August 2006 Report

Anathoth is the headquarters of Africa Upper Room Ministries. On five acres of land near Johannesburg, South Africa, it takes its name from the Jeremiah passage in which land at Anathoth is purchased as a sign of hope for the future. Anathoth is, for Upper Room Ministries, a sign of hope for the future of Africa. This newsletter from staff-person Roland Rink brings news from this important ministry.

"HOLDING HANDS"

Greetings to you from Anathoth House. Spring is just around the corner, and there is a sense of anticipation as warmer weather begins to arrive more and more frequently.

The cover art of the July/August edition of The Upper Room daily devotional guide showing a family who are holding hands in a circle provided the inspiration for this month's Anathoth Newsletter. Holding hands is such an act of unity, comfort, reassurance and love!

We at The Upper Room and at Anathoth are presently working hard at producing a new addition to the Pocket Prayers series of booklets. The focus for our new booklet will be on offering the hope of Jesus Christ to those who might in any way be affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic. We are "holding hands" with a number of people who will write devotions that will assist us to produce a universally meaningful spiritual resource. We intend to print and distribute at least 1 million copies of the booklet, in many languages around the world.

South Africa is at the very epicenter of the pandemic. There are approximately 40 million people living with HIV globally, of which it is estimated that between 4.7 and 6.6 million are South Africans. (More than 10% of the global figure!) Estimates are that one in three people have AIDS, and require antiretroviral treatment immediately. The majority of people living with HIV and AIDS are between 20-30 years old. Stigma, discrimination, violence against women and children, poverty, gender are all factors contributing to the epidemic in South Africa.

How can we hold hands in the midst of this bleak, chaotic landscape of lost hope?

We must hold hands with Christ and pray for guidance and discernment as we sense what Christ requires our own personal response must be.

Secondly, we hold hands with those working amongst, and those who are offering support to people affected in any way. One thinks of the countless, and mainly faceless laboratory technicians, doctors, nurses, caregivers, counselors, and clergy and their supporting families.

Thirdly, we need to pray for all of those who will be writing, editing, printing, translating, producing or distributing this much needed booklet. A seemingly simple resource that might well be the only single ray of hope for those affected by this deadly virus.

Lastly, but not least importantly, we need to join hands with those who are suffering and their families. Poverty as defined by Mother Theresa is not merely about a lack of finances. True poverty belongs to those who are lonely, unloved and unwanted. These people are the poverty stricken of this earth. It is not difficult to imagine that HIV and AIDS affected people could easily comprise a large percentage of the truly poor people of this earth.

We go forward,
Roland Rink