in Africa. Those deaths have left some 13-million children orphaned. Teen Missions International is doing what it can to help, not just physically, but spiritually.

Teen Missions International’s Bob Bland says they have a program they call AIDS, Orphans and Street Children and as a part of that they’ve established what they’re calling, “AIDS Rescue Centers” in Zambia.

Bland says they build a center and staff them with their Bible school graduates. He says this allows them to reach 400 to 500 children with physical needs. They help with fighting malaria and other medical problems and they teach them how to grow gardens to feed themselves. “Many of these children starve to death. There’s nobody there to care for them. So we’re trying to help them,” says Bland. They also provide the funding and uniforms needed so they can attend school.

This outreach is having a great impact on these young people because it attracts them. “They are there because there’s no one there to care for them. The unit becomes there mother and father in a sense because they have no one else to care for them. It’s the only place of hope. And, most of these little AIDS orphans that come will receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.”

Teen Missions currently has rescue units in Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia. Bland says Teen Missions is sending teams over to build even more units.

Men and women are needed to go on short-term mission outreaches. Bland says this is key not only for the help abroad, but for the help in the States. “The Scripture says where there’s no vision, people perish. These people come back with a vision. And, many of these people are coming back and praying and really working to help us reach out to hundreds more,” says Bland.

Pray that more and more people will get involved.