DBU students seek to ‘turn the tide’ against AIDS in Africa_80904

Posted: 8/06/04

DBU students seek to
'turn the tide' against AIDS in Africa

By Kristi Brooks

Dallas Baptist University

DALLAS–In an effort to “turn the tide” against the spread of HIV-AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, a group of Dallas Baptist University students spent a month there this summer, carrying a message of sexual abstinence to students in Swaziland's schools.

The students–along with DBU faculty and staff members–made the commitment to go to Swaziland following an on-campus appeal last October by Bruce Wilkinson, Christian author and founder of the Dream for Africa organization.

Students learned nearly half of the people in Swaziland between the ages of 25 and 29 are HIV-positive, and a 15-year-old Swazi has about a 20 percent chance of living to age 30.

“With this incredible charge before us, university administration began planning and praying,” explained Blair Blackburn, DBU executive vice president. “Throughout the fall and spring semesters, letters asking for prayer, financial support and encouragement were sent to many friends and families of the university and students. As the financial support poured in, we knew that God's hand would guide this mission.”

Blackburn organized a four-member leadership team from DBU for the trip–Jay Harley, director of spiritual life; John Adams, coordinator of auxiliary services; Nikki Walker, a former Journeyman missionary to Swaziland; and Bob Garrett, professor of missiology.

The team endured a 20-hour plane ride to South Africa and then traveled by bus to a Youth for Christ camp outside Johannesburg. The following day, the students began training and learning the curriculum they would present in the Swazi schools. After a week of intense training, they left by bus for Swaziland and were ready to go to the schools.

Every morning for three weeks, the 30 teams of 10 to 14 people were sent out to schools all over the nation of Swaziland. Each team had two to four DBU students, along with college students from around Swaziland and South Africa who also had committed to abstinence.

“The teams were multi-ethnic and culturally diverse to generate a variety of teaching and creativity,” Walker said. “The most important thing we wanted to show was unity among the nations. It was about empowering those who live there, because they are the ones who really can make a difference in their country.”

Students showed a movie, “Beat the Drum,” that depicts a young boy who has been orphaned by AIDS. Then they followed up with a workbook based on the film designed to encourage student discussion about how values affect actions.

“We used the movie as a platform to discuss the issues the students face on a regular basis in a non-threatening way,” said Lance Gardner, a DBU senior. “The Swazi people are the nicest people you may ever meet, but they don't discuss their problems out loud.”

Dallas Baptist University students Isaac de los Santos and Karissa Muilenburg spend some quality time getting to know the students from Swaziland. More than 100 volunteers from DBU spent a month in Swaziland teaching lessons on sexual purity.

DBU junior Jacob Holt added: “It's almost like they think if they just don't talk about their problems, by ignoring them, they'll go away. The reality is, they are slowly killing themselves off by not talking.”

The students knew the missions experience would be tough, but nothing prepared them for the stories they would hear from the Swazi students.

“I knew it would be a hard trip, but it was difficult in ways I wasn't expecting,” explained Michelle Brackett, a DBU senior. “Hearing stories from young teenage girls tell about how they have been abused since a very young age by a teacher or family member was horrifying to me.”

Each day at the schools, the teams were stretched more and more to be flexible, gracious and loving, team leaders noted.

“I don't think our students struggled with cultural differences. It was the heavy issues the Swazi people encounter on a regular basis that challenged them,” Adams said.

“I would venture to say most social workers in the U.S. may never hear or see some of the things our students saw. Swaziland, it seems to me, is a country that has literally hit 'rock bottom' in so many areas–socially, spiritually, economically, educationally and morally. And yet, our students addressed the concerns brought to them with grace, confidence, tact and strength that only comes from a total and complete dependence on the Holy Spirit.”

Garrett expressed pride in the DBU students' commitment and courage, saying: “They were passionate about telling the Swazi youth that God wanted to bless them and give them hope for a long life. They were so clear in standing up for sexual abstinence and fidelity, and they did not blink at asking students to receive the Lord.”

In the evenings, teams met back at the camp to recount the events of the day. After dinner they would spend several hours singing, praying and worshipping together.

“Our team always prayed together first thing in the morning, and then I would spend time by myself in the evenings praying,” Holt recounted. “This trip showed me how vital and necessary prayer is. I can't stop the AIDS pandemic, but I can pray. I can cry out to God on behalf of these people.”

Many Swazi students came forward during Friday assemblies to take a pledge of sexual purity and commit their lives to Christ.

“If just one Swazi commits to a relationship with Jesus Christ and to sexual purity until marriage, that could be an entire family that is saved,” Harley said.

Several students returned to Dallas with confirmation of a call to full-time mission work, and others, like Brackett, received some clarity on their role with missions.

“This trip made me realize that while I may not be called to full-time missions, I want to be involved with other mission trips when the opportunities arise,” she shared.

For Holt, the trip confirmed his desire to serve as a missionary in a foreign country. “I have a huge burden for the people of South America, and I hope to some day serve as a missionary there,” he said.

The missions experience was a month-long lesson in servant leadership, Adams noted.

“Our students were truly tested and stretched in Africa, and their understanding of the call God has placed on their lives blew me away,” he said.