About Us

Choose to Wait - Program Overview

We know that the surest way to avoid HIV/AIDS is to abstain from sex before marriage but God's plan is greater than that. We have not only misused and abused His gift of sex but we have also misused His gift of marriage. The ultimate goal of Choose to Wait is to see redeemed people in good marriages, with happy families, involved in successful work in an AIDS free world.

The Choose to Wait program teaches youth to make choices based on 7 Biblical truths about sex and marriage found in the first 3 chapters of Genesis and provides the skills to maintain these choices.

The response to Choose to Wait since its debut has been robust. Literally thousands of children and teens have been taught in Africa and in the West. The curriculum continues to be rounded out and increased by Sylvia Holtzhausen, content creator and primary instructor. Using a combination of Biblical study, her own personal experiences and her teaching gifts, Mrs. Holtzhausen has crafted a program that is clearly struck a responsive chord in Africa. As this young man testifies:

"For a long time I have been struggling to find a strong Biblical foundation for abstinence. You have given me such confidence in Scripture that abstinence is God's will for my life. I have learned how to base everything in my life using the word of God as a standard. I learnt that abstinence is not merely to escape HIV/AIDS but rather as a Biblical principle of purity. I am going to be a cycle breaker. I will not repeat the mistakes of my parents. I'm going to be a good husband and father (protector) and a self disciplined guy."

The scope of Choose to Wait includes regular children's clubs where children and teens have an opportunity to learn about Choose to Wait and be exposed to Scripture. Many of these children make the commitment to abstinence, and often end up making a commitment to Jesus Christ as well.

Choose to Wait is taught in the African countries of Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is also taught in China and Thailand, Holland and the United States.

Staff Bios

Sylvia Holtzhausen ("Choose to Wait" creator/director)

Born: November 29, 1957 in Johannesburg, South Africa
Sylvia was raised in Port Elizabeth
Sylvia made a commitment to Christ at age 9 during a VBS at a local Baptist church near her home. She was discipled and grew in her faith at this church through the youth group.

She received her degree in Biblical studies at University of Port Elizabeth and Higher Education Diploma from University of Pretoria. Sylvia taught high school for 8 years with and was involved with Youth For Christ with her husband Jos who was Director YFC Pretoria at that time

Sylvia met her husband in high school at a YFC group They have been in ministry together for 30 years. Jos and Sylvia have two children: Jessica age 24, Ann-Marie age 21.

They started Christ's Hope International to focus on the AIDS pandemic in Africa. (Choose to Wait, OVC, Care and Compassion)

• Choose to Wait- Biblical marriage and abstinence
• OVC- care for orphans and vulnerable children
• Care and Compassion- care and sharing the gospel with those dying of AIDS

Michelle Lenz

Michelle Lenz is the founder of Love & Life International, a ministry designed to minister the love and life of Jesus to the broken-hearted and to help lead lives on the path of sexual purity and Godly relationships. Through prayer, teaching, counseling, media and missions, Love & Life's vision is to see captive hearts set free, broken hearts healed, and people living life in and through the love and power of Jesus Christ.

For the past ten years, she has worked with an organization that provides abstinence-until-marriage education to urban and suburban youth in the Chicago area and counsels women and teens facing crises related pregnancies. She also trains youth pastors, parents, teachers, and counselors how to effectively present the abstinence until marriage message by equipping them with spiritual truths and relevant techniques that will reach this generation and generations to come. She speaks with passion and boldness on important topics such as: Worship and Intimacy with God, Sexual Purity, Sanctity of Life, Healthy Relationships, and Healing from Sexual Abuse and Damaged Emotions. She has been a featured speaker at several national conferences such as, Compassion Works and Joshua Revolution, and at women's retreats and youth events.

As a member of the Choose to Wait USA team, Michelle functions as a featured speaker, Director of Public Relations and educator on the Choose to Wait program.

Michelle earned her Bachelor's of Science Degree at University of Illinois, Champaign -Urbana, with a major in Pre - Med Biology. She has also completed graduate level courses at the International Center for Biblical Counseling and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Helen Crown (Choose to Wait Coordinator, Choose to Wait USA)

 

Helen Crown comes to the Choose to Wait program with a strong background in Christian service and ministry. Her resume includes her work as a co-founder and Vice President of the Michigan Association for Sexual Health, a group dedicated to educating individuals and organizations on sexual health and avoiding risky behavior. She also works with the AAA Pregnancy Resource Center in a number of roles, and is a certified Sexuality and HIV/AIDS Educator.

She is a presenter and teacher, working with youth and adults often touching issues involving sexual purity. She has written and developed church curriculum on a number of subjects, from scripture understanding to leadership development.

Helen's role in Choose to Wait USA is to coordinate training activities, assist in developing training collateral, and reporting functions for Christ's Hope International.

Helen holds a Master of Christian Education degree from the Michigan Theological Seminary. A veteran of the United States Army, Helen now makes her home in Plymouth Michigan with her husband and two children.