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BY SHAUN A. LANE
UMCONNECTION STAFF

As David sat in the balcony at Hilltop UMC, in the community of Zacova, in Mutare, Zimbabwe, he listened to Bishop John R. Schol preach to 2,000 congregants about Jesus Christ?s love and compassion for the 10 lepers.

The story from Luke 17 was one he was able to relate to very well.

David, a 35-year-old resident of Mutare, was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS nearly five years ago. He said that because of the lack of medicines in Zimbabwe, he is on the verge of dying.

After the June 10 sermon, when Bishop Schol offered everyone the opportunity to come to the altar for healing, David was among nearly 1,500 people who accepted the chance. He said that he had no choice.

'I wanted the bishop from the Baltimore-Washington Conference to pray for me,' David said. 'His sermon was exactly what I needed to hear today, like he was reading my mind. I am going to read that passage again and again.

'I know that I am going to die soon - maybe in less than six months. And my son, who is also sick with AIDS and malaria, will be without his father. I wanted the bishop to make me one with Jesus. When he placed his hands on my head and prayed for me, I was ready. My worries were gone.'

In an uplifting sermon to a congregation that has been ravaged by AIDS and malaria, Bishop Schol said that despite the diseases and poverty that they suffer from, Hilltop and its community have the richness of Jesus in their lives. The congregants at Hilltop, one of the oldest United Methodists churches in Zimbabwe, listened intently.

'When going down the street, (lepers) were required by law to tell people that they had the disease and had to do everything at a distance,' the bishop said. 'So they were surprised when they saw Jesus come closer to them, even as people yelled ?leper.? Jesus wanted to bring the power of healing to their lives.'

The Rev. Tazvionepi Nyarota, a district superintendent, said Bishop Schol?s sermon affected many people at Hilltop because many, like the lepers, feel like outcasts.

'Hilltop has many people who suffer from AIDS and malaria,' Nyarota said. 'It has devastated a lot of our community. Hearing a sermon like this gives many people hope. There are so many people crying right now. Sometimes all they need to hear is a word of hope. The bishop has provided that word for us today.'

People sang and danced as they rushed to the altar and waited for Bishop Schol and one of five other pastors to pray for them.

The bishop and pastors spent 30 minutes praying for the congregants who wanted prayer. When the last person left the altar, Bishop Schol praised the people for their resolve in the face of a nationwide crisis.

'My first visit to you was in 1995 and my faith has grown with each visit here,' Bishop Schol said. 'I have a deep faith in the people at Hilltop and a deep faith in the people of Zacova.'

'We will pray with you so together with Jesus, we will eliminate AIDS.'

David said he too will pray with the church and Bishop Schol to eliminate the disease, even if it is too late for him.

'My son may be helped,' he said. 'And my friends may be helped. So I will still pray. I know that it is too late for me and I will soon die. But still, I am healed. I am one with Jesus. I thank the bishop for his grace.'

SIDEBAR:

Visit www.nationalgeographic.com/-magazine for the July 2007 issue that features malaria.