I write to you to pass on an urgent request from our friends in Rwanda who are suffering greatly at the moment as the Covid pandemic is tightening its grip on the region, with increasing illness, crippling lockdown restrictions and a severe shortage of vaccines.
Bishop Emmanuel writes,
” Here the Covid 19 situation in the country is very bad. Pastors and lay leaders are just locked in their homes without the basic necessities of food (since churches have been closed, and church leaders are not receiving Sunday offerings), plus there are many needy families in lockdown areas, where the breadwinner usually depends on daily work. Our 2 archdeaconries – that is Rwamagana and Rusera – have been in home lockdown for two weeks, other areas are in area lockdown due to the increase of Covid cases and deaths. On 30 July Kirehe district (on the border with Tanzania) was also put in home lockdown – in this area we have 13 parishes, now closed and all its sub parishes. We need your prayers. The Government is distributing food to needy families in Kigali city, and is encouraging organizations and churches to do the same in rural areas.”
I am also in touch with Bishop Jered Kalimba (Shyogwe Diocese) who says,
“We need more prayers because COVID 19 is destroying the lives of our peoples and the consequences are affecting many in different levels and sectors of our community in Rwanda. Moreover, the lockdowns don’t allow us to move, we are confined and stressed at home. You can imagine young people who can’t move from their homes, it becomes like prison. To the other hand we understand , lockdown is one of the best ways to protect us against the pandemic. Now we know that you can receive and contaminate Delta virus through the air. Please pray for receiving more vaccines; actually only 4% are vaccinated in Rwanda.”
We have had similar messages from our partners in Uganda as well – it is really heartbreaking!
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the end Covid-19 pandemic in the world and its negative impacts to the lives of people especially for those who in total home lockdown without food in different parts of Rwanda, and for God’s comfort for those who have lost their parents/children and relatives and those in Hospitals.
- Due to lockdown, churches are closed, please pray for the spiritual lives of our Church members and for the lives of pastors who receive salary from their parishioners.
- Pray for God’s provision for the continuation of building more handwashing stations at least to ten more churches before this year ends, in order to fulfil the requirements in the Country to be reopened again.
Let’s continue to pray for one another.
