In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, UMN invites all people of prayer to set aside time daily to ask for God’s help in our work in Nepal. The time suggested for UMN staff is 3.00 pm. For our friends around the world, we ask that you join us either at the equivalent time in your country of 3 pm Nepal time, or whenever you are able. Many have found setting a daily alarm on their phone a useful reminder. 

Thank you for your fellowship in prayer.

Joel Hafvenstein 

• The hospitals have completed a budget analysis for the Nepali calendar year, and confirmed that on our likely trajectory of patient income (and considering the extra costs of coronavirus response), the hospitals can expect to face a total funding gap of around $1.5 million over the coming twelve months.  We have already raised one-fifth of that amount from our appeal and from early support from UMN’s funding partner organisations.  Please pray that across the rest of this year we are able to raise the remainder!
   
• Our hospital agreement with the government is due to expire in mid-July, and its renewal has been delayed by the fact that all the officials involved are at the heart of Nepal’s pandemic response.  On Wednesday three UMN leadership team members ventured out of lockdown to the Ministry of Health to try to get things moving forward again.  Please pray God’s blessing on those busy officials, and for a timely renewal of UMN’s agreements.
   
• When disaster strikes a nation it brings out the best in many people, and sadly also the worst in some.  Please pray about the work of UMN as we seek to keep attentive to issues of good governance, financial accountability, careful use of resources, doing no harm, mental health, family matters including domestic violence. We must carefully steward the resources we have been given, and keep monitoring the quality of our work.
   
• Because of the extended lockdown, we have not been able to begin the closedown process properly for our Sunsari office—the gathering and shipping of records to Kathmandu, disposal of assets, etc.  Please pray for the staff involved in the closedown process, which would be saddening at the best of times and has been made harder still by uncertainty.
   
• This virus impacts life in all kinds of ways day by day. There is the major impact of being ill or quarantined, and everyone is isolating in some way. There are many who are going hungry. There are also lesser impacts which are still felt – since there was a positive case of the virus discovered in Butwal, now people in Tansen are not able to get fresh fruits or vegetables from there – so produce selections are much less. Thankfully hospital staff report that they are getting enough to eat. Pray about all of the above.