A God Who Redeems the Worst for Good
First things first: we are doing well here in Kenya. The world is in chaos, and Kenya itself has now identified its first cases of coronavirus, yet we are doing well. Thanks be to God.
Current world events have brought to mind the likes of Joseph, Naomi, and David. The current crisis has reminded me that our God is a God who redeems the worst of events by bringing good out of them. God helped a hated brother who was sold into slavery become a powerful leader in Egypt who went on to save countless lives during a severe famine and be reconciled to his family. God helped a devastated woman who'd buried her husband and both sons to find incredible joy through the kindness of a relative and the birth of a grandson. God helped a shepherd boy running for his life to escape danger time and time again and eventually sit on the throne of his enemy and oppressor. Our God is a God who redeems the worst of events by bringing good out of them.
My prayer for the world right now is that God would bring good out of this, specifically that minds and hearts would be turned toward Him and that fear would be replaced with peace.
My prayer for Kenya is that God would bring good out of this, specifically that this culture still in need of greater understanding of proper hygiene and sanitation would be awakened to that understanding. I also pray that fear will be conquered by love for our neighbors.
My prayer for ourselves is that God would satisfy us each morning with His unfailing love, and that we would be glad in these uncertain times. Such an outlook would be a very good thing to come out of all this.
The severity of the current crisis should not be minimized. And neither should the capacity of our God to do marvelous things in the midst of calamity.
Loving Our Neighbor
When I had typhoid in 2017, the Body of Christ took care of me. Our community checked on me daily, prayed over me, posted Scripture verses on the door of our house, watched our kids, made meals for our family, and literally set up an IV in our house so I could battle my sickness from the comfort of home. That horrible experience was enveloped with love and compassion and kindness from so many people around me. I will never forget how the support of our community built a foundation for my recovery.
Even though social distancing impedes personal interactions, I encourage you to routinely check in with those in your community. They may not be suffering from the coronavirus itself, but many are struggling with isolation and anxiety and having kids at home round the clock (which is a very real struggle!). Check in with each other. Encourage each other. Do whatever you can to love those around you even as you remain physically distant. And receive encouragement from others too. Be the kind of community member who builds a foundation for all of us to climb out of this pandemic together.
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Q&A: Coronavirus
Q: Will you be coming back to the States during this crisis?
A: No. Even though the U.S. State Department has encouraged all traveling Americans to return to the States immediately, we do not feel the need to do so. We are not traveling Americans - we are Americans who live abroad. Our home is in Kenya, and since we are safe and well here, we do not intend to leave before our next intended Home Assignment (which will be in 2021).
Q: Is it safe for Eli to continue working at the hospital?
A: Yes. Even though Kenya does not have the same infrastructure in place to deal with a global pandemic like America does, strict safety protocols have been put in place. We remind ourselves that Eli is regularly exposed to all manner of sickness and disease, and he is well equipped to face other contagions like the coronavirus (should it come to that).
Q: Are you being quarantined?A: No. Kenya is not in lockdown mode as of yet. All unnecessary travel has been put on hold, and we are prepared to stay in Chogoria for awhile. We recently stocked up on supplies in Nairobi and are extremely grateful for a refrigerator and freezer! The average Kenyan has no electricity or running water, let alone modern conveniences like fridges and freezers, and therefore is not able to stock up like we are. We consider it an incredible blessing to be able to stock up on supplies at all!
