Merry Christmas

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

In the United States and in Liberia, "Peace" would probably be the last word to describe 2020. COVID-19 worldwide and elections in our country have not instilled peace as the world understands it.

How does the world view peace? The world’s peace is circumstantial. This peace is totally external and can be taken away in a moment of changing circumstances.  A diagnosis from your doctor, the loss of a job, a past due bill you can't pay are all circumstantial peace killers. Remove these problems and you are peaceful again--waiting for the next time you are not.

But Jesus’ peace in the verse above is altogether different and has nothing to do with circumstances. It passes all understanding (Phil 4:7). Jesus tells us that God is in control and he loves you. He tells us that "...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  ​

From November 2020 Newsletter - Subscribe
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COVID-19 cases and deaths in Liberia are relatively small. But the government shutdown outcome on the country is huge. The population living below the national poverty line is expected to increase from 55.5 percent in 2019 to 68.9 percent in 2020. This means that an additional 526,000 Liberians are at risk of falling into poverty according to the World Bank.

​The human cost of COVID-19 could be very high:

1) Unemployment: There are no government programs in Liberia to help when businesses shut down. The small amount of income you make goes to zero. Currently 85 percent of employable youths are without jobs.

2) Malnutrition: Liberia is one of the 21 countries with the highest malnourishment levels in the world. One out of three children under the age of five years old is malnourished or too short for their age because of a lack of proper nutrition.

From November 2020 Newsletter - Subscribe

The mission for ELWA in Liberia for more than 65 years has been centered around the belief  that no one should live and die without hearing God's good news. To this end, we invited you to join us in three ministry projects (pictures above) to share the Gospel and disciple believers in Liberia. Fundraising is off to a good start. See how we are doing below.

We still need lots of financial help on these three projects! Please consider a year-end donation. 

Donate
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From November 2020 Newsletter - Subscribe

Large numbers of women started bringing their babies and young children with severe malnutrition problems to the hospital in 2019. There is often a medical issue associated with this as well. With the onset of Covid-19, more women struggling to feed their children are coming for help and advice. In August 2019, ELWA hospital started a free "Malnutrition Feeding and Medical Management Program" for children under five years old suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). Carrying out malnutrition treatment in a hospital setting offers a big advantage in allowing for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying medical condition and leads to higher survival rates for these children. The specialized food provided in the program is free for the kids but costs the hospital about $16,000 a year. ELWA Ministries Association USA has committed to paying for half of this cost but we can only do it with your help. Please consider a donation for this project.