Dear Family and Friends,
It is mid-morning but Rosina, 16, is still at home, hurrying to finish her domestic chores before going to school. Her home is a small, dark hut where she has been living for about a year with her three brothers, the youngest of whom is only three years old. Their mother died about two years ago, and they don't know where their father is. “I look after my brothers like a mother,” says Rosina. “Our life here is very difficult.
Every day I have to go and fetch water in a place a long way from here, go into the bush looking for firewood, cook for my brothers and also go to school.” Rosina and her brothers are among an estimated 510,000 Mozambique children who have been orphaned by AIDS.
A Snapshot Of The Epidemic
- Number of Orphans: 1,500,000*
- 510,000 due to AIDS**
- 16.1% of HIV widespread*
- Life expectancy: 42 years*
- Adult 39% literacy rate
- 1.8 million HIV-positive people***
- 140,000 annual AIDS-related deaths***
- 60% primary school enrollment
- Over 60% of Mozambicans are without access to health care, with only 650 doctors nationwide***
- 54% of households were living with poverty in 2003
* Unicef ** Avert *** UNAIDS
I want to share with you a challenging ministry opportunity that God has presented to me. On Sept. 9th through Sept 27th, 2008, I have the privilege to serve on a short-term missions trip to Masoyi, South Africa and Gondola, Mozambique. I will join a team of single men, women, mothers, and married men from my home church Wellspring Church, in San Leandro, CA (www.wellspringsg.org) and our partner Hands at Work Africa (www.handsatwork.org). I will spend time with Pastor Carlos Guia and the local churches during this 18-day missions trip to care for the orphans and widows of South Africa and Mozambique.
While God has opened up a door for me to develop a greater heart of compassion and humility for His people around the world, the exciting part is that you will be able to share in this compassion with me in several ways. First, you can help pray for me and my team members.
I will need prayers that God will prepare me for my visit and bless my efforts as I minister the Gospel to the orphans and widows of South Africa and Mozambique. Prayer is the fuel that will allow me to be successful as I follow God’s leading in ministry in these two countries. Jesus says “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22 (ESV). Without prayer, nothing will happen.
I will also need your prayers that my financial needs will be met. Another way you can participate with me is to help provide that financial support. At this time I will need to raise $3,300 to cover the costs of this trip, and this is quite a challenge!
Would you consider supporting me with a small donation? I will need to raise all my funds by Sept. 1st, 2008 in order to pay for the airline tickets, food and accommodations. Please make your tax-deductible donation via check or money order payable to “Wellspring Church” with a memo “John Wu - Africa Team 2008” or electronically using PayPal to john@askjohnwu.com Whether you feel led to contribute financially, through prayer, or both, all of your support is graciously appreciated.
I look forward to doing God's work in South Africa and Mozambique and letting you know all about how God has worked through me and our team when I return in late September.
God Bless You,
John Wu
2457 Oregon Street, Union City, CA 94587, USA
Home (510) 487-1762; Cell (408) 794-8599; Fax (209) 879-0106
http://wellspringsg.org/missions/moz08/
