Some of you probably saw this heading and immediately thought, “The blessings of COVID? How could COVID ever possibly be a blessing?” Habakkuk 1:5 (that unpronounceable and often skipped over book of the Bible) says,
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”
We want you to know we are not minimizing the loss of loved ones, finances, or livelihoods. COVID has had a harsh effect on many, but at the same time we have seen tremendous blessings this year. God is moving in ways that we might never have dreamed of last year, certainly not before the pandemic. In this unprecedented time when many nonprofits, ministries, and even churches are closing their doors, some of them for good, we decided to continue ministry and to do more during this time, not less. Does how we do ministry look different right now? Absolutely it does, but we refused to join many in what my friend Mic likes to call “static mode.” Many organizations are merely waiting for COVID to disappear and life to get back to ‘normal,’ but India’s people can’t wait for us to get back to normal. They depend on our monthly support. People during the pandemic are more in need now than before. Those who were already in desperate situations face a hard road ahead, and many more are struggling just to put food on the table, perhaps for the first time in their lives. This is especially true in India, where we do the bulk of our work. Mic spoke about this during the India Discovery Fair;
“It’s not that people living halfway around the world are more important than caring for our ‘own’ here in the USA; it’s just that God values every life that He has made in His image, and there are seasons of openness and fruitfulness in sharing the Gospel. It’s just that we can transform lives for pennies in India where it takes dollars here. It’s just that right now, in the middle of a pandemic, we have awesome committed Christian workers in India with the heart for their people.“
We are a small nonprofit with a small pool of resources, but because of the connections God has given us in India, we are in a unique position to help in a place where many nonprofits cannot reach. Because of the dollar difference to the Indian Rupee (1 Indian Rupee = $0.013), the money we raise here makes our dollars go further in India. Our projects reach isolated people and villages with the Gospel, many of whom have never heard the Good News. These are some of the reasons why our work has been so effective with the Indian people.
Our staff and team in India have risen to the challenge of COVID. When schools were closed, we distributed food to many homes and families who would have gone without, bringing the hope of the Gospel with them.
We could have become discouraged during this time when we had to push back the dates of our clean water and vocational computer training school, but we are pressing forward in faith, and God has provided in our need.
We could have kept our tailoring schools closed out of fear, but we are opening the doors again as it is safe to do so with all the proper precautions. This year, we have been able to help a man nearly crippled for life and bedridden for months with no source of income to learn a new trade and hear the hope of the Gospel.
We could have canceled our annual fundraising event, but we decided we would do a virtual event and auction, something we had never attempted before.
With a combination of Zoom and Silent Auction Pro, we had over 40 people who attended the event and raised several thousand (already over $5,400 has come in with more expected). A combination of a silent auction that ran for two weeks before the event and closed that night, a live raise the paddle donation competition, and having our team ready to accept and follow up with pledges made a very successful night.
This is not what you’d expected of a virtual event especially during COVID. We are learning that if virtual events are done right, there is a lot of potential. That’s the single most significant word to describe us during COVID: potential. We decided that instead of worrying about what we couldn’t do, we would dream about what was possible. Our resolve led to innovation, and that innovation led to something new in a virtual event. A pandemic can’t stop the work of God. After all, it’s not like this took Him by surprise. We trusted that God wanted us to move our ministry forward instead of holding it back and waiting in stand-by for things to get better. Just look at what can be done when we trust God and push forward! Thank you to everyone who contributed and continues to support us faithfully!
Michael Eash
Global Helps Network Team