Dear Friends,
After enduring the oppressive summer heat, the July and August rains in Pakistan are usually welcomed as a respite and blessing. This year, however, the rains that typically bring relief have instead brought widespread and devastating flooding. As a result, people have lost their homes, modes of transportation, and for many, their lives. The extent of the damage is overwhelming.
Asaph, a World Outreach worker in Pakistan, commented on how the monsoon rains that lasted for weeks on end caused a degree of damage not seen in this region for 50 years. Yet even amid the disaster, God is at work.
One way EPC World Outreach seeks to carry out the Great Commission is through word and deed ministry—a lifestyle of love, mercy, and justice for the flourishing of the communities we serve. In bringing the good news of Jesus Christ around the world, we also want to care for the real, tangible needs of the people we encounter. The International Disaster Relief Fund is one vehicle through which we can do this.
World Outreach was able to partner with Asaph by sending $26,000 toward relief efforts in the area. “The need was great and overwhelming, even to figure out where to begin or whom to prioritize,” said Asaph. Through prayer and counsel from other ministry leaders, Asaph and his team decided to provide food rations to 150 families for a month. They were also able to provide support to some whose homes were damaged or who lost their motorcycles, their only mode of transportation, in the flooding.
While the needs in Pakistan stretch far beyond our reach, for these 150 families, the aid was inestimable. It sustained them during a very dark time and gave them hope as they faced the full weight of the devastation.
We praise God for the way he is providing for this region while we also recognize that the work is not done. The need remains great, and Asaph estimates that food prices will rise in the coming year as the flooding caused extensive damage to rice fields in the area.
Would you consider partnering with us first in prayer for this region? May the Lord continue to move mightily in the lives of people there. May he be glorified, and may the precious people of Pakistan come to know the forgiveness of our Savior. If you would like to financially support relief efforts, you can give to the International Disaster Relief Fund here.
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