Abstinence education is prevailing despite the war waged upon it by the Obama administration.  Nowhere is this more apparent then in the success of the True Love Waits movement.  True Love Waits has gone form an American movement to an international phenomenon.

The number of commitments by African youth to biblical purity through True Love Waits International stands at more than 959,000 since LifeWay Christian Resources launched its strategic initiative there in the summer of 2007. True Love Waits is Rocking Africa. During that three-and-a-half-year period, more than 1.6 million young people in Africa heard the True Love Waits message promoting sexual abstinence until marriage. The message is targeted at more than youth.  In addition, nearly 46,000 married adults have committed to faithfulness, and more than 41,600 decisions to follow Jesus Christ have been recorded by True Love Waits team members.

From April to October 2010, the total grew by more than 70,000 African youth, according to TLW leaders.  In the Philippines, which joined True Love Waits International in 2009, nearly 22,000 students signed commitment cards last year after going through training, with plans in place for expanding outreach to Filipino youth between ages 15 to 24 beginning this year.  True Love Waits is rocking the Philippines.

“We are very close to having 1 million young people in Africa make documented commitment to biblical purity through this initiative, which will be an incredible milestone.” Said Jimmy Hester, co-founder of True Love Waits.  “In a continent ravaged by AIDS, these African commitments literally have life-and-death consequences,” Hester said.  “We also are encouraged by the vital work being done throughout the Philippines.”

In Africa, the greatest response to True Love Waits is in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.  In November, True Love Waits International South Africa was approved as a registered organization, and ministry partnerships there are growing, reported Sharon Pumpelly, lead consultant for True Love Waits International.

During a presentation in Zambia, one girl stood and said, “True Love Waits is a good program.  We have benefited and our lives have changed for the better.  This program is different form out peer-education programs because it is bringing salvation in addition to promoting sexual purity.”  The Zambian girl concluded by making an appeal to True Love Waits team members “to come and train us as presenters.”

True Love Waits International currently works in 10 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and also provides assistance in Namibia, Madagascar and Lesotho.  Soon, True Love Waits will Rock the World.