Peru Missionaries Assist Locals in Response to COVID-19
Peru was one of the first countries in Latin America to go into lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, two months after announcing a strict quarantine on March 16, Peru is now one of the worst-hit countries in the region. Despite the lockdown, thousands of people still contracted and spread the virus to others.
People on the frontlines—healthcare workers, police officers, first responders—and poor people have been hit hardest. Poverty has made social distancing nearly impossible for low-income people who must leave their homes to work and buy food at crowded markets. In Iquitos, Peru, many people cannot work at all during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, they rely on food donations from churches, like GoServ Global’s Genesis Church.
“What do you think of when you see a white flag? Most people think surrender. For us, it means desperation. A white flag means the household has no more food. It means the family living inside is down to nothing. It means the people in that house have decided to set aside the shame of poverty and put out a sign to show they need help.” – Riley Brinkman, Registered Nurse, Genesis Church
Living Day to Day During the Coronavirus Outbreak in Peru
In normal times, the people of Iquitos live on a day-to-day salary. They do not hoard or stockpile groceries and toilet paper like many Americans because there are only enough supplies to buy for today. Plus, only 49 percent of households own a refrigerator or freezer, according to the country’s 2017 census.
Many have no choice—they must visit markets daily because they cannot stock up on food. However, without being able to work, people are struggling to get by just one more day. On April 22, the Iquitos people marked day 38 of quarantine. They also marked 38 days of not being able to work or make an income.
We Need Your Prayers & Help with Donations
We invite you to prayerfully consider supporting our Peru missionaries at Genesis Church. Distributing food to those in need is only possible with the financial and prayerful support of others, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the health and wellness of the Iquitos people.
This quarantine has also meant no church services. Based on unofficial announcements, it doesn’t look like that will be changing anytime in the near future. In addition to the growing need for food and basic requirements for our church body, finances at Genesis Church have suffered. The pandemic has left us as a church with less financial support and fewer donations.
We continue to pay our staff and bills, but finances are running low. If your heart is moved to help with donations during the COVID-19 pandemic, please follow these steps to contribute funds so our Peru missionaries can continue to help feed the people of Iquitos:
- To help with donations, make a monetary gift by visiting our Give page.
- Select ‘Coronavirus Relief’ in the dropdown menu.
- Write ‘Peru’ in the notes box.
- Submit your donation.
Your donations help feed people. Donate today to help us reduce the white flags of desperation on homes across Iquitos.
