“Faces of the Dying — Zambia”

Theme: Loving our neighbor requires action.

Scripture: Matthew 22:36-40 (NASB)
“‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’”

Discussion Questions:
1. How big is the problem of AIDS in Zambia?
2. How does Carrie work to prevent the spread of AIDS?
3. Carrie says that she could easily spend all her time ministering to AIDS patients. Why, then, does she spend so much time with those who do not have AIDS?
4. In what ways do Southern Baptists in North America help address the AIDS pandemic in Africa?

Review the information on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet for Youth (available at:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/
aids_in_africa/kff_youth_factsheet.pdf).

Print out a copy for each student, if appropriate for your students. (Note: The Fact Sheet is specific in terms of activities which lead to the contraction of the HIV/AIDS virus.) Ask them to review the Fact Sheet:
1. Where do most “young people” living with HIV/AIDS live?
2. What is an AIDS orphan?
3. Where do most of the world’s AIDS orphans live?
4. How many more people have AIDS in sub-Sahara Africa than in North and South America (Figure 2)?

Personal Reflection:
1. According to United Nations statistics, 21.5 percent of Zambia’s adult population suffers from AIDS (roughly 1 million people). Another 150,000 children live with the AIDS virus, and 570,000 children live as AIDS orphans.
In recent months, the insufficient supply of flu vaccines has cause major upheaval in the U.S. Yet, in any given year less than 36,000 deaths are attributed to the flu. Yes, that’s right . . . a higher percentage of people have AIDS in Zambia than will get even a mild case of the flu in the U.S. this year (5 to 20 percent).
2. If we have accepted Christ as our Savior, then we have a Helper as we face difficult choices and temptations. Read John 16:7-8. What does Jesus say the Holy Spirit will help us do? In what ways do you see the Holy Spirit help you as you face temptation?
3. Carrie says that Christians in North America have the resources to slow or even stop the spread of AIDS across Africa. How can money alter the spread of AIDS? How can knowledge change the spread of AIDS? What spiritual resources do Christians have which can affect the spread of AIDS? How can you slow or even stop the spread of AIDS?

Pray:
1. For career and short-term missionaries who are ministering to people with AIDS in Zambia and around the world.
2. For Zambians to accept the message of salvation.
3. For spiritual maturity and sexual purity for young Zambian Christians.
4. For sexual purity for yourself and others in your student group.

Links for more information on AIDS in Africa:
International Mission Board, SBC — “Faces of AIDS”
http://www.imb.org/aids/
International Mission Board, SBC — “AIDS Around the World’
http://www.tconline.org/onmission/
toolbox/fastfacts/410671.html
International Mission Board, SBC — “Running out of Time in Africa”’
http://www.tconline.org/stories/500762.html
Abstinence Clearing House — Africa
http://www.abstinenceafrica.com/
Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative
http://bayloraids.org/africa/
TIME magazine — “Death Stalks a Continent"
(by James Natchwey/Magnum)
http://www.time.com/time/2001/aidsinafrica/
World Hunger— AIDS in Africa
http://www.aids-in-africa.org/
World Bank — “Intensifying Action Against HIV/AIDS”