Prayer Update from South Sudan

South Sudan is Starving

Food is something that many of us take for granted. But that is not the the case for the people of South Sudan. 

Recently, we visited a Canadian grocery store where we could buy a one kilogram bag of sugar on sale for $1.59. We were so excited, we bought three bags to take back with us to Kenya. Now imagine going to that same store only days later and discovering that the cost had risen to over $200.00 per bag. That shock only begins to capture the reality facing families in South Sudan.

Compounding the challenges from three years of conflict that has displaced families and ripped apart the nation, the people of the world's youngest country are suffering from chronic food shortages and hyper inflation. 

In August, food inflation in South Sudan hit a record high of 850 percent. In some isolated areas, food prices had increased 1,000 percent above prices of five years ago. Today there are approximately 4.3 million people in need of urgent help. South Sudan is starving.

You can read a full report on the situation of South Sudan's food inflation by Clicking Here.

As Canadian Baptists, we are currently mobilizing resources to bring much needed food and emergency relief kits to displaced families living near our partner churches in South Sudan. Getting help to these people is a matter of life and death. Please join us in praying for this emergency relief effort and consider making a donation at cbmin.org or click here to learn more.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and generous support.

CBM Relief Efforts in South Sudan

CBM Sunday Fall 2016 from CBM on Vimeo.

She Matters Three

Praying for Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Praying for the Democratic Republic of Congo

This week, we are with our Canadian Baptist Ministries colleagues and partners in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

There are good things happening with great successes in areas of food security, pastoral training and evangelism. We are encouraged to see how our partner churches are flourishing despite great obstacles. 

We thank God for the high integrity and leadership of the denominational partners with whom we serve. Our friends Rev. Dr. Gato Munyamasoko of the Association of Rwandan Baptist Churches (AEBR) and Rev Dr. Kakule Molo (CBCA) are among the highest calibre of Christian leaders in the world today. 

 Rev. Dr. Kakule Molo, President of the CBCA

One of the great challenges facing the Church in Africa is rising insecurity. In Northern Kivu in the areas of Butembo and Beni, our partner the church the Communaute Baptist Au Centre de L'Afrique (CBCA) has suffered greatly from the insecurity and kidnappings happening near the Ugandan border North of Goma.

On August 13th, over sixty people in the town of Beni were massacred by a Ugandan Rebel group known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). 

Beni and the neigbouring community of Butembo are two areas where Canadian Baptist Ministries and Canadian Food Grains Bank have made major investments for improving the lives of people and churches through education, improved farming technology, and support. 

Only months ago, our CBM executive director, Rev. Dr. Terry Smith, visited this area as a sign of solidarity with our partners and friends in Northern Kivu.

It was with great sadness that we learned how members of the church and community were slain by men armed with machetes as the rebel group attacked people in the community on August 13th. This is not the first attack in Beni. Just two weeks earlier fourteen people were killed on the edge of the town, and attacks and road side kidnappings have been common occurrences over the past few years.

As Canadian Baptists, we are asking our government to take insecurity in Eastern DRC seriously. Despite UN peacekeepers being posted in these areas, little is being done to protect the innocent civilians who are suffering from the brutality of armed groups like the ADF. 

We would ask you to join us in praying for peace in Central Africa and for an end to the insecurity endured by the people of Eastern DRC. Please pray for our friend Dr. Molo as he gives leadership to his denomination during this difficult time of mourning and anger. We continue to pray for local churches on the front lines of this conflict as they see to be forces of healing, peace and reconciliation.

A woman morning the loss of her children in Beni

You can read recent media reports here