Ian and Jenn Stephens are missionaries working with C.H.I.P.S, Children HIV Intervention Programme in Swaziland, to help the orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS pandemic in Swaziland, Africa. Their home base is in Vuvulane and they travel around to various communities testing for HIV, assessing medical needs and treatment options, teaching job skills, providing workshops, and occasionally conducting Crossroads training (character building/positive living/HIV & abstinence). Ian and Jenn's main desire is to share the love of Jesus for each of these precious children while working towards fulfilling the vision of a HIV free Swaziland.

CHIPS Video

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Vuvulane Primary School

Vuvulane Primary School is a poor rural school which serves the town and 4 other informal settlements. A large percentage of the children are OVC’s (orphaned and vulnerable children) and their parents /guardians are unemployed. These are the children we try to help with uniforms and fees. The school has received some funding from the government enough to cover the basics mainly teachers’ salaries. 

The principal, Aero Mthembu, is a Christian and has a deep commitment to the children in the school. Over the past few months, we have developed a good relationship and we enjoy the way he interacts with the pupils. Aero Mthembu really wants to improve the life of the children, but needs our help. The main objective he has is to set up a counseling /library center.  There is a need for furniture tables, chairs, paint to brighten the interior of the room, shelving for books, and breakfast food. Many of the children do not have a meal before school starts and the only meal they have is provided at lunch time by the school.  The education of these children is the future of Swaziland.


We are not asking for any specific dollar amounts, but we would appreciate your prayers and ask the Lord to see what He places on your heart to give towards this huge need. We are so thankful for wonderful ministry partners with whom we can share these prayer needs.

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.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Gift of Sight

Elias is 65 years old and he has four school aged children. Occasionally, he was able to earn money working in the fields and he would fish to supplement his family’s need for food. Over the past year, Elias permanently lost sight in his left eye and now he is losing his sight in the right eye leaving him unable to work or fish. Elias needs surgery to regain some sight. The surgery can be done here in Swaziland and would cost $100. 

We are asking you prayerfully to pray for him and to follow the Lord’s leading to help with the Gift of Sight for Elias.  

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.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

A snapshot of what we spend our days doing

Here are a few things that we have been busy with doing lately.

Last week, we did prayer home visits in Maphiveni and visited five folks including Shandu. The last homestead we visited one of the ladies told us that on Sunday she heard a voice saying  'Someone would visit you tomorrow to give you a word from the Lord'. She thought she was going crazy! So the next day when we show up she was just astounded at the special touch from God. God is amazing! She was saved some while back but does not go to church because no one took the time to disciple her after she accepted Christ. We did say we would visit again. We did prayer home visits in Mgldzangcunu (Tuesday) and one at Section 19 (Friday)

Devotionals with the Chips staff are going well and we are starting to get more more response from the lessons. Ian teaches on Mondays and Fridays and Jenn teaches on Wednesday.  We have made a prayer sheet for each of them to write down any confidential prayer needs they may have and Ian and I will pray for their requests at home. It has just come to our attention that when the staff have been on their phones during the devotional (occupied with what we thought was SMS'ing/texting), they are actually inputting the Bible verses that we use so that they can read them later. A couple of the staff have started doing their own mini study over their lunch hour. Please continue to pray for us that God will give us wisdom on what to say and how to answer their questions and please pray for the Staff that their hearts would be fertile soil for the Word of God to fall and that they will grow in their faith and knowledge of God. 

This past Monday, I, Jenn, started the Ladies Bible study at Mgldzangcunu about 26/27 ladies came, we sang praises, prayed and went through John 4:1-15. Part two will be in two weeks covering verses 15-30. Bonginkhosi, who came as my translator, was a little nervous to start with but he really got into his stride and did well.  He did say he learnt a lot. Then I asked if there were any questions and one lady put her hand and asked, 'Are we really meeting in two weeks?' I said yes. A second lady put her hand and said 'So if we are meeting in two weeks, will we meet two weeks after that again?' I replied, "Yes, as long as you need me to come or until the Lord tells me stop.' Then a third lady raised her hand and said she had a Bible and was going home to read the second part so she would know the end! Please pray for these woman that they would grow in their knowledge of the Lord. 

Wednesday Bonginkhosi and I did food parcels/prayer/visited several home bound old folks at Khomba.  I always really enjoy going out in the communities and visiting with the people here.

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.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Gavin


We stopped in to see Gavin not to long ago. He is 5 years old and is growing up fast!
 Praise the Lord he is fit and healthy!
He is very cute!  Doesn't that smile just melt your heart? 
In 2012 when we first saw Gavin, he was so sick with HIV and we were able to get him initiated on ARV's (antiretroviral medications). Here's a picture from before, . See the difference good care can bring to a child's life? You can read some of his story here or here

It is so encouraging to see some of the kids that we have come to love doing so well and thriving. It's too often that we find the children suffering from lack of care, whether the caregivers have no resources or don't want to deal with the responsibility of tending to their children.         
       
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.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

There are seven kids who need to go to school

Ntsetselelo, Fanzile, and Sphelele

These are the three boys that we have put into school by paying for their school uniforms and school fees. 

Ntsetselelo, 6 years old lives in Mgldzangcunu with his mom who does piece work in the fields and there is no support from his father. 

Fanzile lives with his grandparents but often goes to school hungry and unkempt. His grandparents are not much of a support with regards to school. We've written about Fanzile before and he's won his way into our hearts. 

Sphelele is about seven and lives with his mother also in Mgldzangcunu. We don't know much about their family except that their house burnt down a couple of months ago. 

There so many more children who are just as needy and destitute, but there are seven in particular that we have identified.  They are unable to attend school without their uniform and school fees. Please pray for these children and that the Lord would give guidance to how we can best help them. If you would like to help with the school fees, it costs $100 for the fees and the uniform per child per school year. 

We have decided that, with whatever donations come in for school fees, we will try to help as many children as we can attend school with their most pressing need. This will help take some of the financial burden off of their parents, while allowing the parents to still own responsibility for their child's education, and enable us to help more children get access to school.

You can donate online at 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.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Can anyone help a Man with a Mission?

Bonginkhosi (our gardener/translator) has a real heart for his people in the communities. He goes out with us during the week to visit the people and help us with translating.  He often comes back from a trek on his own with someone else in need of assistance.  Bonginkosi would really like to visit more them frequently but he is in need of transport to get to the more distant areas. 

If he had a bicycle it would be such a blessing to him and the cost would be around a $100. Can you help? 
Bonginkhosi interacting with the children

We have enjoyed seeing how God has worked in Bonginkosi's life over the last couple of years and to see how God is using him in the lives of his own people.  Bonginkosi has been coming to church with us and has such a hunger to learn more about God. Please pray that God will use Bonginkosi greatly and that the people would see God in his life and desire to have what he has. 

You can donate online at 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.


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Section 19 Woman's Support Group Floor Polish Micro-Industry