HIV / AIDS Network

Friday, February 12, 2010

February 2010

February 2010

Greetings, AIDS Ambassadors!

2010 is upon us and the call to eradicate the spread of AIDS continues to fall on our ears and hearts. The United Methodist Global AIDS Fund (UMGAF) Committee met last week under the leadership of Dr. Donald Messer. We want to pass along several items for your work as Ambassadors.

Lighten the Burden AIDS Conference III — Mark on your calendar and plan to attend the third Lighten the Burden Conference Oct. 14-16: Please note this is a new date. Lighten the Burden will be held at the Radisson Central Hotel in Dallas. This conference is sponsored by UMGAF with the support of several United Methodist general agencies. Registration information will be forthcoming.

Dr. Musa Dube, internationally known theologian from Botswana, will lead the Bible study at Lighten the Burden. Other invited speakers include Bishop Minerva CarcaƱo, Dr. Jeffrey Crowley, director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, and Dr. Pauline Muchina, senior partnership advisor with UN AIDS.

Workshops for learning and networking will be featured.

Please promote this “save-the-date” notice widely in your local church and annual conference.

Questions? Contact Linda Bales Todd at lbales@umc-gbcs.org or (202) 488-5649

United Methodist Global AIDS Fund is on Facebook! Become a fan! Go to Global AIDS Fund on Facebook.

AIDS Toolkit — Hope each of you has accessed the newly released toolkit to be used in The United Methodist Church. To download, go to Toolkit. It’s filled with helpful tips and resources for our work to eradicate AIDS.

Proposed Uganda anti-homosexuality bill may impact AIDS prevention and treatment — Proposed Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill criminalizes homosexuality and expands the penal code to punish “aggravated homosexuality,” including activity by “serial offenders” or those who are HIV-positive. The Uganda bill also criminalizes the “promotion of homosexuality,” which includes providing funding to organizations that serve Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuial and Transgendered people.

This measure would “severely threaten HIV/AIDS prevention, services and treatment, making the work of groups seeking to prevent the spread of HIV nearly impossible.”

The General Board of Church & Society recently signed on to a letter to the U.S. Congress asking them to speak out against this legislation. To access information about this sign on letter, go to Uganda.

Please urge your U.S. Congress persons to support resolutions in the House (H.R. #1064) and the Senate (S. #409) condemning the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill and affirming the intrinsic dignity of all Ugandans regardless of sexual orientation. Call today! The Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121.

You may want to read the United Methodist Social Principle on Equal Rights Regardless of Sexual Orientation.

Please Promote the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund — Each of you can play a major role in mobilizing funding for the UMC Global AIDS Fund. For those of you who are key contact persons in your annual conferences, please ask for time at your annual conference session to raise the issue of AIDS and a plea for funding. As you know, 25% of all monies raised within the annual conferences for the AIDS fund remains in your conference to support AIDS projects. The remaining 75% goes to Advance Special #982345 for projects outside the United States; 100% of all contributions go directly to the designated projects.

For your information, Central Texas Conference is using some of its funds to sponsor workshops on AIDS and its impact on African Americans. "AIDS is the leading cause of death for 25- to 40-year-old African-American women in the Fort Worth area," said Jerry Longwell, Central Texas AIDS coordinator, "and the second leading cause of death for men in that age group. We are partnering with the AIDS Outreach Center in Fort Worth for our workshops, and we believe we're helping.”

AIDS Speakers’ Bureau — Expert speakers are available to address the topic of AIDS within your church or conference. These speakers can offer fresh insights on a variety of topics, from women and AIDS, to thinking theologically and biblically about global health. Each speaker gives a unique perspective that will inform, inspire, and ultimately challenge your audience to get involved with the global AIDS fight.

Please e-mail Diane Degnan at ddegnan@umcom.org to request more information and availability of a speaker. Note that speakers give freely of their time and talents, although hosting organizations are asked to cover travel expenses.

Prayers for Encouragement — This is a resource available through Cokesbury designed to provide "hope for people living with HIV & AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis and other serious diseases." The booklets come in different languages and can be used in a variety of settings. For more information, Prayers for Encouragement.

Dates to Note



  • March 7-13, National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS.
  • March 4-5, 2011, "African American Women & AIDS: Enabling, Enriching & Enhancing Individuals." Conference is sponsored by the UMC Global AIDS Fund Committee. Location: Columbia, S.C. More information will be forthcoming.


  • Closing thought "Success has more to do with what we are than what we have. It is measured more by how we serve than how we are served. It is determined more by what we enable others to be than what others enable us to achieve. Success has more to do with the power of love than it has to do with the love of power." — Bishop Kenneth Carder

    Go forth, Ambassadors, in love! God bless you all.

    Linda Bales Todd

    lbales@umc-gbcs.org or (202) 488-5649

    3 comments:

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      ReplyDelete
    2. My life is beautiful thanks to you, Mein Helfer. Lord Jesus in my life as a candle light in the darkness. You showed me the meaning of faith with your words. I know that even when I cried all day thinking about how to recover, you were not sleeping, you were dear to me. I contacted the herbal center Dr Itua, who lived in West Africa. A friend of mine here in Hamburg is also from Africa. She told me about African herbs but I was nervous. I am very afraid when it comes to Africa because I heard many terrible things about them because of my Christianity. god for direction, take a bold step and get in touch with him in the email and then move to WhatsApp, he asked me if I can come for treatment or I want a delivery, I told him I wanted to know him I buy ticket in 2 ways to Africa To meet Dr. Itua, I went there and I was speechless from the people I saw there. Patent, sick people. Itua is a god sent to the world, I told my pastor about what I am doing, Pastor Bill Scheer. We have a real battle beautifully with Spirit and Flesh. Adoration that same night. He prayed for me and asked me to lead. I spent 2 weeks and 2 days in Africa at Dr Itua Herbal Home. After the treatment, he asked me to meet his nurse for the HIV test when I did it. It was negative, I asked my friend to take me to another nearby hospital when I arrived, it was negative. I was overwhite with the result, but happy inside of me. We went with Dr. Itua, I thank him but I explain that I do not have enough to show him my appreciation, that he understands my situation, but I promise that he will testify about his good work. Thank God for my dear friend, Emma, I know I could be reading this now, I want to thank you. And many thanks to Dr. Itua Herbal Center. He gave me his calendar that I put on my wall in my house. Dr. Itua can also cure the following diseases ... Cancer, HIV, Herpes, Hepatitis B, Inflammatory Liver, Diabetis, Bladder Cancer,Colorectal Cancer,Breast Cancer,Kidney Cancer,Leukemia,Lun,Fribroid,Infertility,Parkinson's disease,Inflammatory bowel disease ,Fibromyalgia, recover your ex. You can contact him by email or whatsapp, @ .. drituaherbalcenter@gmail.com, phone number .. + 2348149277967 .. He is a good doctor, talk to him kindly. I'm sure he will also listen to you.

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    3. I deemed it important to let the world know about a man who cured me of HIV/AIDS, he is Dr. Iyabiye, and I never take it seriously when I first saw his recommendation online. I reached out to him not because I believed it but because my finances was running dry for buying HIV/aids Antiretroviral drugs to slow down the viral load all the time. But behold I got cured after the treatment. I went for checkup just as the doctor instructed and I was tested negative. Here are his contacts if anyone wish to reach him for help: +234-815-857-7300, iyabiyehealinghome@gmail.com

      ReplyDelete