Food Crisis Update

It’s time for an update on the current food crisis in Honduras, as it relates to Covid-19. We’re used to seeing graphs depicting curves in need of flattening, so let’s discuss the increased need for food in those terms. This chart doesn’t really have a curve yet. It’s more like an arrow shooting upward in an almost steady climb. During normal times, there are approximately 150 pastors coming to Sowers4Pastors to receive food for their communities. That number is now approaching 300 pastors!

Clay Powell, who heads up Pastors Training School, has been keeping up with the pastors who were his students, and was delivering packages of food to them. During his visits, the pastors began relaying the needs they were seeing around them. As a result, an additional 150 families have been added to the list of people Sowers4Pastors is trying to help. Keep in mind that those 150 families are not the only new additions to the list. People are being brought to the Sowers’ attention through other sources as well. And, of course, they are seeing increased needs from people they were already helping. 

There are a couple of things that Sowers4Pastors hope will start to make a difference toward flattening the hunger curve:

• It has been somewhere between a month and six weeks since the rains started. By her own admission, Trish is no farmer, but she believes people should begin harvesting a variety of locally grown foods within another month or so. Even people who do not normally plant gardens did so this year, and that is a hopeful thing. Unfortunately, corn, a main staple here, won't be ready for harvest for several more months.
• The government of Honduras has started reopening the economy. Monday, June 8th was the beginning of the process. Basically, the situation is that most businesses have been allowed to reopen. The exception is what we would call public transportation, even though it is private - not government run - in Honduras. Buses, taxis, and vans which are used to shuttle people are not allowed to operate. This means that a lot of people can’t get to work. People are resourceful, though. For instance, the Sowerses have had several workers staying with them since they couldn’t easily travel each day. Hopefully, some people will begin working and bringing in money to purchase food.

The virus itself continues to be a problem mainly in larger cities. The number of cases being reported each day is the highest it has been so far. Unlike in the U.S., where there have been huge discussions about weighing the danger of the virus against the danger to the economy, things are more black and white in Honduras. With so many people facing literal starvation, Hondurans must get back to work. There is also talk of reopening schools--perhaps sometime in the next month. 

Thanks to the donations they have received, so far Sowers4Pastors has been able to purchase enough supplemental food to stay ahead of the needs. As a ministry, they have immediate and long-term plans in place. Remember that their baseline is feeding 14,000 people twice a week. When this crisis is over, they will be out of food and will still need to feed an incredibly large number of people on a regular basis. Allen has been working to find ways to purchase food through the most cost-effective sources. As long as there are adequate funds, Sowers4Pastors should be able to continue to meet the needs of the people it serves. 

Please keep praying about this ongoing situation in Honduras!! The crew with Sowers4Pastors is excited to see God's hand at work, in the lives of these pastors and families. Please continue to pray for God's strength and abundance to rain down on these people! - posted by Christi