Update on the Congo family of Claude, Mukunda, Joyeuse, Umutoni, Narada and Gift:

There are several members of the church who have gotten very involved with the family with transportation, ESL lessons, health care support, WIC support, job applications, faith development, library programs and lots of encouragement.  The news shared below from Church World Service has been devastating for Claude's family along with thousands of others who are here legally, and wanting to protect their families from the evil in their countries.  Please join in prayer for them as they navigate the journey to be self sustaining.  Claude was a United Methodist Pastor in the Congo with a vibrant church of over 500! The courage and strength they show is humbling!

On Jan. 31, Church World Service (CWS) informed our U.S. based staff that the organization would implement a furlough for a significant number of employees. This painful decision comes following the administration’s policy and funding changes that have severely impacted the organization over the past two weeks. Despite the rescission of the Office of Management and Budget memorandum that temporarily blocked access to federal grants, CWS’s current access to federal reimbursement for critical program costs is extremely limited. CWS programs have also been impacted by Executive Orders on Realigning the US Refugee Admissions Program and Reevaluating and Realigning Foreign Assistance, as well as notices of suspension and stop work orders received in several large CWS programs. These sweeping and harmful policy decisions have significantly limited our ability to maintain programs and serve vulnerable families who rely on us to access critical services.

CWS Harrisburg has maintained essential staff to support our most vulnerable clients and to ensure operational sustainability.  We are operating at limited capacity, and our focus is on providing services to as many clients as possible. Please read CWS' full statement, here.