Coronavirus or Starve

by S., a MedSend grant recipient serving in South Asia

Please pray for the poor in this country at this time.

Even though I have been telling our friends for several days now that the inevitable was coming (closed shops, closed public transportation, etc.), no one seemed to believe me. Yesterday was the last day that we had our house helper come. When she arrived, she told me that all the shops in her village were already closed this morning. For the nearly 35% of the population that buy their food on a daily basis, this lockdown will be particularly devastating.

My house helper said, “So what now? Either we either die of coronavirus or we die of starvation.”

We are grateful to have had the foresight to gather enough dry goods to feed those that we so dearly love, but they are just a drop in the bucket for the 450 million people who are in this same predicament.

As you pray for yourselves and your family members, please pray for those whose missed paychecks literally mean not having ANY food to eat for the foreseeable future. Pray that we will have the wisdom and bravery and strength to serve during the long, dark night that is just ahead.

While not hit with the initial, full brunt of Coronavirus as were other Asian countries (such as China and Korea),  South Asian countries are preparing for a significant hit in the coming weeks and months. Many countries have instituted lockdowns, including closing of borders and airports. These stringent measures have also included serious ramifications for violators who leave their homes for reasons other than medicine and groceries. In communities where families and neighbors live in close proximity, social distancing will be a difficult task for many in cities and towns. Please join with us in continuing to pray for the safety of the people of South Asia.