I want you to meet someone. I won’t call him his real name, but let me tell you about this amazing man. He grew up in the DRC and speaks 17 different languages. He was a pastor back in the Congo before he had to leave for fear of his life. He bounced between refugee camps until he landed here, in Dzaleka camp Malawi. Did you know that the name of the camp means essentially “the end?” It used to be a prison, and in some ways it still is.
Yet, this faithful, passionate, visionary man by God’s grace has grown the church from 4 men in a Bible Study to over 11,000 people.
Here are some of their beautiful, singing faces:
Now imagine, if you can, that many of these people have had to flee their homes. They have lost family members, homes, and experienced unspeakable trauma. They are thrust into this life of a refugee where they can’t grow crops and their children cannot obtain a strong education (8,000 kids for 15 classrooms). They cannot leave the camp to work and support their families and are completely dependant on government and international help.
I know, I know, you are inundated with needs. I know that your bank account is screaming and your compassion is fatigued and limp beside you.
But please lean in closer and see something incredible: this pastor has given up opportunities to be repatriated to other countries because he feels called to lead these people here in the camp. He sacrifices daily to lead 34 pastors, none of which are paid, and yet they are all feeding their sheep. They are doing the work. They are building schools, they are making missions training centers, they are feeding the orphan and taking in widows, they are working to reconcile men and women from different nations to each other. But, they need your help.
The camp, again, was just informed that there will be no food provided to the people. NO FOOD for three months. This is unacceptable! There are 45,000+ people living in the camp and yet there will be no food.
I know you are decking your halls, I know the lights are twinkling and you give generously. But there is no one asking for their sake and so few are advocating on their behalf. We simply can’t un-know what we know and are compelled to ask on their behalf: your brothers and sisters in Christ need some relief!
Please, consider helping them and this pastor. We can accept donations through our personal account at SIM and we will give all the funds received from now until the mid-January to buy food for this Church and these people. No tax return, no matter. Please consider giving here (under our personal account).
Here is a link to the UN website about the cuts.