Words from friends on COVID-19: Brazil

From J.C. Pezini:

Hello friends, I hope you are all well, enjoying the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe you have been following the news about the pandemic here in Brazil. We can say that Brazil is the epicenter of the Latin American pandemic. It is true that the death figures are concentrated in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Manaus. In the other states there are deaths by COVID-19, but not as much as in the three big cities I mentioned above.

What has caught my attention in this time of pandemic is the generosity of the Brazilian people. Many businessmen have concentrated their efforts by offering numerous basic baskets to help a large number of people who are in need because they lost their jobs. There is already talk of almost fifty million unemployed people, whose children don't have food to eat. It is very sad to see the daily news talking about the struggle of these parents.

The different denominations have also mobilized and done humanitarian aid work in a fantastic way. Many local congregations have placed food in front of the temples to help those who pass daily in search of help.

IPIB, with the project “all together in Mission”, continues to raise funds to reach the target of fifty thousand dollars to help those in need.

Manaus, the two missionaries who worked on the boat had their families infected by COVID-19. Evandro Bindá, two weeks ago lost his mother-in-law infected with the virus. He needs to be very careful because he is diabetic. Valdir Negrao, had 3 family members killed. They needed help to be able to bury the dead.

IPIB in order to overcome demands and help people in need cut everyone's salary by 25%.

Local congregations have been mobilizing to collect cleaning supplies, personal hygiene, and cold clothes because of the winter for those who live in southern Brazil.

The Northeast and North are the ones that suffered the most in this period of the pandemic, because they are the poorest region in Brazil.

Furthermore, there is a national mobilization for prayer. The people have cried out to the Lord for mercy.