Skip to main content

April 30, 2025

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

As is always the case WOW’s ministry on the ground in Africa is awash in adversity. From drought, crop failure, electrical grid “load shedding” (up to 18hrs a day without electricity!) and the grind of endemic poverty, to recent USAID funding withdrawal, our champions and their impoverished, diseased volunteers and communities are hard pressed to find hope.

The most pressing of these urgencies is the USAID abandonment of the anti-retro-viral (ARV) programs that have literally saved millions of Africans and Indians from death these past 20 years. Former US President George W. Bush initiated his PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) vision during his tenure. It no doubt will be his lasting legacy, eclipsing even that iconic moment when he took the loud speaker on the pile of ruins at the site of the 911 attack.

WOW is taking this personally. We have about 1200 volunteers at work. The majority of them are widows themselves and are HIV positive. But ARV’s have kept their viral loads at an imperceptible level giving them life. ARV’s, however, only suppress the disease. As soon as a patient stops or is forced to discontinue the meds the HIV virus reawakens and slowly but surely death is at the door.

Suddenly, because of the precipitate action of the White House, we’re back to where we were 25 years ago where an HIV diagnosis is 100% fatal.

So there is a rising tide of anxiety as the current stockpile of ARV meds is about to be exhausted. What’s more the aforementioned crop failure in MALAWI has seen the cost of maize meal, their daily staple, increase by 35%. Indeed the cost of everything in MALAWI, ZAMBIA, and SOUTH AFRICA has gone up significantly. Stress is pandemic.

Rather than a wail of woe, however, I choose to see opportunity in this dark picture. We’ve always seen ourselves as lighting a candle rather than cursing the darkness, and now, more than ever in our 25 year history I believe WOW has “come to the Kingdom for such a time as this”.

We’ve already increased our food support to Somebody Cares Malawi by 35%. We’ve added a solar electric system to Rob’s Farm in Zambia so that the new maize mill we provided can operate during load shedding hours, and we’ve also funded a solar system for our CHRESO ministry in the rural south.

In Johannesburg our champion ministry CrossConnect have just about completed the second House Nehemiah that we funded last year and it will be focused on the rescue and care of sexually abused girls.

And in war ravaged UKRAINE where our support is so valued we continue to provide food and clothing relief for our partner “Loads of Love” (LOL). We give little public profile to this work but there are several faithful WOW donors who share our compassion for these beleaguered people. Just last week the Russians attacked a neighbourhood a few blocks from one of LOL’s distribution centres with 6 children killed.

The Lord loves “the least of these” and so do we in Jesus’ name. Money is no issue for Him. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and will supply our need according to his riches in glory. All we need to do is to stay faithful and keep growing.

Which we will.

Jim

April 16, 2025

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

Jonathan Haidt, author of the culture challenging book, “The Anxious Generation” was interviewed recently by Katty Kay of the BBC about the negative influence of smart phones on children. It’s an insightful and revealing interview (worth googling). He observes the various downsides of smartphones, one of them being that they are providing refuge of a sort for parents “over parenting” in what’s seen as an increasingly dangerous world. Parents don’t want to allow their kids out into that danger. They’d rather see them alone in house with their phones. Says Haidt, “We’re not going to restore trust in our neighbors such that we can let our kids out. That’s not going to happen. In fact, it’s likely to get a lot worse as we go into the era of Artificial Intelligence, when we have no idea of what’s true. We’re never going to know what’s true again for a long time, if ever.”

Whoa! As I read this, I thought of Pontius Pilate’s rhetorical question as Jesus was brought before him for judgement, “What is truth?” This question resonates throughout history. Truth is the foundation for life. If that foundation is shaken who can build a life?

Now, more than ever before, we need to hear and believe Jesus when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…”. His words are truly relevant today.

In our western culture where the buzz words have been “your truth…my truth…our truth” (all relative terms) it’s time to rediscover THE truth. Jesus is “the same yesterday, today, and forever”.

April 02, 2025

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

Recently a few personal friends have been diagnosed with serious illnesses. As is often the case these afflictions came on suddenly. From one day to the next they went from life as usual to what Shakespeare famously described as “a walking shadow who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more”. It’s brutal being blindsided by our mortality.

The transitory nature of life is a key component in WOW’s vision for ministry to the dying. As mentioned in my last blog, the spectre of certain death is again rearing its ugly head in Africa due to the suspension of PEPFAR funding for ARV (antiretroviral) medication. HIV afflicted people who had been living free from worry because of these meds are now facing a grim future ending in an early grave.

So WOW is back to square one facing the urgencies of an always fatal disease like we did when we started 25 years ago. But we’re committed to the faithful care of the “least of these” in spite of the perfect storm of sorrow that prevails. Every patient we have cared for through our champion volunteer partners over the years has felt the physical touch of the extended “hands and feet of Jesus” to their last breath.

And as we reach out in Jesus’ name we’re reminded of our own mortality. Truly “the times of our lives are in his hands”.

March 19, 2025

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

The recent decision by the White House to shut down USAID is having a chilling effect on WOW’s African ministry partners. For 25 years WOW has been on the forefront mobilizing local African churches in the care of orphans and widows victimized by HIV and AIDS. This has seen us engaged not only with this fatal disease but also with the opportunistic infections and poverty related afflictions that accompany the pandemic. And pandemic it is, even though HIV and AIDS has been on the back burner of global awareness since anti-retroviral medication (ARVs) arrived on the scene about 20 years ago.

These lifesaving meds have muted the reality that hundreds of thousands of Africans still live with HIV. Now, however, with former president Bush’s amazing intervention called PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) no longer paying for ARVs (due to USAID withdrawal) the myriad of Africans living with HIV have been medically orphaned and face the grim reality of living with a 100% fatal disease. For us at WOW this means our Home Based Care ministry (HBC) to thousands has been dealt a major blow.

We’re back to ministering exclusively to the dying. This, of course, is what we did in the early days of WOW, so our on the ground ministry partners in Zambia, South Africa, Malawi, and India are not being caught flatfooted. But they are chagrined.

The key in every circumstance is faithfulness. We have been for 25 years, and will be for the indefinite future, totally committed to ministering to whom Jesus called “the least of these”. Our local church based volunteers will continue to provide HBC in Jesus’ name and WOW will continue to raise awareness and funding for the massive challenge ahead.

CCCO Update

Written by WOW Staff on . Posted in Blog.

WOW – Working for Orphans & Widows, brings an update from our partner, Kyle Tolman of Cross Connect Community Outreach in South Africa.

First big news – Cross Connect is submitting the registration for our new Children’s House to the government. This is a huge step forward, and it’s a process that takes about three months. We’re praying for smooth registration approval.

Cross Connect is pleased to announce that Nicole Tolman is joining the CCCO team. She will be taking up the development role with a view to renewed growth and expansion. They have asked us to pray for God’s blessing on them and their family and a fresh, expanded vision as they step into this new future together.

And of course, we need to keep the children of Cross Connect in our prayers. Many are facing deep emotional struggles—some carrying burdens far too heavy for their young hearts. But we know that Jesus is their hope and healing.

So let’s keep being the hands and feet of Jesus together! Thank you for your prayers and support.

March 05, 2025

Written by Jim Cantelon on . Posted in Blog.

Most of us may not want to admit it but we like being in control. Overlooking the constant impact of that which we can’t control (like our autonomic nervous system, our internal organ function, our general genetic makeup, etc, etc) we flatter ourselves with our self discipline, fitness and diet values, money management, social interactions, and on and on. We think we’re in control but, of course, we’re not.

The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible reminds us that pretty much every circumstance in our lives is “seasonal”:

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.”
(Eccl.3:1-8).

Much can be seen in these words but one key truth is that we don’t control the seasonal dynamics of life but we “participate” in the broader scheme of things. Ultimately we’re under the control of the heavenly order, where our Father “works everything for our good”. We are not called to control but to trust his loving and sovereign care. Indeed a most excellent slogan for our lives is,” In God We Trust”.

We Pray for Rob’s Farm

Written by WOW Staff on . Posted in Blog.

Rob’s Farm is operated by WOW’s (Working for Orphans & Widows) Zambian partner, ICO (Impact Community Outreach). The past year was one of immense challenges for Rob’s Farm, yet ICO is filled with gratitude for God’s faithfulness. Join us as we pray for Rob’s Farm, thanking God for his provision and trusting Him for 2025.

Despite unfavorable weather and operational struggles, in 2024, Rob’s Farm continued to grow. A new generator added capacity, significantly improving efficiency, productivity and long-term sustainability.

We’re grateful for your prayer support. Thank you and May God bless you!

Prayers Needed for Our Malawi Partners in the Midst of Crisis

Written by WOW Staff on . Posted in Blog.

Our partners at Somebody Cares Ministries in Malawi are facing unprecedented challenges. We ask for your prayers for the following critical needs:

National Fuel Crisis

Malawi has been experiencing a severe fuel shortage, which has only worsened as the New Year begins. Many Malawians are spending up to two days waiting in their vehicles for fuel deliveries. This shortage has led to a drastic increase in public transportation fares, with minibus and motorbike taxi services tripling their rates. Please pray for a swift resolution to this fuel crisis, as it continues to disrupt daily life and livelihoods.

Economic Challenges

The devaluation of the Malawian currency against the U.S. dollar in late 2023 has caused severe financial strain for many people. While the official exchange rate has stabilized at 1,750 MK to 1 USD, the street rate has surged to an alarming 3,500 MK to 1 USD, doubling the official rate. The cost of goods and transportation has risen accordingly, yet wages remain calculated based on the lower bank rate, making it incredibly difficult for many to afford even basic necessities. We ask that you pray for the people of Malawi, that they may find relief from these economic hardships.

Farming and Weather Impacts

The 2024 growing season has brought significant challenges for farmers in Malawi. A combination of dry spells, floods, and a fall armyworm infestation has resulted in a 16% decline in agricultural production. Tragically, nearly half of the country’s maize crop, a vital food staple, has been affected. This decline in maize production, compounded by other weather-related challenges, has further threatened food security for countless families. Please join us in praying for those who rely on agriculture for their livelihood and for a swift recovery from these devastating weather impacts.

Hunger Crisis

The ongoing crisis is also leading to a severe hunger crisis. From October 2024 to March 2025, it is projected that 5.7 million people—28% of Malawi’s population—will face acute food insecurity. Many will experience crisis-level hunger in both rural and urban areas, exacerbated by the reduced maize harvest. With their farms unable to meet their needs, many will be forced to rely on costly market purchases to feed their families. We ask for your prayers for those who are suffering from hunger and for provision in this time of dire need.

Faith and Hope Amid Challenges

As Malawians face these overwhelming challenges, we pray for strength and resilience. Our partners at Somebody Cares Ministries are committed to helping those in need, and we know that faith and hope are the foundation for overcoming such trials. Please pray that hope will arise in the hearts of those suffering and that their faith will remain firm through these trying times.

We thank you for your ongoing support and prayers for the people of Malawi. Your prayers make a difference, and together, we can stand with our partners during this difficult season.

Blessings and gratitude,

The Working for Orphans & Widows Team

Let Love be the Steeple of our Hearts

Written by WOW Staff on . Posted in Blog.

Christmas for millions around the globe is the highlight of the year. “Peace on earth, goodwill to men” springs from the intuitive knowledge of God that we all possess. There is an upward call in our souls. This may be the impetus throughout the ages to build churches with a steeple causing us to look above and reach for the heavens.

Speaking of steeples, the sight of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, rising like a phoenix from the ashes after a 5 year restoration, its beauty, sanctity, and steeple rebuilt, amazed us all.

In so many ways it symbolizes hope. Our war weary world needs to know that new life can rise from total destruction. The shattered homes, villages, and cities that have dominated our screens for the past three years, whether Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, or most recently Syria, will not dominate forever. Surely God hears as our wrecked world says enough is enough—help us O God. Lord have mercy.

The sages of Israel in centuries of biblical interpretation tell us that the greatest power in the world is “the power of return”- that is, the transformative impact of repentance, turning away from sin and turning one’s heart back to God. When a nation sets its face toward Heaven it thinks and acts peacefully. Indeed it makes peace. And as Jesus said, ”Blessed are the peacemakers…”.

Now is the time for all men and women of faith to turn away from our sins of selfishness and entitlement and renew our covenant to love the Lord and neighbour with “all our heart, soul, mind, and strength”. Love still heals whether it be for one or a multitude. Let love be the steeple of our souls.