christmas around the world

IRVINE, CA (ANS) ― The leader of a pioneering HIV/AIDS ministry has called on Christians around the world to "step forward and pray for those with HIV/AIDS on World AIDS Day2007."

Bruce Sonnenberg, president of He Intends Victory, has also asked believers to take seriously the theme of this year's World AIDS Day 2007 which is : "Take the Lead. Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise."

Sonnenberg told ANS, "With the Christmas season fast approaching and the ease to which we all focus on tinsel and tradition, we must not forget those who are suffering around the world with HIV/AIDS.

"Over 33.2 million adults and children wake up every day and ask themselves : 'What now ?' Our goal is to show as many as possible that with the help of Jesus Christ, we can change that 'what now' to 'thank you, Lord for the hope we have in You !'

"Please pray for those with HIV as well as their families and friends. Pray that you might do more to share God's love with such a needy group."

He went on to say, "Just a few weeks ago, as I visited our work in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, I was confronted by a young man who said, 'What can you do for that old man ?' as he pointed to an elderly gentleman whose feet were swollen and cracked ? 'He's got AIDS and is going to die !'

"I told him sadly, 'We don't have the necessary money at the moment for the medications, but someday I'll be back with some help for all of you, but what I have, I will give to him right now.'

"With that, I knelt down and, through an interpreter, I asked the rough-looking Ugandan man if he had ever met Jesus. 'I never have, and my life has been pretty bad, but I want to know Him,' he said. So I prayed with him and, with tears rolling down his cheeks, this man met the Hope-Giver, Jesus !

"Helping people with food, and medications and the essentials of life are what we do, but what we want all to know is that Jesus loves us and has an eternal plan for our lives."

Bruce Sonnenberg then spoke about the problem of what has turned out to be the world's worst health crisis.

"The United Nations announced this past week that, with greater ability to track HIV infection world-wide, the actual number of those with HIV in the world is now at 33.2million adults and children," he said. "Even with this lower total, 2 million people died of HIV/AIDS -related complications just this past year. The war against AIDS continues !

"For many in the United States, AIDS is passé ! To them, you just take a pill and life goes on. But those pills have difficult and challenging side-effects. They are expensive and if not taken properly can easily lead to ineffectiveness. Yet today, each year in the United States, as many people are being infected with the HIV virus as 15 years ago. This is still a deadly virus in every way.

"And around the world, the poor and needy are being overwhelmed by HIV. People in Uganda and India and Russia are hearing the words, 'You are HIV+' with no access to medications. Twelve million children will go to bed tonight somewhere in the world as an AIDS orphan.

"Yet we can make a difference. Now, more than ever, Christians need to step forward in this battle against HIV infection worldwide. We HAVE the answer of Life and not to share it with someone who is facing their mortality is wrong. We MUST step forward with the hope of Jesus Christ and offer eternity with Him."

He Intends Victory is an international HIV/AIDS organization based in Irvine, CA with established chapters in 17 countries around the world. The ministry focuses globally on : homes for AIDS orphans, prison ministries, outreach to vulnerable women and children, support groups, and educational support and encouragement. He Intends Victory is a leading evangelical HIV/AIDS ministry in the USA.

Southern California concert for World AIDS Day 2007

He Intends Victory has announced that it will be celebrating World AIDS Day with a concert at the Bella Terra Mall in Huntington Beach (405 Freeway/Beach Blvd.) in Orange County, California, on Saturday, December 1 from 12:30-2:30 PM. The concert will be provided by "Marnie and Paul" (Marnie Ann and Paul Stebner) from Orange County, California, who have been a musical pair for well over a decade.

"Their compositions have won a place on national radio and television," said He Intends Victory spokesperson, Jennifer Veary. "Most recently they released a raw and uplifting CD entitled 'Waves of Mercy.' Marnie is a professionally recognized vocalist/songwriter/guitarist who has had the pleasure of being involved in a variety of musical projects. Paul is a producer/songwriter/guitarist whose works include producing 'Mike V. and the Rats' for Tony Hawks' Underground 2 videogame.

"They are currently crafting a new release which will feature the unique musical blend of their talents and backgrounds." Veary went on to say, "This will be a public event and we are inviting the community to attend and remember those still living with HIV/AIDS, and honoring those who have died.

"He Intends Victory is especially pleased to have country directors from Belize, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, Uganda, and Vietnam at the concert as we remember the global impact of HIV/AIDS. A moment of silence will be held at the end of the concert, followed by a sharing of names of loved ones lost to this disease."

Note : Mr. Sonnenberg and a number of the He Intends Victory HIV+ team are available for interviews regarding World AIDS Day and the Christian response to it. To schedule an interview, you can phone Bruce Sonnenberg at 949-350-9990 or 949-727-2108 or visit their we
the day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year. Thousands of people from around the world descend on Union Square, along with pickpockets and shoplifters. And then there are the animal-rights protesters, war protesters and people protesting against too much shopping.

It's often a volatile mix, ripe for a fight or some kind of civil disobedience. Someone wearing fur is probably going to get splattered with paint.

Officer Carl Payne plants his burly self in the middle of Union Square and peers through his dark sunglasses. Waiting for a call, or the telltale signs of scuffling, running or trouble.

A woman approaches wearing a sweater with a duck on it. She has a problem.

"Can you tell me which cable car takes me to Chinatown?" she asks softly.

"Well, you can get on here and take the car over Nob Hill and get off in Chinatown, or you can just walk over to Grant and turn left, and it will take you right to the entrance of Chinatown," Payne says. "Just cut through the square and walk one block."

"Thank you, officer," she says.

"You're very welcome," Payne replies. "Have a nice day."

That was not the toughest problem Payne and his partner for the day, Noel DeLeon, had to contend with. That happened when a young couple approached to ask directions to a coffee shop in an alley in Hayes Valley. Neither officer knew the area well enough to help out.

Payne and DeLeon park themselves in the middle of Union Square and wait. They chat with each other and other cops who stop by to see what's going on.

The group In Defense of Animals has an anti-fur display set up near the Christmas tree, and others hand out flyers in front of Neiman Marcus, the store they detest because fur is sold there. The protesters there are separated from the store by a phalanx of uniformed officers. All is calm, other than the fact that pedestrian traffic gets jammed up by the protesters and their signs.

Over it all, sergeants and lieutenants watch from a conference room inside the Westin St. Francis hotel on Powell Street. That's where they keep the command center.

DeLeon doesn't normally work in this neighborhood; he's usually on bike patrol at Fisherman's Wharf. But on days like these, the department drafts officers from all over to help out in the difficult areas.

Payne doesn't mind this work. He's an ambassador of the city and has been for many decades.

Payne's claim to fame came in his first career as a Muni driver who worked on the cable car lines. He was the city's champion cable-car bell-ringer, taking that title a record 10 times. To top is all off, he won a competition among bell-ringing champs, a sort of World Series of bell-ringing. He's got a diamond-encrusted ring with a cable-car design to prove it.

Payne used to travel around the world as the city's ambassador, and traveled with the 49ers to bring his bell-ringing skills to the Super Bowl.

After 29 years with Muni, Payne retired. Friends in the Police Department, noting his knack for spotting and grabbing pickpockets, urged him to join the force. He applied and was accepted, but he initially wasn't allowed into the academy because the city said he was too old.

Payne sued, as did others. Eventually, San Francisco was forced to abandon its age requirement, and Payne found himself as a 50-year-old recruit.

That was 17 years ago. Like most officers, he moved around the department here and there until landing at Central Station. Five or six years ago, one of the Union Square beat cops retired, and Payne was asked if he wanted the assignment.

"It was perfect for me, because I've been dealing with tourists for years," he said. "I like mingling and talking with people.

He said he likes to talk to people from other places, and help them if he can.

"I don't know why," he says. "I guess I just want to treat people the way I would hope to be treated if I were in their city. I love this place, and I want other people to love it, too."

And so the whole day goes like that: Payne and DeLeon giving directions and offering advice. What's the best way to get to Fisherman's Wharf, where are coats for the needy collected, how does one get on the double-decker tour bus. The protesters don't do anything illegal, so there are no problems, no arrests there.

Just another remarkably sunny and beautiful November day in San Francisco.

People are enjoying the day, even if it doesn't feel very Christmassy. Everyone is waiting for the mayor to light the big tree in the middle of the square. But Christmas in San Francisco comes early this year. At exactly 2:37 p.m., the loudspeakers in the square came to life with a Christmas recording.

It's "Frosty the Snowman" and not a flake in sight.

Reporter John Koopman and photographer Brant Ward are focusing on the San Francisco Police Department. Their stories appear weekly in the Monday paper. This week, photos are by Deanne Fitzmaurice. To see the Badge blog, go to sfgate.com