Burundi COIVD-19 Update

About Hope4Burundi
Hope4Burundi/Homecare ministry is focused on meeting the spiritual, emotional and practical needs of Burundi.  The nation has suffered greatly from continual political strife, waves of genocide and disease that has left it the most malnourished country and bottom two poorest countries in the world.  The ministry provides avenues for sharing the Gospel, daily discipleship, prayer and counseling, literacy training, as well as providing greatly needed food, clean water filters, medical care and spiritual support for hundreds of families, particularly widows and orphans, with two ministry centers; one in the capital, Bujumbura, and one in the rural area of Matana.  Sewing/discipleship classes are offered to widows and orphans to equip them to support and nurture their families and build strong, Christian families who will ultimately impact the nation.  

Election & COVID-19 Impact in Burundi
God has shown great mercy to them in recent months during a critical presidential election, complicated by the sudden death of the outgoing president, which resulted in little violence, compared to the prior election. With the current Covid outbreak, God has sustained them; no students have suffered from the virus. Though two staff members did contract the virus, they have fully recovered. We praise God for that! The virus has altered the usual activities, but they are praying to have two graduating sewing/discipleship groups in November. This will bring the total of graduates to more than 1,000.  98 widows and orphans have already applied to the next sewing/discipleship classes.

Prayer Requests
The current prayer needs are:

•  Pray for the proposed agricultural training offered in Zimbabwe to be able to resume and representatives from the ministry able to take part to train others in Burundi to cultivate more nutritious and higher quantities of badly needed food crops
• The halt of the spread of the virus that has spread throughout the country
• Ability to do more follow up with the high school ministry that began two years ago, to be able to continue mentoring and discipling students
• For Burundi’s new leadership, that they would govern according to God’s heart
• That food costs, that have increased drastically this year, will be reduced and adequate food supplies available to sustain the many families and individuals who are in desperate need of even basic quantities to survive.
• End of disease, return of commercial flights and political stability to allow Peace to return to Burundi soon and wisdom as she directs remotely from Canada.

Peace, director of the Burundi ministry, and all in the Hope4Burundi family, thank you for your prayers and support, especially during this difficult time.

John & Diane Crews