When Pastor Helmut Reutter and his wife Esther started their mission work in Zambia in 1982, they did not know that health care would soon become a central part of their ministry. Esther, a registered nurse, had her hands full providing medical care to hundreds of sick people in the area even before Helmut Reutter started teaching at the theological seminary west of Lusaka. From these humble beginnings, a flourishing network of mobile clinics developed which, in cooperation with the Zambian Ministry of Health, continues to serve various rural areas to this day.

In 1996, the Reutters were confronted with the scourge of HIV/AIDS, which afflicted the young members of their church and had a devastating impact. In response to this crisis, they founded Chreso Ministries, derived from the Greek word "chrezo", meaning coercion. The name was aptly chosen as the Reutters saw overcoming physical coercion as central to their ministry. Chreso Ministries began by caring for AIDS patients in their own homes, often until they died, and quickly evolved into a voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centre. In 2004, Chreso Ministries expanded into a full testing and treatment facility under the PEPFAR initiative.
 

Under Helmut's leadership, Chreso Ministries' efforts to fight AIDS have expanded their reach. Especially with the transition to a local partner of PEPFAR through CDC, providing testing and treatment in Lusaka, Livingstone, Kabwe, Siavonga and surrounding rural areas. These ART centres and their integrated mobile clinics have helped tens of thousands of patients manage their HIV/AIDS and lead healthy, productive lives. Helmut's leadership of Chreso Ministries' HIV/AIDS work and thriving community has contributed to the establishment of successful vocational schools, a university and an orphanage. If you want to experience the inspiring impact of God's providence, you should read this dramatic account of the Chreso Story.