We have delayed sending out a new update until we had a better idea of our plans for the next months. Well, Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C have all gone up in smoke. Now we are, as is everyone else in the world, on Plan Unknown.
Our last update was on February 25 as we waited for the return of Paul and Kelli from ministry in Puerto Rico. Not sure who was happiest upon their return, the four kids or us. We then spent a few days with another son and his family in the Dallas area before returning to our home in Virginia on March 5. We relished making memories.
At that particular moment, we anticipated catching up with friends, visiting most of our other kids, spending a week in the mountains with friends and one of our granddaughters, Evelyn completing the online course with grades submitted, a couple of nights at the beach, medical appointments, hopefully unpacking some of the boxes from our hurried house move of last year, hanging pictures, and finishing up curriculum and teaching plans for Uganda and Malaysia.
Our intent was to travel to Uganda for a 2-week period in May and from there return to our home in Kuala Lumpur. Evelyn has extensive plans for June and July in Asia before returning to Uganda in August. Before we were able to jump into our planned schedule, the reality of a new normal for all of us arose to create detours and barriers.
I have mentioned before that the work of GMI never stops completely. Evelyn has continued to be in collaboration with individuals and teams in Uganda and Malaysia as they develop materials and resources for each location. I interrupt periodically to consult with her about where to hang a picture or whether to keep, toss, or display items unearthed from the boxes and to feed her.
Although the April and May Uganda trips were cancelled, Evelyn continues to support the leader as he endeavors to facilitate the courses we have already put online. With your earlier financial support, GMI is funding 3 individuals to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in counseling through distance education. We are currently funding their monthly office rent and Wi-Fi expenses. With Uganda ordering all schools closed, KCMCS also has to come up with a different way to deliver the courses. We may also have to give these 3 students subsidies to continue their studies as they will be out of jobs, since they are schoolteachers. Please pray with us on these decisions.
On a side note: My heart and compassion from 40 years of being an intensive care nurse surfaced. I really wanted to volunteer and rejoin my friends who are on the front lines of this battle. However, as I rationalized, my brain and common sense won out over my heart and compassion. We do live in a senior community and we are a senior couple. So, I will stay on the sidelines for the moment.
Our current plan: we are staying inside. Still too cold anyway for Evelyn. I returned our rental car because, really, nowhere to go. As in Malaysia I get around on my bicycle. Evelyn spends many hours each day at her desks supporting the work. I continue to unpack and distribute.
Evelyn bought a ticket to Kuala Lumpur for June 1, because as of now she is still scheduled to teach in East Malaysia for four weeks starting June 21. The ticket can be altered for free for one year.
We are providentially blessed with resources, a beautiful home, physical health, an abundance of friends we love and who love us from a distance, and the sweetness of time with each other.
Our prayer is that on the other side of this all-encompassing crisis we will be ever more cognizant of community and God’s care. With all the cancellations abounding, it is good to remember that:
| Relaxation – not cancelled. Reading – not cancelled. Family – not cancelled. Sunsets – not cancelled. | Music – not cancelled. Singing – not cancelled. Laughing – not cancelled. Charity – not cancelled. | Hope – not cancelled. Love – not cancelled. Gratitude – not cancelled. Prayer – not cancelled. |
God is still and always will be in control. In Him, we put our trust and hope.
For those unfamiliar with Wii. It is an interactive device often found in senior facilities to encourage movement and exercise. You do actually make the motions of bowling with a hand- held device as seen in pic. Not exactly a 12 pound ball but some skill. I hope to beat Evelyn, which is also a positive vibe.