Seven Mennonite leaders from Democratic Republic of the Congo share love and concern for their brothers and sisters in the United States who are suffering from the world's highest numbers of COVID-19 illness and death.
Greetings to our brothers and sisters in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In this time made difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic, our thoughts travel around the world to extend compassion to fellow Anabaptists in our global community. Please keep us updated about your situation. The news that we receive in the media each day informs us that the United States is the country most impacted by the new coronavirus. So, we send our love and our empathy in this message. We have faith that those who hope in God will never be beaten down.
There are no social, economic, or scientific explanations that can account for why Congo, in particular, and the African continent, in general, have largely been spared. We are aware the hand of the Eternal has intervened, so that we have the smallest percentage of COVID-19 deaths, contrary to scientific projections.
Romans 8:35-39 tells us:
Who will separate us from Christ's love? Will hardship, or anguish, or persecution, or hunger, or lack of clothing, or insecurity, or a violent death?... But in all these things, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus, who loved us. I have the assurance that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor dominations, nor present events, nor future events, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nothing will be able to separate us from God's love shown in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
We want to show solidarity with you through this passage to show you how much the Eternal God loves us despite this difficult time. We encourage you to live by faith in God's love until God acts on your behalf.
We join ourselves to you in prayer and we ask the Eternal God to multiply protection for you and to bring an end to this pandemic.
Let's stay connected and united in Christ! Let us live in solidarity with each other.
With love and blessings from your brothers and sisters of Programme Mennonite d'Alphabétisation comme Moyen d'Évangélisation (Congolese Mennonite Literacy Program),
- Joseph Nkongolo Ciondo, coordinator
- Adolphine Tshiama
- Aimerance Kabebe
- Fidelité Nkita
- Hélène José Mbombo
- Justice Moshamesu
- Marie Fumana