Overseas Workers Respond to Covid-19
Report by Abi Willetts, April 2020

The response of our Overseas Workers to the present Covid-19 crisis has been very moving. We see our workers doing all they can, under different national lockdown restrictions, to help distribute food to people with no means of feeding themselves and families having lost work. This includes trying to feed street children who have been temporarily housed and those who have no financial support without basic jobs. Caring for those who are the poorest of the poor and often in nations with healthcare systems also rated low by international standards. In Ichthus we are standing with our workers still serving in nations under lockdown restrictions, where at times there are fears over ‘foreigners’ and where there are also threats from political instability, as well as this virus and long term pressures from the rise in refugees.

Our Overseas Workers have continued to, along with much of the Christian world, serve their churches using online platforms where possible. They continue to care for the spiritual needs of their congregations and contacts. However, there are challenges, the challenge to bring this spiritual support where people do not own phones or computers. Workers are still visiting people where possible, but we need to pray. We see this virus as a work of the enemy and are committed to joining together with our Overseas Workers wherever this is possible. They join us for online prayer meetings and Sunday services from London; this is helping us to agree together in prayer, to give encouragement and them to be strengthened by teaching and fellowship via these live streams.

Do join us in prayer for our Overseas Family at this time:

  1. Pray for this virus to be completely pushed back in each nation.
  2. Pray for those workers serving in poor communities to know how to share resources with others, for wisdom, and to see many miraculous breakthroughs as they reach out with the love and compassion of Jesus.
  3. Pray for each worker and their families to be protected under the ‘shadow of His Wings’ and in this ‘hidden’ time for each church to be shaped and equipped by the work of the Spirit for the times that lie ahead.