Locked down, not knocked down

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.”

Paul the Apostle wrote those words in 2 Corinthians approximately 2,000 years ago. But during this time of lockdowns and social distancing, this encouraging reminder is needed now more than ever.

Several states and countries have begun to lift their lockdown restrictions, but it’s hard not to focus on the devastation left behind by the coronavirus: Businesses closed. Thousands of people dead. And thousands more starving.

Today, you can help those families who are starving around the world by providing essentials like food, clean water, medical care, and more. Your gift will DOUBLE up to $235,000 thanks to a matching gift from World Help Board members. For just $8, you can now help rescue TWO people in need.

These past two months have certainly brought new pressures into each of our lives. Whether you’ve been working from home, trying to teach your child’s math lesson, or prevented from seeing a loved one in the hospital, 2020 has been a year full of hardships.

But it’s also been a time of hope. Love. Compassion. Generosity. And even evangelism.

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, people in impoverished communities are desperate for some kind of hope. They’ve been trapped inside their homes for weeks, and they’re afraid of the battered world waiting outside their doors.

“We’ve seen there are more people coming to Christ because of the possibilities of everything online and social networks,” one of our partners in the Middle East said. “Every single day people are coming to Jesus. People who have never heard are now hearing and engaging with the Gospel.”

This is happening in Iran — a country closed to the Gospel! During this time of isolation, more and more people are hearing the Good News through radio, Facebook Live, and other platforms as they search online.

Another partner in Iran reported a shortage of protective masks in the surrounding communities. So, Christians decided to make them in their homes and pass them out for free. The people who receive these masks can’t believe the compassion shown to them. What a testimony!

In South Asia, the coronavirus has left more than 120 million people jobless. These families were already struggling before the pandemic. They relied on their daily wages. But when the country went under lockdown, they had no way of putting food on the table.

Thankfully, local churches are providing them with meals. “As the churches and believers show them compassion and help them with food and other basic necessities, people are more receptive to the Gospel,” our partner said.

The churches are also passing out tracts with the food distributions.

But people aren’t just showing compassion around the world in developing countries. One Delaware woman recently rounded up 120 volunteers to deliver peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the homeless and other families in need.

“I thought about what gifts do I have to offer,” Louise Eliason said in the article. “I was looking for a way to give back. And that was it.”

The volunteers prepared the sandwiches, packed them in boxes, and loaded them into their trunks — wearing masks and gloves, of course — and began making deliveries around town.

Yes, the past two months have sent the world on a roller coaster. From schools closing to food shortages to working from home at the kitchen table, you may be feeling the pressures of living under lockdown yourself. Or perhaps you’re starting to come out of isolation now.

But before you jump back into a normal routine, remember those people who are still stuck in the thick of this pandemic. The impoverished families who are starving. The ones who can’t afford food or medicine and aren’t allowed to travel.

For just $8, you can help rescue TWO people in desperate need.

Your doubled gift will help provide essentials like food, clean water, medical care, and more. Plus, you’ll help erase World Help’s $2.3 million budget shortfall caused by canceled fundraising events to ensure impoverished people around the world continue to receive the lifesaving aid they need.

Though these lockdowns have caused a lot of devastation, there’s also been some blessings: Neighbors helping neighbors. People in Iran and other persecuted countries hearing the Gospel for the first time. Communities supporting each other.

The world may be under lockdown … but we’re not knocked down.

Hard pressed … but not crushed.

Let’s keep that generosity going. Let’s keep shining that light.

As you come out of your own lockdown, please give to help make sure people in impoverished communities survive theirs.

Help TWO people for $8