Dear ADRA Family,
Three weeks ago, I was supposed to travel with 95 young people to El Salvador for a two-week ADRA Connections mission trip. Our plan was to build 40 greenhouses in the Dry Corridor where they get barely 18% of regular rainfall. In poor rural areas, farmers have great difficulty growing enough crops to survive. A greenhouse can transform their lives, increasing their economic income and improving nutrition for the family.
But we did not go. Our trip was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was strange to feel such a combination of emotions: disappointment mixed with relief, guilt mixed with thankfulness, and frustration mixed with understanding. I wanted to travel. I wanted to help the farmers we were planning to serve. I wanted to lead our young people and offer them a transformational experience.
Many of you are probably going through similar situations. Work is different. School is different. Everything has changed. It is natural to be frustrated and even afraid of all that is happening. It would be easy to lose hope.
That is why I am so thankful for the Bible. We can see story after story of God protecting His people through the storm. Imagine Daniel, carried away as a slave, his city destroyed. God got him through it. Imagine Joseph, sold by his brothers, thrown into prison. God got him through it. Imagine Moses, standing before the Red Sea, an entire nation at his back and the armies of Egypt closing in. God got him through it.
There is no question that this is a scary and unprecedented time for our world. Now more than ever is the time to have hope and to trust in our God. ADRA Connections may not be traveling right now, but we look forward to the time when we can again. And we maintain our hope that we can still improve the lives of people in need all over the world.
There is still much that can be done for all those who are hurting. You can help bring hope to people all over the world by supporting those in need here. And when this pandemic reaches its end, you can consider joining an ADRA Connections trip somewhere in the world—perhaps even El Salvador.
Remember, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Never forget that the One who gained victory over death and the world offers us hope and peace through every storm that comes our way.
May God bless you all,
Adam Wamack, ADRA Connections Manager
