Beloved sisters and brothers:
Members of Communauté Evangélique Mennonite, Communauté Mennonite au Congo, Communauté des Églises des Frères Mennonites au Congo, Communauté Mennonite de Kinshasa
We hold you in our prayers. You bring gifts to the global family: the emotional vibrancy of your connection to Jesus inspires us. Your deep faith instructs us. Your practice of community and sacrificial hospitality models for us the way of Jesus.
The hardships you endure grieves us. The ravages of resource extraction for the very devices that connect us. The underdevelopment of your vast country as its riches benefit only the already-wealthy. The warring factions who squabble over power and money while people caught in the middle suffer.
Father of orphans and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
God gives the desolate a home to live in;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious live in a parched land.
Psalm 68:5-6
At this time, we call on our global communion to pray with our siblings in DR Congo and beyond amid an Ebola outbreak. We pray for the spread of hygiene information to shut down the spread of the virus. We pray for the provision of soap and gloves and other tools to protect the carers from paying a cost for their compassion.
We pray for governments to be wise and judicious in their implementation of preventive measures. We pray for a stop to local and regional violence that would interfere with medical reaching those who need it.
We pray for churches to be a refuge for the spirit in this time of fear. May our members take care to be sharers of truthful information. May our communities be generous in tending to the needs of all.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, Prince of Peace, amen.
Henk Stenvers,
president,
Mennonite World Conference
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