Pastor Mwema Bertin of the Democratic Republic of Congo thanks Regular Baptist International donors for helping the hungry during this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bertin is president of the Community of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Congo, a partnering association of Regular Baptist International.

On April 3, Regular Baptist International began a donation project that would purchase food for people in Africa and India who can’t provide for themselves, especially widows and orphans. In less than one week, the donations exceeded the project’s goal of $5,000. The funds have been sent to five partnering association in the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Malawi, and Haiti.

“Thank you for helping us reach a goal of compassion,” says Chris Hindal, director of Regular Baptist International.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, residents are following an order to stay in their homes to control the spread of COVID-19, but some families are having to stay home without food.

Pastor Bertin lives in the town of Goma, with a population of two million people. The donated funds allowed his church to distribute food to more than 60 families.

“Most of these families had spent a day or two days without food,” he says. “When some of them saw me coming to their house with food, they started shedding tears. They wondered who in the world would think of them. I was reminded of the psalmist’s words ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?’ (Psalm 8:4). The food distribution was a confirmation that, indeed, God is mindful of His people in Goma who needed food.”

Each of the 60 families received a 20-pound bag of corn flour, a 10-pound bag of beans, and a bar of soap. The food will provide for families for two weeks.

Regular Baptist International is still accepting donations for this project of compassion, which will provide food for people in Africa and India. “In those regions more will die from hunger than the virus,” Hindal says. “Help us get them funds to buy food.” Donate to the emergency relief fund at GARBCinternational.org.