Brent and Courtney Boutwell

I wanted to introduce you to one of the couples from our small group and ask you to pray for them. Jason and I met Brent and Courtney back in January of '09 when we began leading a young married couples small group. They were actually the only couple in our group not yet married...a testament to their desire to seek God in their marriage and do things His way. We had the joy of watching them as they began their new life together ...they just recently celebrated their first anniversary! We have also recently experienced the joy of watching God move in their lives in a very tangible way. Brent is an accountant and Courtney just graduated from PT school. After feeling God's call, they have taken a 2 month hiatus from their lives here and landed in a completely different culture...South Africa. I received an email today from their contact in South Africa and wanted to share it with you. Keep in mind that they have not even been in South Africa for a week yet...

They are a special young couple. They were knee deep in orphans today and neck deep in the HIV/AIDS crises. They went with me and the director of Tabitha ministries to a distribution of shoes provided by Baptist Global Relief for orphans living in Child Headed Households. We also visited a man with full blown AIDS who had a CD4 count of about 75. I would doubt he will live a few more weeks. Courtney could see how the disease effects mobility and her PT skills will be used. Thanks for sending them.

There are over 6,000 orphans living with one of their siblings acting as the head of the family. You can imagine a 14 year old trying to care for 5 brothers and sisters when their adult family who have all died due to AIDS lived in abject poverty. They will know much more than I do about this ministry and the needs in just a few weeks.

I think Brent and Courtney were taken back by the shear numbers of orphans they saw today. We all were. You need to pray for them. It would be easy to just turn inward when confronted with such suffering and need but pray with me that they will be used in a great and mighty way for the kingdom and that this will solidify a call on their lives to holistic ministry. Pray that as their heart breaks for these people that they will find great Joy in being involved with these precious kids.

I ask you to please join me in praying for them and praying for the people that they will be ministering to in the coming weeks. I cannot fathom how overwhelmed they must be just at the shear need of the people around them. I pray that God will strengthen them and enable them to be a beacon of light and share the hope that Jesus has to offer to these precious people.

They have created a website and you may follow them on their journey at http://aidsorphanage.com...make sure to leave a comment, I know it would bless them greatly...