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Breaking The Bonds
Aim of the project:
- To help each drug-addict and AIDS-infected get the Scriptures as a saving anchor for their souls.
- To unite spiritually imprisoned parents and their children.
Project summary:
The BS considerably expands aid to those imprisoned, HIV/AIDS-infected, and drug-addicts. AIDS-infection is spreading at a threatening rate. According to official statistics for July 2007, 8291 cases of AIDS-infection had been registered in Belarus by now. Of them, 1088 people already died. In comparison with previous years, AIDS now attacks younger people. The majority of cases today come from young people ranging in age from 15 to 25 years, as against 29-35 years old in the past. Drug addicts constitute more than 70% of the victims of this deadly disease. To counteract HIV/AIDS advance, numerous social and religious organizations are formed. In their work with drug-addicts and AIDS-infected they use different methods, try new lines of approach to the problem, but the only true way to recovery is to change hearts through turning them to God. And we are ready to help them to do that - to give them the Bibles and other spiritual literature which will help them take a step of vital concernment.
We contacted the "Sword of freedom" prison ministry. They are involved in serving prisoners and their children left without parental care. The Holy Scripture can become a key link between children and their parents.
In 2007, the Bible Society has rendered help to drug-addicts in rehabilitation centers. Thanks to our personal links with the centers' administration, we are apprised of present needs, and the literature is immediately sent to those places. However, there is a great number of the drug-addicts that are still unreached, because they stay away from rehabilitation centers. More than eight thousand AIDS-infected need the Scriptures in order to have hope for healing their souls. 15 rehabilitation centers, 20 non-governmental organizations, 20 departments of AIDS-prophylaxic, 10 points of dispensation of disposable syringes work towards relieving the victims' feelings. They all realize that spreading of HIV-AIDS is a factor that threatens national security. Godlessness, immorality, cynicism - these are the underlying causes of the infection. The Bible Society is ready to supply the above-mentioned organizations with the spiritual literature, thus joining with them in the struggle for saving the victims' souls. There are bright testimonies of God's power and love that we receive from the ex-convicted, former drug-addicts and other people who had stopped on the edge of a precipice. These testimonies show how important it is to help such people to get the Scriptures. The Bible Society has an agreement with a coordinator of the Christian social mission, and we will supply all the rehabilitation centers, social organizations and departments with spiritual literature.
The Bible Society has started cooperating with the "Sword of freedom" mission ministering to those in prisons and their children throughout Belarus. They invited us to participate in their program "Let us join the separated bridges". The aim of the program is to restore the broken links between children and their parents serving time in prisons. The content of the program is this. At a parent's request a parcel is sent to a child as a holiday gift. This gift contains toys, sweets, and also a letter from a father or a mother to their children. We add a copy of the Bible to each parcel, so that the children might see that their parents remember them, and so does God whose love is permanent. 1000 parcels are planned to be sent in 2008, and we will need 1000 Scriptures for that purpose.
The present need cannot be fully met by the funds allocated for the project, therefore we are open for any contributions in order to be able to reach more people with the Good News of mercy, hope and love.
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