12/1: World AIDS Day & Interview

25 Days of Blogging: Giving Voice to the Forgotten

This month, in honor of World AIDS Day and the Christmas season, the blog will take on a theme: “Giving Voice to the Forgotten.”



Perhaps our greatest privilege as Christians and/or concerned citizens is the opportunity to stand up for people that need a champion by demonstrating the love of Christ to those in need. As I’ve written countless times, the Bible speaks over and over about God’s desires to for us to respond to the needs of widows, orphans and others marginalized in society. Through Forgotten Voices, we are not “rescuing people”, but entering into partnership with people. WE are working, hand in hand, with local people on the ground in Zimbabwe and Zambia… giving voice to the Forgotten in their local communities.

Over this next 25 days, between now and Christmas, you’ll be able to read stories of ways WE (African partners and Forgotten Voices) have given voice to the forgotten. We’ll look at stories of children, some you’ve met before and others you’ll meet for the first time. Children here in the USA and children in Africa. We’ll explore new projects that Forgotten Voices recently undertook, with the support of USA churches and Zimbabwean churches. We’ll dream together about new projects that we hope to fund in 2009, by God’s grace and your continued gifts. We’ll see stories of how people in the USA are choosing to use their voice to help neighbors discover God’s love and are learning how people in the USA & Africa are finding their voice in this chaotic world. We'll look at well diggers and rock bands and a giant bottle of mustard. Curious? Keep reading this month.

We’ll also look at HIV/AIDS and its ever increasing impact on the USA, Africa and other parts of the world. You’ll learn more about how it impacts the human body and wreaks havoc on families and destroys hope. You’ll learn about how Forgotten Voices is helping combat these realities, through education, prevention, support, and treatment (for the patient and their families).

Each entry will follow the theme of “Giving Voice to the Forgotten.” So, I invite you to invite a friend, family member, coworker, neighbor, classmate, professor, or your mailman to check out our blog. Throughout, I hope to bring stories that testify to God’s grace, compassion, and love for all of us… leading up to the global celebration of Christmas, when we received the incredible gift of Jesus Christ on earth.

If you have a blog entry that you would like to submit for posting during the month that corresponds with the theme “Giving Voice to the Forgotten”, email me directly at Ryan@ForgottenVoices.org.

For now, take a look at this video to learn how Forgotten Voices is helping the Mtshabezi AIDS Clinic and then check out this link to learn more about HIV/AIDS.

Thanks for loving, learning, and leading with us as we work hand in hand with local churches to meet the physical & spiritual needs of AIDS orphans. Together, we will say, WE SEE YOU. WE HEAR YOU. WE WANT TO INSURE THAT YOUR VOICE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN.

All the best to you and yours,
Ryan Keith, President, Forgotten Voices