Ministry team provides aid to desperate families in South Asia

The people in a restricted access South Asian country where CMF serves quickly became desperate for food and basic essentials during the Coronavirus lock-down, so Marketplace team members Mr. and Mrs. L. immediately began looking for ways to help.

“Many of the people could not work during the lockdown and they depend on their daily wages for necessities,” said Mrs. L. “The government finally began a small monthly stipend, but it was too little and too brief. So, we asked the local leaders we work with for lists of the families that are most desperate for food.”

The L.’s appealed to their generous donors for assistance and were soon able to provide six weeks of supplies to 18 families of believers. But the gifts did not stop there!

“We were given a great way to focus this project on outreach and double the number of families receiving food,” said Mrs. L. “Each of the believer families chose a neighbor who was also in desperate need to help. So, the project not only fed families, but built bridges of relationships for these leaders and the believer families. And in one community of 10 very needy families, we have even been able to make plans for a leader to begin meetings with local families,” she added.

For most of the deliveries, the couple wanted to avoid having a foreign presence make the deliveries, so Mr. L., (who is local) went with the leaders to these houses.

“Every family we visited was significantly happy, blessed and encouraged by the food provision,” said Mrs. L. “The gifts either locked in their relationship with going to meetings or created a deeper connection with their believer neighbor who gave the food.”