Positive Ray Louisiana
Our partnership with Shiloh Evangelical Church started early August 2011. They planted ECSA Louisiana in the rural RDP development township. Approximately 2000 homes are there already, and more will come. Many people work as gardeners or domestics, some collect recycling for government and receive food parcels in return. However, some still go hungry.
Louisiana Community
Every Thursday Pastor Paul and Slindile visit 10 homes in the Louisiana community. They are well known in Louisiana. Their friendship ministry opens people’s homes for evangelism and they start every visit with a Biblical message and prayer, then educate on HIV and Aids as part of general health education. Slindile used to work directly under Positive Ray as a community worker and now uses her knowledge well for this outreach.
Pastor Clement, Pastor Paul and Slindile
During the visits they identify those who are sick and provide Home Based Care. Others are encouraged to visit the local clinic to be tested so that they know their status. The community is now talking about HIV, although stigma, as in many places, still exists.
Both, Paul and Slindile, are supported with a stipend from Shiloh ECSA. Furthermore the church assists those who lost loved ones and have no means to pay for the funeral. ECSA Shiloh, under the leadership of Pastor Leon Pillay, help where they can.
This elderly lady got much better after starting ARV treatment. The weekly visits encourage her to keep on going.
God’s Word is a source of hope and encouragement to many. The church attendance in Louisiana has increased since the inception of the outreach. Presently, +- 80 people attend Sunday’s morning service and they celebrated 18 Baptisms recently.
Positive Ray was able to donate garden tools to start a support group interested in gardening and Slindile is now driving this initiative.
LATEST NEWS – Apr 2012
The response to the door to door visits is great. To date a total of 240 homes have been visited reaching approx 450 people.
Through the HBC program they care for 7 people. Because of the stigma people are afraid to get tested because they do not want to know their status.
The church in Lousianna is enjoying progress. It has a congregation of about 60 to 70 people on a Sunday morning. Through the satellite program 18 people accepted Jesus and were baptised in February 2012.
Shiloh church has helped many people with food parcels, clothing and other forms of donations. The people are very pleased because they can see the church in action. Recently, a garden project was started. Positive Ray helped with garden tools.
CHALLENGES
- High unemployment in the area
- Food for the patients
- ID documents
- Funding to support Slindile to work more days per week
