September 23, 2002

Texan takes True Love Waits to Zimbabwe youth
___By Sue Sprenkle
___International Mission Board
___BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (BP)--Banners stretch across the width of the street. Posters and fists pump high in the air to rhythmic chants. Masses of determined youth march down the street. The excitement electrifies the air. Merchants and vendors leave their shops to see what the commotion is about.
___In Zimbabwe, political marches are as abundant as the elephants in the bush, but this rally stands out above the rest. It is a celebration of a commitment that could change the future of Zimbabwe, a celebration of new hope.
___This rally is one of six in Zimbabwe this summer that cap a two-year campaign for True Love Waits, a Southern Baptist program that emphasizes abstinence and marital fidelity.
___The celebrations come just as Zimbabwe's government officially declared a six-month emergency period to deal with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infections in the world. Youth attending the rally are certain True Love Waits is the best way to combat the deadly disease.
___One girl stands up and tells the students she and her friends had decided it was finally time for them to have sex. The next day, however, journeyman missionary Steve Smithe and his crew visited their school and talked about True Love Waits.
___"That's when I realized that sex is for marriage. Sex is for love," she announces to the crowd. "This is a commitment that I've made to Jesus Christ and to my future husband."
___When Smithe, a Plano native and Baylor University graduate, started traveling across Zimbabwe, talking to government and private schools about True Love Waits, he had no idea so many youth would respond to a call for purity. His original goal was to find 5,000 students to sign commitment cards. Today, he's registered more than 65,000 commitments to purity.
___He hopes many students realize they can be rescued not only from AIDS, but also from sin.
___Zimbabwean health officials report an average of 2,500 citizens die from AIDS every week and that at least 20 percent of the nation's 14 million people have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
___"Anyone who follows True Love Waits will be a witness," Smithe predicts. "When they are old and the young ask them why they didn't die during the great AIDS pandemic, the youth of today will bear witness to the youth of tomorrow about God's perfect plan.
___"Can you imagine 65,000 people pulling out their True Love Waits cards and explaining why they didn't die? It's just going to be awesome!"
___Steve Smithe's name has been changed for security reasons.

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