A deepening food crisis is threatening the lives and health of more than 14 million people in southern Africa, and Southern Baptists are working to prevent disaster and share Christ’s love with hurting individuals.
Officials estimate that 300,000 people could die in the next several months from famine caused by drought, floods, civil war, AIDS and other factors. The United Nations has requested more than $600 million for food, agriculture and health aid, and relief organizations are sending thousands of tons of food into the region.
Missionaries in southern Africa are partnering with local believers to identify groups overlooked by major aid organizations, which often focus on heavily populated areas.
“We attempt to identify the cracks in the plans of the major donors to see where we can be of some help,” said Sam Upton, a Southern Baptist missionary who is coordinating relief work in Malawi.
Upton and other believers have made plans to share Christ’s love with at least 8,000 families using $90,000 in world hunger funds. The believers will work in all three regions of Malawi.
“Over the last 40 years, Malawi has been one of the most responsive places in the world to the gospel,” says Upton. “We pray that this opportunity for sharing the gospel will continue to stay open wide.”
Mid-September through mid-October, missionaries and local believers will distribute starter packs of seed and fertilizer in hopes of facilitating a better harvest next year.
They will use churches as distribution points, and pastors will share the good news. Believers and non-believers alike will receive aid. Next January through March, when hunger is expected to be worst, they’ll share maize with the people — beginning with the elderly, widows and orphans. Because of the generosity of Southern Baptists, missionaries around the world have hunger funds to turn to — and doors for the gospel are opened.
When missionaries alleviate physical suffering, nonbelievers see the love of Christ in action and often become curious about the love that motivates Christians to help them. As missionaries meet physical needs, they earn credibility and are able to share the gospel with village chiefs and government officials. Disciples are made as local believers serve side by side with missionaries.
“There is shortage of food and hunger in Malawi, but we are not yet to the stage of famine,” Upton said. “Whether or not we reach that stage will depend upon the response of the world community, including Baptists.” (BP)
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