The Board of Faith Fortress has been blessed with the opportunity to minister to Naga widows who struggle with HIV. The Indian state of Manipur, where we do ministry, borders the Nation of Myanmar (formerly Burma). Because Myanmar produces a large percentage of the world's opium, many young Nagas have access to very pure and potent heroin. Many of the young men in the region become addicted to these drugs, share needles, contract HIV, and then pass the disease on to their future wives and sometimes their children.
The above photo is of Sophia (far end) meeting with the first group of widows. As you can see, many of them are extremely young. The group has now grown to 31. This rapid growth is remarkable considering the history these young ladies have had with people who have reached out to them offering to "help". Several individuals who have received grant money to be used for assisting these widows have merely taken a few photos to show the grant-makers, then disappeared.
Due to these experiences, the widows have become somewhat guarded, and because of this, Sophia was warned that her attempts at ministry may not be well-received. The love of Jesus that Sophia exudes has led to the exact opposite outcome. After they have gotten to know her and sense her authentic desire to love and support them, the group has been steadily growing.
In addition to spiritual support and prayer, FFM has been providing small quantities of rice and medicine to help them along. Sophia is in the process of helping those who have skills such as sewing and gardening start micro-enterprises with seed money from FFM.
Please pray for our efforts in helping these young ladies have all the necessities for life they need and above all grow closer to God.