MEDICS International Care, Inc.

In many places in Africa, women are treated as servants or property. Women and girls are the last to eat (if there is any food left) and the last to receive medical care. They can often be put out on the "street" for some minor infraction. Also, polygamy is still the practice in many places. The prescription is simple. Women and men need to be taught about marriage and parenting based on Biblical principles. However, implementation of the prescription is not easy or inexpensive.

MEDICS International has a ministry devoted to women reaching women (Colossians 1:10), training pastor's wives, listening to their hurting hearts and teaching them the truth of God's Word. The mission of the MEDICS International Women's Ministry is to bring hope and love to women in developing countries through the life changing power of Jesus Christ, discipling them to follow His example, and inspiring them to share Jesus and His way with other women.

Across Africa men are dying at an alarming rate because of the scourge of AIDS. Unfortunately for their wives, in many places relatives on the husband's side of the family will possess the dwelling where the couple or family lived thereby leaving widows and children with no place to live, no money, and no food. Widows frequently turn to prostitution in order to survive. Women and children often contract HIV/AIDS via their husbands and fathers. Alcohol and drugs are major problems for husbands and fathers as well. The women from a village welcome MEDICS

Even basic nutrition and sanitation are frequently lacking in families and must be taught. For example, many diseases could be curtailed by the boiling of water, and very elementary nutritional training could prevent eye diseases, dental problems, and general poor health caused by malnutrition.

Tribal voodoo and witchcraft affect every area of African life, and both Biblical and practical education is needed to overcome it.

One horrible example of the misinformation that witchcraft generates is the widespread prescription for curing AIDS via sex between an infected male and a virgin — especially a young child.

HIV/AIDS is a major problem in all of Africa. In fact, over 70% of the 42 million infected people in the entire world live in Sub-Saharan Africa. The scripture, 1 Corinthians 6:15-20, needs to be taught so that the people recognize their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and will glorify God in their bodies. African men and women do have respect for the Bible, but they need to be taught and discipled.

The Muslim presence in Africa leads to persecution of Christians. Since the Muslims are well organized and focus their resources (unlike evangelical Christian organizations whose efforts are diverse and diffused), they control many communities with money. For example, a Muslim-owned hospital does not give treatment to the sick unless they profess the Muslim faith. According to their beliefs, Muslim women have little hope for eternity unless their husband has visited Mecca and he decides to ask for a particular wife to join him in "paradise."

Africans, generally, are very open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to a Christian lifestyle. They want to learn about Jesus and to be taught Biblical principles, and they want us to listen to their problems and to pray for them. It is vitally important for them to know that we care enough about them to travel half way around the world to share the love of Jesus and to deliver hope. Please pray for MEDICS International's missionaries as they go to developing nations to deliver The Good News. Pray also that the darkness and hate spreading rapidly out of the Middle East and North Africa will be halted through the life giving message of the Gospel.

MEDICS is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, tax-exempt Christian ministry.