{"id":42484,"date":"2021-05-13T09:47:02","date_gmt":"2021-05-13T14:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/?p=42484"},"modified":"2021-05-13T09:47:05","modified_gmt":"2021-05-13T14:47:05","slug":"a-work-of-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalministries.org\/a-work-of-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"A Work of Hope"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Emmanuela Loccident serves with the Evangelical Church of Morocco.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greetings!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this is the first newsletter you are reading from me, my husband Fritz and I have been invited and welcomed by the Protestant Church in Morocco (EEAM) to serve as mission co-workers since October 2017. The EEAM is a partner of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ through Global Ministries. After a time of discernment with the EEAM, we are serving in the city of Oujda (northeast of the country), where there is a parish that Fritz is pastoring and where the social ministry is very present. My ministry is in the national communication team as the main coordinator. We have been blessed to serve the church for almost four years now, and it has been a transformative experience so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I must admit that it has been a while since I have given you all some news about what is going on here in Morocco, in the EEAM, and in my ministry. For this, I am grateful for your prayers and patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you know, we all have been affected by the pandemic since the beginning of 2020. The kingdom of Morocco has not been spared from this global crisis. The country is situated at the crossroads of Africa and Europe \u2013 not only do many tourists come here, but there are also many flights to and from Africa which have stopovers here. Therefore, since March 2020, there have been a lot of COVID-19 cases here. There have been around 500,000 cases in a country of almost 37 million people!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026 Till now, the Lord has helped us.\u201d (1 Samuel 7:12b ESV)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are so grateful that despite the pandemic, the church has been able to help the ones in need. The Protestant Church in Morocco hears and responds actively to the call to assist people migrating through Morocco in the hopes of crossing over to Europe. This is regardless of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many programs supported by the social ministry of the national church to help those who are vulnerable. Most people we are blessed to serve come from countries in sub-Saharan Africa \u2013 including single women, women with children, pregnant women, young men, families, and unaccompanied minors. Most of them are tired, hungry, and in desperate need of help. Many are injured when trying to cross over walls (sometimes with barbed wire) or when trying to escape from the patrols. The programs include urgent aid (food basket, medical aid, medicine, clothes, etc.), professional training for those who are thinking of staying in Morocco, grants for those who wish to go back to their homeland, and funds for those who want to start businesses, to only state a few. This is the work that the church is doing in \u201cnormal times!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the pandemic, the needs grew enormously because everybody needed help! The students, the professionals, the church staff – everyone needed help, and most still do. Even those who were normally helping others were now in situations where they needed help, as well. EEAM\u2019s leadership had to come up with a plan to assist migrants as well as the whole church family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks be to God; many partners of the church were compelled to send funds, and many locals (from the church and outside of the church) were pitching in so that the church could help as many people as possible. As a result of these efforts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n