I am frequently asked, “What’s the situation in Africa these days?” I’d like to answer that by letting you hear from some of the brothers and sisters I work with. But the short answer is that God is doing great things globally through His church despite challenging circumstances. Here are some testimonies from dear friends of mine as well as prayer requests for the global church.

• Pastor David in Masailand, northern Kenya: “The pandemic has

  

  captured the attention of authorities placing young girls at heightened risk and allowing hidden practices to advance of forced child marriage, teen pregnancy, sexual violence, and FGM” (a horrendous cultural custom leaving girls physically and emotionally wounded). All schools and most rescue shelters for girls have been forced to close due to lack of social distancing. Girls are at home, families are strained financially, “so they are having the girls cut and will marry them off.” “There are over 500 girls undergoing FGM since schools closed on March 16.” David tries to intercede on behalf of the girls and receives threats, “my life could be at risk.” As they try to rescue these girls, having Christian families host them, there are growing financial needs to feed them. “Thank you for your prayers and support.”

• Pastor Paul in northern Uganda: “Up until the lockdown on

  

  March 18, 2020, I was training church leaders in northern Uganda and South Sudan who are in refugee camps. I was also pastoring our small local church and overseeing Great Hope Evangelical Church and overseeing the national fellowship of born again Pentecostal churches in northern Uganda. During the lock down I advised all churches under my leadership to divide into small groups of families who are near each other. Then we church leaders go minister to those groups at their respective places throughout the week. Because I need to keep my family with food and other things, I am doing very small cultivating to provide my family with food although is not yet ready. Some days are very difficult in terms of food, but the Lord is keeping us. My pastors who are in cities and towns (rather than in rural areas) who depend for their survival on churches are really in need. If we can pray for them, it is good.”

• Pastor Samuel in Togo: “At the beginning of the coronavirus

  

  people said in our country that pastors are going to suffer. They expect we are going to starve but the Lord provides our needs every day. He even used you to bring help to us. The Lord is taking care of his children especially his servants pastors.” When I offer financial assistance to Samuel, rather than keeping it for himself, he uses it to bless 15 other struggling ministry leaders in his community.

• Pastor Onesmus in southern Kenya: “We thank God. No

  

  complaints at all. Despite closure of churches, I learned that truly the church belongs to Christ. The church was fully alive and kicking well even when at home. This enabled many families to reunite and a lot was restored. We noticed that people are giving more than ever. Surely the church belongs to JESUS. The gates of hell will never overcome it. Thanks to God. Shalom!”

• Pastor Shadrack in southern Kenya: “We thank God that the government opened churches for those between 13 and 58, but we have been doing the services in homes by sending texts. And people were enjoying. Pathways is of great help.”
• Pastor James in Tanzania: “We thank God we are fine because the hand of God is still helping us.” He shared that as he follows up with pastors in our Pathways program, he learned that many are lacking food. He has helped some, and used some assistance from us to help others. Many of the pastors are planting maize which grows quickly and can be harvested to feed families.
• Pastor Ikongo in Tanzania: “It is true that I have been struggling

  

  by praying to God so that God can put away from us the COVID19, because for the African environment it was very difficult to be immune. Only the hand of God can help us. But our economy is very difficult – we cannot get necessary items because of insufficiency of money. But in that God open doors from friends like you who were able to help us. How that came together helped me see it is the hand of God. And I will continue to thank God for his miracle in my life in this time of corona disease. God raised people who stood with me at that hard period of time and I put my hope in God that he will fight for me. God bless you so much.”

• Pastor Abel in Kenya: Despite the Corona pandemic, God has been our refuge. He has kept us though the spike is rising up. We are protected by His blood. Though financially people are struggling to feed their families because the economy dipped drastically due to Covid-19. The blood is sufficient.