Your hearts, like ours, are heavy with news of people who are suffering. We know you have a deep desire to help. Here, we connect you with specific prayers and channels for providing tangible relief, as we learn about them from our missions partners and friends around the world.
Israel - Hamas War
As we all have been witnessing the most recent chapter in the decades-long conflict between Arabs and the people of Israel, we want to let God lead our response and our prayers.
Here are some suggestions from Dr. Evertt W. Huffard, who spent his teens in Jerusalem, Jordan, and with his wife, Ileene, served in cross-cultural ministry in Israel for five years:
God, help us use this context to exercise our Christian worldview, rooted in your will that we seek “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly” with you.
Please help us to be instruments of peace and guard us from biased narratives from either side that seek to justify violence and gain global approval for war.
We lift up to you the Arabs and the Jews who are crying for peace but living in fear for their lives and their families every day of this war, in the region and around the world.
NOTE: Dr. Huffard’s more complete thoughts can be downloaded here.
If you would like to partner with aid efforts, Healing Hands International is organizing responses to help those in need.
Powerful Earthquake Strikes Morocco
A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, crumbling buildings and other structures, taking the lives of more than 2,000 people, and leaving over 1,400 injured. Survivors are dealing with shock, loss, and pain. We’re praying for them:
May God have mercy on those who have lost loved ones
May he bring healing to those who have been injured
May the hope of Christ fill the hearts of those who feel hopeless
May our good Father protect and provide for those who have lost much
May he give strength and energy to all who are serving the hurting
May God give his disciples the eyes to see how they can serve better
There may be ways to help financially, also. We will add them here when they have been identified.
May God work through this tragedy to show his goodness, and draw more hearts to himself.
If you have additional information that could be helpful on this page, please email missions@mrnet.org.
Remember to watch The Christian Chronicle for news.
Invasion of Ukraine
The military attacks on Ukraine have added a new and acute crisis in the Kherson area, as the nearby dam was destroyed, causing massive flooding. Thousands had to leave their homes, with some waiting on their rooftops for rescue. In addition to the need for emergency rescues, there is a mounting urgency for clean water and food. In addition to the prayers listed below, you can find links to help more tangibly below.
We want to continue to hold up those who have stayed to fight for their homes and their country, those who are displaced, families that have been torn apart or lost loved ones, and who feel lost and hopeless. We know you already are part of our first and most important response to such crises: earnest prayer. During our most recent prayer time, we collected these specific prayers from missionaries and friends of missionaries who are close to those most desperately in need:
May God break the knees of evil and thwart their plans
May the hope of Christ be revealed to those who feel hopeless
May our good Father protect and provide for the women and children who are without their husbands and dads, and often their homes
May he give strength and energy to individuals and organizations who are serving the hurting
May God give his disciples the eyes to see how they can serve better
May he encourage the Ukrainians
May he protect those who are defending their homes
May he give leaders who oppose evil the wisdom and courage to resist it effectively
There may be ways to help financially, also. Here are some options you may want to explore:
Sunset International Bible Institute is collecting funds and disbursing them through their on-the-ground contacts. Use this link to donate online. (If you’d like to send a check, the address and instructions are included on the linked page.)
Peter and Rie Vali, two of our MedRim mission workers, have a Ukraine friend who became a refugee in 2014 and is still working on asylum in the MedRim. Despite the challenges he faces, he is coordinating financial assistance for suffering Ukrainians in partnership with Hellenic Ministries. He covets your financial assistance and your prayers. Hellenic Ministries has set up an NGO for receiving donations for this specific need.
Jeremiah’s Hope continues to provide “hope, healing and practical help to the orphans,at-risk youth and vulnerable people of Ukraine.”
Volunteer Brothers is a Ukrainian-led ministry of Ukraine churches of Christ to serve the needs of those around them.
Healing Hands International has identified and coordinated several ways to help financially. https://www.hhi.org/ukraine
Christian Relief Fund will be working through their program in Romania to help and host Ukrainian refugees. https://crf.com/disaster
Missionary friends of MRN in Poland have shared that their church is collecting money for the churches in Ukraine. Email missions@mrnet.org to be connected.
Eastern European Missions has established several pathways to provide assistance with the many relationships they have in Eastern Europe. https://www.eem.org/ukraineaid/
https://www.trustbridgeglobal.com/ukraine: This is the official TrustBridge link that can now be used for giving to the Ukraine Rapid Response project. They will publish the names of the expert advisory panel on Monday, but already have people agreeing to be involved that will bring strong credibility to the project. These people are professionals in the grant making world and have close experiences with Ukraine. NOTE: MRN does not have information about the entities that will receive funding disbursements.
May God work in this moment to bring honor to his name.
If you have additional information that could be helpful on this page, please email missions@mrnet.org.
Remember to watch The Christian Chronicle for news.
Massive Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
It’s hard to know so many people have lost everything and are just trying to survive. Currently, the death toll is over 36,000 people, and rescue efforts are being hampered by aftershocks and frigid conditions. Transports that could bring aid are inhibited by damaged roads. It’s estimated that millions of people are impacted. Let’s pray together for these people God created who are desperately in need. Here are specific requests from our time of sharing and prayer:
May God provide more rescuers in Turkey and help those who are providing care
May the city of Antakya, Turkey, which we remember as Antioch, be rebuilt in the name of Jesus
May God bring more dreams and visions to people in Turkey who don’t know him, and then connect these people to believers
May God wrap his arms around the Syrian children/early teens who have known nothing but war, severe famine, and sickness their entire lives
May he develop servant leaders among the church leaders in Syria, and develop long-term servant leadership among these displaced people
May God use these tragedies for lasting Kingdom impact
May we all remember that this is a marathon, and may God give those in the midst, and all of us, endurance in caring for the suffering and those who need Jesus
This is a beautiful song and prayer that can unite our hearts with the believers praying these words right now for their countries: https://youtu.be/kgxrJG-_1GE
There may be ways to help financially as well. These are the avenues we have learned of so far; we will update this as we learn more:
Christians serving in Turkey have believing Turkish friends who run a non-profit, First Hope Association, that is assessing needs and will manage collecting and distributing help.
The Christian Holyland Foundation has a network of believing partners and friends in Syria. They are collecting and providing funds for the needs they learn about through the church leaders.
Healing Hands International is providing resources to local churches who are assisting with food supplies, rescue efforts, and temporary housing.
Christian Relief Fund is collecting funds to help victims of the earthquake.
For those who would like to give to a church, you may direct your gifts to the Turkish church in Antalya in this way:
People International USA
PO Box 3005
Vancouver, WA 98668-3005
Gifts can be made by credit card online, by mailing in a check, or by telephone. Please note that it is essential for all donors to quote the Antalya Evangelical Church account designation number 935 with their donation. Otherwise, the gift will be counted as general giving to People International USA.