Chicken Houses: Double Match!!

 One of our faithful supporters has come up with an idea. He will match all donations up to $1,000 that are earmarked for the Chicken Project!

The Chicken Project at Maphiveni--initial start-up $1,000. There is always a market around here for chicken and this will be a community operated project. The start-up will consist of building chicken houses and buying day old chicks.

This project will be a viable way for many people to earn a living, especially since there will double the amount of money towards the start-up, selling chickens. The Chicken Project will also teach the participants how to work together, budget their resources, plan for the future and develop leadership abilities while providing an income to support their families.

Would you be interested in helping towards this project?

If you are, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.


Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

Please email us with the designation of Chicken Project to be counted for the match. We are so thankful and incredibly blessed by our generous friend's gift. Won't you join us is making this Chicken Project a reality for the people of Maphiveni? 

Thank you!!

Needs and Projects

We continue to be amazed at God's faithfulness and provision, as well as your outpouring of generosity!  In the last couple of months we have received several requests from our supporters asking if there is a project that they can help with and donations towards the reagent supplies, school costs for the children, houses for the elderly, and bibles in SiSwati among others. 

Here is a list of ongoing needs to choose from if you have it in your heart to give a gift that makes a difference in someone's life. 

• Reagent Supply-$1,000/month. The government is still not supplying the reagents needed to test CD4 levels. This is such an essential ongoing need that often means the difference between life and death as we find, through testing, people who are HIV+ who need to be initiated onto Anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment immediately in order to survive. 
•  SiSwati bibles for distribution--$10 each. A bible in their own language is something many Swazi's would love to own and simply can't afford to get. Also, we pass out bibles to those who come to know the Lord and it would be great to have a supply on hand!
  
• Home Care Kits--$30 each. Each kit includes personal hygiene items, laundry powder and bleach that we pass out to the many home bound clients (often elderly and very ill) we continue to meet. A supply of Home Care Kits on hand is a definite need. 
• Housing for the Elderly: New Roof--$150ea or Complete Home Refurbishing--$300ea. There are a lot of homes belonging to the elderly that are in a sad state of neglect and disrepair in all the settlements. The elderly people are often abandoned and neglected by their family and neighbors and have no strength or resources to fix up their homes. 
• Food Parcels--$30ea. The price of maize and other food continues to rise making it more difficult for people who are either out of work or earning very little to afford basic food staples. 
• New Baby Parcel--$30ea.  This package of clothes, diapers and other supplies is given to a new mom for her baby, often the only gift of new clothing the baby will receive. 
• School Sponsorship: Primary School--$200/student for a year or High School--$300/student for a year. Families don't always have the money for school fees and uniforms for their children to attend school. A school sponsorship will cover all the fees and will provide a uniform. Educated children will grow up to be the country's future leaders. 
• Micro-Industries: Start-up costs and ongoing supplies. These micro-industries provide opportunities for women, especially, to learn a marketable skill and to earn an honest income, which gives a sense of hope and the ability to provide basic necessities for their families. 
  
• The Sewing Project at Section 19 is ready to expand. The cost of a basic sewing machine is $150 and there is always a need for other supplies and material. Each lady who participates in the project will receive a sewing machine to use with a portion of her monthly profits being deducted to pay for the machine, which can take up to 2 years. These payments are used to purchase more machines and supplies, giving other women an opportunity to join the project. We are hoping to start a second Sewing Project in another settlement in the near future with 10 additional women. 
• The Vaseline Project at Maphiveni--initial setup $200. Ladies from Maphiveni have come up with the idea of making Vaseline with Aloe as there is a market already available for this item. 
• The Floor Polish Project at Maphiveni--initial setup $200. The support group at Maphiveni is very excited about this opportunity to earn income by producing floor polish which has an immediate market available. 
• The Garden Project at Maphiveni--$100 to fence one garden.  If the garden is fenced so chickens and other critters can't destroy the crops, that will allow for an individual to grow vegetables providing food for their own family and generating income as they sell the surplus.
• The Chicken Project at Maphiveni--initial start-up $1,000. There is always a market around here for chicken and this will be a community operated project. The start-up will consist of building chicken houses and buying day old chicks. 

We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and kindness to people that you have never met. Each gift greatly impacts one or more people and allows us to share God's love in a very practical way. It is such a blessing to us to see the many requests to come along side and help this ministry that God has given us to do, without even having to ask you to help. It is our prayer to plant seeds with each donation and trust God to do the watering and bring the increase.


Any gift that is earmarked is used for that specific thing or held until that need once again presents itself (ex. all school fees are due in January, but any scholarship money collected prior is kept for when the school fees are due).

The fastest way to make a donation is to go online at www.WorldOutreach.org Go to 'Donate' and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND or you can mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97. Once you have donated, please email us at piggwr4647@aol.com and tell us of your designation of your gift.

P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.


Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

Thumbprint of God

Vusi is a new Chips client in Macetuka. He is very sick. Jabulani took him in the last couple of weeks to Good Shepherd to get him initiated on to treatment. He was admitted into the hospital. Vusi has a wife and young baby, and he is a believer so we spent in prayer with him before he went to the hospital. Please lift up Vusi for strength and healing. Also, pray for his young family that they would continue to trust in the Lord during this difficult time. We continue to pray that young married believers, like Vusi and his wife, would be willing to go against the cultural practices of  having multiple spouses and no regard for family and instead choose to follow God's design for a family. That they would be witnesses to those around them and good examples of the blessings that come from obeying God and living a positive lifestyle.

Last year when we were at Macetuka, a young woman asked me to test her and  sure enough she was positive. But she refused any further help because of her husband, he would not allow it. When we were in Macetuka recently, she came to ask if we would test her and her husband.  They are both positive and so they will go next week to the hospital to get initiated onto treatments. There are no coincidences with God! Please pray for this couple that they would come to know God in a very real and tangible way and that they would also have the courage to live a different life than those around them, one that honors God.

We are planning to start the Crossroads training for some of the youngsters in Tmbankulu Hall in the next couple of weeks. We'll wait until  schools get settled in again. Thankfully, it appears as though the teachers' strike is over. Crossroads is a highly effective curriculum dealing with issues including character building, positive living, HIV, and abstinence. This is something that we have done in the past and have had on our hearts to restart the training for the young people around here.

The houses for the elderly are progressing and that is good news. We are so thankful for all the donations that made it possible.

The ladies of Maphiveni have formed a support group and there are 15 ladies with Mkhulu Shandu as the leader. We meet Thursday the 16^th to hear income generating ideas ranging from strawberry growing, chicken raising, making Vaseline and floor polish. The ladies and Mkhulu Shandu are very excited about this new venture and they have already have a treasurer, secretary and are checking out markets.We're thrilled to see them take initiative like this in developing ways to bring in life-changing income through honest work. Please pray that this group would have unity as they work together to better all their lives and that of their families. Pray that God will use this to break the chains of poverty and bring life changing hope and trust in Him. Pray that there is a good market for these goods and that these women would be rewarded well for their hard work. 

There is one more thing, while we have had a large supply of reagents and have been able to get many tested and onto life-saving treatments, our supply of reagents is running out and the government is still not supplying any more. Please pray with us that God would provided the needed amount each month.

If you would like to help with the reagent shortage or the micro-industry or the housing for the elderly or any other project please follow the directions below on how to donate. Your gift does indeed change lives for the better. It is our desire to use every dollar of your gift in a wise and responsible way in order to touch lives with the thumbprint of God, and we pray that God will continue to use your gifts to bless and change lives. Thanks for being God's thumbprint on us and the people that we serve here in Swaziland. We all are blessed!


P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.


Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

More people able to get needed treatment

The supply of reagents has allowed us to identify more than 15 people who desperately need to be initiated onto life-saving ARV's. We are so thankful that we are able to get these onto treatments! There was a government decision to change the CD4 threshold number of 350 to 550, which will be such a blessing. This means that now people will be allowed to be initiated onto ARV's when their CD4 levels are at 550 instead of waiting until their levels reach 350. More people will be able to receive proper treatment before getting so sick and it is a dire need to start, which will increase the effectiveness of treatment. 

Thandi is one of our Chips clients in Khomba and she is very sick.  We guess her age to be around 30 years and we are not sure what is wrong with her, either breast cancer or she has TB mass (not on ARV's as she has a high CD4 count). Thandi is also not a believer but we talked and prayed with her about God being the great healer and about faith, which she said she does not have. We will visit with her again. Teresa is talking to a surgeon as regards this mass. Please pray that Thandi will come to know God as the great Healer and that the doctors/surgeon would have wisdom for her care and treatment. 

In Section 19 this past week we tested six children who are not well. Thankfully, all their results came back as negative.

Little Gavin, from Maphiveni, was initiated onto ARV's this past week. He is doing well as well and is quite the ham. You can catch up on his story here.

 

Please lift up Thandi and Gavin as they start their various treatments. We know that God is the great healer and we ask for his mercies on these two especially at this time. We praise God for the supply of reagents and the change in the CD4 guidelines.

 
P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.


Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

Samuel

 

Last week at Mgldzangcunu, we visited a man named Samuel who is a Chips client. This 40 year old man is very sick, unable to walk or care for himself.  We spent much of Friday organizing food and basic home care for him. Samuel is on ARV's, has no family support and doesn't believe in God. 

We went back to see him this week and he prayed the salvation prayer! This is such an answer to prayer! Seeds have been sown and taken root, now they just need to be watered and tended carefully. Samuel says that he needs to get his life in order. He will be admitted to the hospital next week for treatment. Please join us in prayer for this new believer, that the treatment would be successful, that his family would come along side of him while he is so sick and there would be reconciliation, and that God would provide provision for payment of the hospital bill. We know that God is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or hope and we are trusting Him to work amazing things in Samuel's life.

 P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.


Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.

God's timing is great!

We are just amazed at how great God's timing is, it always is, though sometimes we forget. Since we have been able to proceed with testing with the donation of the reagents, there has been many people who have gotten tested. A handful of people's results came back with extremely low CD4 levels and they needed to be initiated onto ARV's as soon as possible, which we were able to do within a week's time. Having this supply of reagents on hand at this time, has meant the difference of life or death specifically for these few people. If the supply didn't come for another month, we would be planning their funerals instead of getting them on a treatment plan to manage their HIV and return to health.

We are so thankful for the many donations that made this possible to save lives. Though we have another month-two months supply of reagents now, we ask you to pray with us that there would be an ongoing supply of reagents provided (whether from the Swazi government, other countries or private donations) and that there wouldn't be any delays in getting the reagents for those who need testing. There is a greater openness and willingness among the people to take the step to get tested in the first place and then to get on treatment. Along with this willingness to know their status, we pray that their hearts would be moved to change their lifestyle because treatment alone isn't the solution to this epidemic. Our desire to see an HIV free generation keeps motivating us to work and spread the hope of the gospel through holistic care and treatment that Chips provides.

Join us as we thank God for His perfect timing and how He saves peoples lives, physically and spiritually.


P.S. - If you want to support our ministry, the fastest way is to make an Online Donation via www.WorldOutreach.org
Go to "Donate" and select our name, Stephens, Ian and Jenn SWAZILAND. The system can process USA and International cards.


Or simply mail your gift to World Outreach Ministries, PO Box B, Marietta, GA 30061 and designate for Ian and Jenn, Fund Code #97.