Prayer Update: Standing with a Community in Crisis

Medical workers providing an experimental vaccine 

at the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in Eastern DRC.

We are reminded of the words of Psalm 82, calling the leaders of Isreal to defend the vulnerable, or as one translation puts it -- "Stand up for the weak and for children whose fathers have died" (NIRV). With the death toll now risen to 41 people in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, churches and Christian organizations in North Kivu and Ituri are working with health authorities to educate their communities, prevent further spread of the virus, and respond to the needs of the families directly impacted by the outbreak. They are doing their utmost to stand with the weak and the needy.

As Canadian Baptists, we have already been able to provide $15,000 USD to assist in the local response effort. Our contribution is being coupled with other Christian organizations partnering with the CBCA, our partner working on the ground. 

Please join us in praying for and supporting this effort. The World Health Organization is warning that this outbreak has the potential to be worse than that of 2014-2015. Now is the opportunity to get ahead of it before it spreads further into the local population and across borders. The big hurdle right now is the large area of insecurity that is inaccessible to health workers. We pray for peace, and for protection for the courageous workers battling this disease.

In Prayer

Please join us as we pray for the safe arrival of the Kamp Tumaini SENT team that arrive this week in Kenya. We are excited for this year's ministry with the orphans and vulnerable children of the Guardians of Hope of the ACC&S.

We continue to pray for the churches of South Sudan. We pray that the new power-sharing agreement between the government and opposition leaders will lead to an end to the conflict that has taken tens of thousands of lives and displaced 4.5 million people from their homes since December 2013.

We give thanks for great progress that we are seeing in the leadership of several of our partner organizations. We especially give thanks for several capable young women who are emerging to step into important leadership roles.