True_Love

True Love Waits. 2003

NEW UPDATE

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21) These are the meditations of my heart as I write today. I cannot even begin to tell you all that God has done through True Love Waits in the past two months. To share all of the details would make my newsletter exceeding abundantly above all that you are willing to read, but I will share just a few of the noteworthy achievements of our Lord this month. First, we have gone from 5 trained presenters for True Love Waits to 32, and we are scheduled to train another 15-20 later this month. The excitement around becoming a presenter has spread so rapidly we haven’t been able to keep up with the demand for training (A good problem to have in my opinion!) Additionally, two of the newly trained presenters are missionaries from the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism and they have a group of 10 South Africans who want to become presenters, so the two missionaries will join me as trainers for that group in October… God is not just multiplying presenters, He’s now multiplying trainers! Also, another IMB missionary who works with the Zulu population in Kwa-Zulu Natal (our province) came to the training and we have set up training for others on the KZN team for early next year. Finally, some of those trained were people who were totally transformed by the message of God’s plan for their lives and at least one woman not only made a commitment to abstinence, but also gave her life to Christ a result. The testimony of the transformation God has done in her was so powerful it was evident God is being glorified through True Love Waits.

As I sat in the training over the past few weekends, there were many times when I just was awash with emotion because God really has done exceeding abundantly above all that I could ask or think. He has been showing me from the beginning that people needed to be trained to present, and He has been faithful in making that vision into a reality.

As my time to leave draws closer, I will be so sad to leave here, but God has made it possible for the momentum He has started not just to continue, but to accelerate, and I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of what He is doing here through True Love Waits.

Please pray for the 32 new presenters as they go out into the community and present, asking Him to give them the power of the Holy Spirit and the confidence that come from Christ alone. Also, please pray for those who will be trained on September 17^th and 18^th and for the number of trained presenters to continue to grow.

Please pray for God’s direction and hand of provision as I plan for the many details that accompany hosting the volunteer team coming from Charleston in October.

True Love Waits is a program that has been taught in many areas of the world for several years. It is a biblically based teaching that culminates in the participants signing a commitment card to be faithful to God before marriage and to abstain from premarital sexual activity. We see this commitment to abstinence as the only way to make a dent in the AIDS pandemic which is sweeping through the countries of Southern Africa with devastating affects.

The future of Zimbabwe, as well as all the countries of Southern Africa is its youth and our youth are dying of AIDS. This message must go out to the youth of our nations -- God's plan is for sex inside of the marriage vows only.