Continued Prayer in the Wake of Cyclone Idai

In crises like this, often our children and families can disperse and thus increasing their vulnerability and hampering efforts to provide care. We thank God that none of our children have left the communities. Thank God for the protection He gave our children, their families and Care Workers during the cyclone.

As the local Hands teams in Chimoio, Mozambique and Dedza, Malawi begin to repair homes and as they, and those supporting them, continue to assess and plan the next steps across the region, ask God to give them wisdom and discernment, strength and endurance, and encouragement and love.  

Currently, many of the communities in Mozambique and Zimbabwe are facing a total loss of crop. This will have a devastating impact on the year to come, as for many the hunger season will be extended for another twelve months. Pray for Hands at Work leaders, to have wisdom as they seek to plan to support our families in this time of uncertainty and desperate hunger. 

This past Tuesday, the Care Workers and the Primary Caregivers in the community of Matsinho, Mozambique, with the support of Hands at Work, were able to do some emergency planting of vegetables with the hope that they will grow quickly. Please pray for these vegetables to grow and that the harvest will be plentiful, giving our families in Matsinho some source of consistent food, in the midst of the hunger season.  

Pray for the local churches in Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to rise up and take responsibility for the most vulnerable and the broken in their community who have lost everything.  

The impact of an event like the cyclone is not just physical. Our communities are fragile, and many of our children are already dealing with trauma. An event like this has left children and their families further traumatised as their homes were destroyed, they lost whatever crops were remaining after a bad growing season, and they face the uncertainties of what lies ahead. This is the most important work that we do: that through our efforts and our presence in the communities, we bring a stabilising force: we show compassion and love, demonstrating, as we work together to serve the most vulnerable in these communities, that these families are not forgotten and alone. Pray for our children and families to have hope in the midst of hopelessness and desperation. Ask God to bring His peace and comfort in this season of sadness and uncertainty. Pray for God to reveal Himself as their Heavenly Father, who knows their name and loves them deeply, despite the challenges surrounding them.

Although the rains have ceased in Zimbabwe and Mozambique, they have continued in Malawi. Pray that the rains will slow to enable us to better respond. Pray, too, that no further homes will be destroyed in these rains.

Some of our families have been separated and accommodated into different shelters. Pray for these families. Pray that they will be reunited soon.

Across Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe there have been many cases of malaria and other water-borne diseases that have been reported as a result of the stagnant water from the cyclone. Please pray for the health of all of our children, their families and our Care Workers.

Pray that people in our communities, who weren’t directly impacted by the cyclone, will have grace and compassion on those who have been considerably impacted. Pray for those who have resources to share with those who don’t.