Covid-19 Special (International) Collection

St Andrew’s is now taking a Special Covid 19 International Collection and the PCC has approved an initial commitment to give £2,000 as the need is immediate. You are invited to pray and contribute – see details below.

The Collection is for one of our Mission Partners, Qaiser Julius & the Open Theological Seminary in Pakistan. We work with them to develop Church-based discipleship training in Sialkot Diocese. When Pakistan went into lock-down as a response to the Coronavirus the OTS team immediately recognised the desperate plight of day labourers and others, who were literally in danger of starving. They launched a Compassion Campaign with an initial target is to provide food packages to 1000 families, one pack per family. The food package contains basic items of groceries such as flour, rice, sugar, tea, salt, lentils, chickpeas, pasta, cooking oil – enough to serve a family for 10 days at least. Each bag costs just £11! A £1,000 donation will feed around 90 families, but as the lock-down continues, so will the need. We are working to ensure that some of the food parcels are distributed through OTS links in Sialkot.

Further details with numerous stories are available in two Updates from OTS.

  1. OTS Compassion Campaign Updater
  2. OTS Compassion Updater Issue No. 2

Please donate online via BACS if you can to:

  • St Andrew’s PCC
  • Sort Code: 20-90-56
  • Account No: 80374598
  • Reference: OTS plus your name

Alternatively send cheques, CAF Vouchers etc., payable to ‘St Andrew’s PCC – OTS’ to Carl Jackson, our Treasurer, at:

  • Oakmeade, 3 Northcote Park, Oxshott, Surrey KT22 0HL

An email to Carl (), to expect payment & confirm if you wish to Gift Aid the donation will also be helpful.

Ashiq Hussain, a street hawker, was looking at me while the OTS team was distributing food. He came a little closer and with a hesitant voice he asked, “Sir I am not a beggar but a labourer and have not earned anything today. There is shortage of food at my home and that’s why I came out to do work, even though there is a restriction from the Govt.” He continued, “Maybe it is not my right to ask for this donation of food, but my 3 kids and my wife are waiting at home for me so I can take something for them to eat but I still haven’t earned anything to buy food for them. May I ask you if one of these food packs could be given to me?” For a moment I kept silent as there was nothing left with me for him. Taking courage, I asked him to give me his mobile number to contact him later. When we delivered a food pack to his family the next day he was overjoyed!

 

Prayer for our Special International Appeal

As we launch this appeal, pause and imagine what it is like for millions of day workers all over the world, living hand to mouth, but now in lock-down with no source of income & therefore no food for family and children.

Give thanks to God for Qaiser Julius and the staff of OTS in Pakistan, their practical compassion and initial giving of their own resources to feed others. Thank him too for our Partnership with OTS & the opportunity to make a difference, to at least a few, in Christ’s name.

Please pray for:

  • Pakistan, a country with 220 million people & Prime Minister Imran Khan as the virus may only peak in mid-May and there is only limited health infrastructure
  • Every recipient family that they may know the love and presence of God with them
  • Funds to be able to reach 1500 families with food bags
  • Protection for OTS workers risking their own health to distribute food bags
  • Wisdom & discernment for leaders identifying those in greatest need
  • Millions the world over in similar situations

Jolyon, David & the Mission Partnering Team