This month we are highlighting a mission outreach for at-risk women in Africa by Lutheran Hour MInistries, recipients of a $100,000 grant from Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) in the 2019–2021 biennium.

Young women in Kenya and Cameroon live in extreme poverty and violence; hunger and limited education force many to sell themselves for mere dollars. Nairobi has one of the highest HIV rates in Africa. With few public resources for treatment, dying from HIV/AIDS is a very real possibility.

In Cameroon, sexual exploitation, prostitution and trafficking is so common that about thirty percent of girls ages twelve to 25 have given birth at least once. Many young pregnant women are forced from their homes, often after rape or domestic abuse. These women are outcasts with nowhere to go—not even to their church.

Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) is committed to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in these countries. Through ministry centers, LHM reaches out by sharing hope and faith in Jesus, changing the lives of these women both physically and spiritually.

Through our mite offerings, “Reaching Rahab,” a Christ-centered program in Kenya, is making a difference in the lives of women and their young children who often live on the streets or in prisons. The program offers counseling and teaches life skills to help break the cycle of poverty and prostitution. Income-producing trades help these women become independent and successful. Sharing Jesus and God’s forgiveness, they become reconnected to the church.

A network of prison chaplains and volunteers helps these young women through counseling and Bible studies. Groups with mature female volunteers from a partner Lutheran congregation are formed to help them transition into productive lives outside prison. The Prison Mums project provides help through HIV counseling and testing services.

In Cameroon, unwed teenage mothers and victims of sexual abuse are offered a holistic outreach program to empower and promote integration into society through education and spiritual growth. This provides the tools to prepare them for a better life.

Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) is the official women’s auxiliary of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Since 1942, the LWML has focused on affirming each woman’s relationship with Christ, encouraging and equipping women to live out their Christian lives in active mission ministries and by supporting global missions. For more information on each month’s mission focus, visit LWML.org. Saint John’s Mission Guild (LWML) meets the first Tuesday of each month at 10:30 AM in Room 301. All ladies of the congregation are invited to attend.