In just a few weeks, Pastor Royce DuBose expects his church to be filled up with a bunch of buckets, all headed to Africa with love, all aimed at ministering to terminal HIV/AIDS patients and their caregivers.
His church, Evergreen Baptist in Conecuh Baptist Association, is one of seven drop-off points in Alabama for the state convention’s first In-Home Care Kit Project, promoted by Baptist Global Response (BGR), a Southern Baptist relief and development organization.
Each kit — compiled in a five-gallon sealable bucket — contains a specific list of hygiene and medical supplies to help ease the HIV/AIDS victim’s pain and the role of the caregiver. More than 22.5 million people are currently living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, according to BGR.
“It should be a very worthwhile missions effort,” DuBose said.
Nationwide, Southern Baptists are being challenged to assemble 5,000 kits to send to Africa. In Alabama, the goal is “as many as we can possibly get,” said Mel Johnson, state disaster relief director.
Alabama Baptist church groups and individuals are being challenged to assemble kits, which cost about $100 each. Even the bucket itself is a valuable commodity in Africa, used for carrying or storing water or food.
“It’s a great opportunity for those in local churches in Alabama — especially those who can’t go or participate actively in a missions project — to be involved in hands-on missions,” said Reggie Quimby, director of the office of global missions for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM).
The project is also being promoted by the Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) through missions groups such as Girls in Action and Royal Ambassadors.
“Participating in this project with the BGR allows us as the body of Christ to be a tangible influence in the lives of those who are hurting,” said Candace McIntosh, executive director of Alabama WMU. “We are not only meeting the physical needs of those affected by this disease but the project also opens the door for the hope of Christ to shine through.”
Alabama Baptists “are anxious to be about His Kingdom work, and this is a great avenue,” she said.
So great, in fact, state missionaries at the SBOM are putting together 50 kits themselves for the cause.
“The buckets give International Mission Board representatives an ‘in’ to go into homes that need aid, to help families who have someone who is dying,” Johnson said.
Last year, three other state conventions participated in a pilot of the project, an effort that resulted in nearly 1,400 kits making it to Zambia and South Africa, according to BGR’s Web site.
Kits will be collected July 23–25 at the seven designated drop-off points. In addition to Evergreen Baptist, drop-off stations will be located at:
– University Baptist Church, Huntsville;
– Etowah Baptist Association’s office;
– Birmingham Baptist Association’s office;
– Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery;
– Southside Baptist Church, Troy; and
– First Baptist Church, Bay Minette.
Disaster relief volunteers around the state will collect the kits from those locations and transport them to a central location for packing and shipping.
Alabama Baptists should be sure to include $25 for shipping with each of the kits as well, since no bucket can be shipped without it, Johnson said. Checks for shipping can be written to the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions and designated to “disaster relief home health care project.”
For more information or specific directions on what supplies to purchase and how to assemble a home care kit, visit baptistglobalresponse.com and click on “In-Home Care Kit Materials” or call Johnson at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 389.
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