Uganda (MNN)—In early May, a hospital in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) identified a cluster of severe illnesses affecting healthcare workers, later identified as Bundibugyo virus, one of the 4 types of orthoebolaviruses that cause Ebola disease in people. According to the CDC, as of June 14, there have been 782 confirmed cases and 178 confirmed deaths in the DRC, as well as 19 confirmed cases and two confirmed deaths in Uganda.
David Durance of TeachBeyond says the fear surrounding this issue is palpable: “You can taste it almost in the conversations that I’ve had over this. I think there’s been this sudden realization: this is a really significant thing, and we’re catching it later, and it’s more pervasive than we think.”
This fear has been extremely disruptive for missions planned to the region.
“The fear of what could be—I think in some ways a very legitimate fear—is entirely disruptive. Even if there’s little or no risk, in places like the capital city or even down in Kinshasa, it actually doesn’t really matter.”
Durance prays God will continue to open doors to make missions work in the region possible.
“These children still need education. We work with 5000 students in Uganda, for example, many of which are far, far outside of the capital. There are decisions that people need to make in terms of safety, and there’s decisions that we need to make in terms of being courageous and saying, ‘Hey, we still can offer this, because there actually is a very low risk or no risk,’ and that just requires an incredible level of discernment—and it’s not discernment that comes from my desk. It actually comes from our local leaders.”
Pray that TeachBeyond’s local project leaders would have wisdom and discernment as they make hard decisions around missions work and safety. Pray also for unity amongst ministries offering varying services—such as education, health ministry, and church planting—to bring the region the support it needs.
“In any point where there’s fear, where we hear the cries of anguish, the possibility of disaster, we know that the Gospel can be really well heard in those moments,” says Durance. “We just are asking God to help us be faithful in the moment to be that voice.”
Header photo courtesy of TeachBeyond.
