East Africa (MNN) — Needs abound in one East African nation. Insecurity in Murugo* recently descended into an all-out war, forcing millions to flee. The instability here threatens to destabilize the entire region.

“Nearly 20 projects have, in one way or another, been impacted” by the current unrest, Wycliffe Associates’ Sam Todd says.

“Between natural disasters or other tragedies, virtually everyone [connected to our work] is affected.”

Chaos began in this country in mid-April and hasn’t stopped since. When disasters like this strike, “teams get scattered about; translators living in the same town are now separate,” Todd says.

“Normal life stops in those instances, and you go into pure survival mode – ‘Are we safe? What do we eat? Where are we going to sleep? Are my kids okay? Where are my siblings or my extended family?’”

Pray for courage and strength as Murugo believers care for needy people.

Churches often function as makeshift hospitals or care centers in war-like situations. “They become community sanctuaries where people know they can go to be loved, protected, [and] to be cared for,” Todd says.

“When humanity is at its worst, the Church is at its best. [Christians in Murugo] talk about love, grace, hope, and kindness. These are the moments where they get to live that out to people around them.”

Pray the Lord will give wisdom to Wycliffe Associates and its partners as they decide the future of translation work in this country.

“There’s no guarantee that life will be what it was. There’s a lot of difficulty and tension in moving forward because [there are] so many unknowns,” Todd says.

“People are just in this survival mentality, which is a very difficult place to be.”

 

*Pseudonym

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Ninno JackJr/Unsplash.