In this picture on our home page is Maritsa with two guys I ministered to in the maxium sercurity prison in South Africa. I have been asked by the guys if I would baptize them shortly after Sally and I arrive in South Africa!!

Another one of the men we met in the prison, Sebastian, has had severe health problems. This note from Maritsa (a social worker who ministers in the prison) explans more:

“The guys are doing really well on the spiritual side, but both Sebastian and Earl are not so well physically. Sebastian’s a-plastic anemia has flared up again with his platelet levels being dangerously low. This means his back onto all the medication again to try and prevent him needing to be hospitalized and given a blood transfusion. It sounds like stress could also trigger the levels dropping so that’s probably what happened since his parents and sister all started up their drinking and shouting habits again the last few weeks. It was really disturbing him (and he had to take care of some responsibilities re his sister’s baby that they were neglecting) greatly and he actually went to stay at an aunt’s house for a couple of nights to get away. Last weekend his condition got worse to the point that he lost consciousness for a while and had to be taken to hospital overnight to be stabilized, so now it seems everyone got such a fright they’re sober again since then… He’s feeling a bit better but still weak, so keep him and his family in prayer please. Earl on the other hand is feeling sick without them knowing the cause yet. He has been sweating at night for a while and his appetite comes and goes, but lately he also gets headaches, fever and some aches and pains that come and go as well. He has also lost 28 pounds over the last few months. He tested negative for HIV and is waiting on the TB results before they do further tests, but we’re praying that God will just touch him and heal him quickly – especially since the medical services at the prison are not really good. I’m sure the timing is no coincidence since he is really doing major damage to the devil’s “camp” on a daily basis… he is reaching out to many old friends, he’s counseling people who keep coming to him with personal problems, and he has started his own weekly bible study/relationship-building group…”

Please pray for them, would you?

Thank you so much!