Peace Amidst Chaos
It's amazing how much the world has changed in such a short time. It hardly feels real, especially because to date PNG has only had one positive case of COVID-19 and that person has recovered and been returned to Australia. The ten people he came into contact with have so far shown no symptoms and haven't tested positive. It definitely feels like God has a dome of protection over this country, which I am so grateful for.
Tomorrow the country is holding a national day of prayer and fasting, which we will participate in as a crew. I think that is so incredible, and possibly a driving factor of why this country has yet to experience the full force of the illness. It is also a blessing, because PNG does not have the medical infrastructure to be able to take care of people in acute respiratory failure, which means if the disease broke out, many people would probably die.
I know many of my missionary friends decided to leave their posts abroad and return to Canada during this season of uncertainty, and while I prayerfully considered the notion, I ultimately decided that the safest place for me was to remain in Papua New Guinea. There are no current cases, and I was planning to be here for several more months anyways. I felt peace about the decision, and now I wouldn't be able to get home even if I wanted to. So my prayer right now is that while I am effectively trapped here, that no circumstances arise where I would want to immediately return to Canada.
In other news, before Sunday things in the country were pretty much business as usual. I have taken on an administrative role on board the ship, and so have been working in that. We have still had some ministry opportunities, including doing some medical ministry (a.k.a handing out reading glasses and checking blood pressures) with the DTS team, and there was one day where I got to be a part of handing out Operation Christmas Child boxes!
Throughout my whole life I have been a part of packing the boxes, dreaming and praying about who would receive the box I put together, and hoping it was bringing joy to a child. Well, I got to experience first hand the joy and excitement of those kids, and especially in a community where I have developed many relationships and have come to love. It will definitely be an experience I'll cherish for years to come.
As far as future outreaches, unsurprisingly all of our planned outreaches have been cancelled or suspended until further notice. The future of my entire year is uncertain; where I thought I would be doing outreaches from April until October, I now have nothing planned, and I'm unable to travel anywhere such as Kona or New Zealand.
It's scary to be sure, but I know that God has a plan, that he loves me and has my best interests at heart, and that even in a global pandemic with mass panic and chaos and death, He is still sovereign. I know that I am exactly where He wants me to be, and He has blessed me with so many relationships within PNG, and I know that no matter what the situation, I will be taken care of.
I want to thank you for your continued support during this time, especially with the financial instability this situation has caused in the whole world. My prayers are with everyone in Canada during this time of uncertainty with health, finances, and jobs.
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31
Tomorrow the country is holding a national day of prayer and fasting, which we will participate in as a crew. I think that is so incredible, and possibly a driving factor of why this country has yet to experience the full force of the illness. It is also a blessing, because PNG does not have the medical infrastructure to be able to take care of people in acute respiratory failure, which means if the disease broke out, many people would probably die.
In other news, before Sunday things in the country were pretty much business as usual. I have taken on an administrative role on board the ship, and so have been working in that. We have still had some ministry opportunities, including doing some medical ministry (a.k.a handing out reading glasses and checking blood pressures) with the DTS team, and there was one day where I got to be a part of handing out Operation Christmas Child boxes!
Throughout my whole life I have been a part of packing the boxes, dreaming and praying about who would receive the box I put together, and hoping it was bringing joy to a child. Well, I got to experience first hand the joy and excitement of those kids, and especially in a community where I have developed many relationships and have come to love. It will definitely be an experience I'll cherish for years to come.
As far as future outreaches, unsurprisingly all of our planned outreaches have been cancelled or suspended until further notice. The future of my entire year is uncertain; where I thought I would be doing outreaches from April until October, I now have nothing planned, and I'm unable to travel anywhere such as Kona or New Zealand.
It's scary to be sure, but I know that God has a plan, that he loves me and has my best interests at heart, and that even in a global pandemic with mass panic and chaos and death, He is still sovereign. I know that I am exactly where He wants me to be, and He has blessed me with so many relationships within PNG, and I know that no matter what the situation, I will be taken care of.
I want to thank you for your continued support during this time, especially with the financial instability this situation has caused in the whole world. My prayers are with everyone in Canada during this time of uncertainty with health, finances, and jobs.
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31
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