Rain had been falling for a full week before Cyclone Idai made landfall on March 4, 2019. By the time the cyclone (hurricane) struck, there was no place for the water to go, so it spread, laterally. One such inland “river” was reportedly 31 miles wide, carrying along and depositing millions of tons of mud and debris.
Though people in North America have heard very little about this crisis on mainstream media, the resulting disaster has impacted 3 million people and is already being called by the UN as “the worst ever disaster to strike the southern hemisphere.” This video report hints at the scope of the disaster; it is from a BBC news crew that surveyed the “inland sea” by helicopter during a lull in the rainfall. Video report link.
Pastor George Stagg (back center) with Mozambican pastors
On March 3, as the cyclone was barreling towards Beira, Mozambique, Pastor George Stagg had just completed a pastoral training stint there with their local partner and was boarding a plane to return home to the Twin Cities, Minnesota. The next day, the powerful cyclone made landfall. To date, over 750 people are known to have lost their lives in the three African countries in the impact zone: Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. This number is rising every day now as the flood waters slowly recede. With the country’s roads, bridges, and infrastructure heavily damaged and farmlands and livestock devastated, it will be a long way to recovery.
PARTNERING TOGETHER TO HELP
Encompass Crisis Response is grateful to partner with George Stagg and the Twin Cities Church in helping the Beira Church in Mozambique reach out to people in need both in the church and local communities. With the Twin Cities Church and the church in Beira already in a several-year-long church-equipping project, the avenues and relationships are already in place for this outreach.
OUR PROJECT
Encompass Crisis Response is raising funds to be used for immediate relief supplies and ongoing needs for months to come as people rebuild their lives and recover from their losses. These funds will be entrusted to Twin Cities Church, who passes on 100% of what is sent them to the Beira Church in Mozambique.
HOW TO HELP
We invite you to join us as we seek to raise and send on $10,000 to help. How to give:
- Send checks made out to Encompass World to: Encompass World, PO Box 3298, Monument, CO 80132.
- Give online here, indicating the amount of your tax-deductible contribution.
THANK YOU in advance for your partnership as we help the Mozambican Church care for those in their community who have lost so much.
