Ministry and Humanitarian Aid for Venezuela
JUNE 2018
Situation Update:
Venezuela is in a state of crisis—economically, socially, and politically. Over 4 million people have fled to bordering countries and 5,000 continue to flee daily. The situation is expected to eclipse Syria’s outflow of 5.5 million refugees. The remaining population lacks the basic essentials of food, water, electricity, gasoline, and medicine.
Nearly 3 million children cannot attend school due to scarce resources and the exodus of 48,000 teachers. Food is sold at astronomical prices—a minimum wage monthly salary is the equivalent of $1.61 and can only buy two small cans of tuna. Theft and violence are rampant as men scramble to provide food for their families at any cost.
Financial Update:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is projecting that inflation will soar to 13,000% by the end of 2018—this would be a world record. Inflation is currently at 8900%. Even the price of their main staple, corn, has risen over 233% in just one year. Even if families possessed enough money to buy food supplies, they truly are not accessible now.
Since 2016, Frontline Missions has sent $54,000 into Venezuela. In 2018 alone, we have already sent over $17,000.
Outreach Activities:
Frontline Mission’s outreach occurs in three key areas: the Caracas area, the Puerto Ordaz area, and the San Camilo area.
Caracas:
In April and May alone, Frontline sent $1,500 to orphanages, nursing homes, and schools in Caracas. This paid for groceries for 400 people and 5,800 meals, including:
Breakfasts for 1,500 people
Lunches for 2,000 people
At the end of May, Frontline sent an additional $1,000 to the Caracas site for the next feedings.
Left top: Feeding thousands requires huge cooking pots over open fires. Right top: Even men are receiving soup in a plastic cup. Left Bottom: Crowds drawn for prayer and ministry. Right bottom: The elderly and children have no reserve weight, which makes the food shortage more severe for them.
Puerto Ordaz:
In the Puerto Order area, on an average 1,600 people are fed weekly. The food is distributed through the churches in 11 areas:
Bolivar state:
San Felix: 2 areas in Buen Retiro, San José de Cacahual, Cristóbal Colon, Trapichito, José Tadeo Monagas, Urbanization Guaiparito
Puerto Ordaz: Castillito, neighborhood Riveras of the Caron
Delta State Amacuro: Sierra, Delta Amacuro
Monagas State: Temblador
Both the Puerto Ordaz and Caracas sides deliver food into the Delta Amacuro area, ministering to the Warao Indians. This is the tribe that Frontline’s 2013 team spent 6 weeks with as they translated Bible Stories into the Warao language. We still remember a Warao man exclaiming, “I did not know that God spoke Warao!” when he first heard the Bible recordings. How exciting that God still allows us to reach out to the Warao.
April 23, 2018: In Puerto Ordaz, 200 people were fed with chicken and rice. Each week, more and more people are coming to be fed.
San Camilo:
The Taurepan tribe of San Camilo came to Frontline Missions’ attention by Pastor Marcos of the Ingarico tribe in Brazil several years ago. Pastor Marcos requested assistance for building the Taurepan’s community center and taking food to them. Since that time, both Pastor Marcos and our Brazilian mission in Boa Vista have sent teams supplying the Taurepan with food during this national crisis. One morning, when Heidi was praying in her bedroom, the Lord told her to send another supply of food into San Camilo, and so we did. The Taurepan were shocked and grateful when they showed up! Some of the food supplies brought in were rice, beans, flour, spaghetti, chicken, coffee, and sugar.
Simple supplies brought to the grateful Taurepan Indians.
Moving forward:
Frontline Missions is committed to exploring every available resource to serve the Venezuelan people. We plan to declare a fast for Food for Millions and pray that more money would come in. Our desire is for the successful Venezuelans living in the United States to also assist us with this endeavor. Please let us know of any Venezuelan immigrants or others who would want to help us with our mission.
