The Coronavirus Crisis Forces Our Hand
Little did we know in January, when we felt prompted by God to change our strategy in 2020 from face-to-face ministry visits, to video and phone visits, that the Coronavirus crisis was already on the way to changing our world.
Last month, we introduced you to Justin Jacobson, our newest team member, who is helping Bill Burrows and me get up to speed on producing audio and video content for our groups. Just days after sending that update, the pandemic kicked into high gear.
10:02 PRAYER
Please pray for our government leaders at all levels. Pray for folks you know in the medical field during these days. Keep your eyes and ears open to the needs of your community and your neighbors. We are all on a mission field together in this.
Pray for wisdom for your pastor and church leaders. Pray that your church flourishes and is a shining light during these days.
Thanks for your continued prayers for us and for the funds to continue. Pray for the energy and stamina for Cesar as he responds to the many needs in Guatemala.
ENGAGE
We had to postpone a couple of our fund raising painting projects in March. But when we get the all clear sign, Bill, Justin, and I plan to do those work projects. If you would like to help us with that, let us know!
INVEST
Last week I sent out a letter to many of you by mail asking folks to help us raise the funds for Justin to keep working with us. If you didn’t get it, or would like to see a copy of that letter, click here.
CLICK HERE FOR THE EASY WAY TO INVEST.
Our Families Are Safe…
We, like you, have had to make some major family adjustments to the new realities. Fortunately for Nola and me, her job is steady as she has been allowed to move from working downtown to doing her work online from home. Normally at this time of the year, I have been in Guatemala. Thankfully, I was home when the crisis kicked in. For Bill and Joyce Burrows and our team here in the U.S., we are home-based already, so we are good to keep working.
In Guatemala, Cesar was scheduled to go to the jungle for a couple of weeks, but Guatemalan authorities have mandated stay-at-home orders. So he is at his home in Amberes, and we talk almost daily about the realities that they are facing in Latin America.
While we are grateful that our team is safe and we can continue to minister, we suspect that many of you may be in tough circumstances. We want to be sensitive to that reality as we share of what we see as God’s providential blessing on us and the opportunity to make a difference in this new day.
Days Prior to the Social Distancing Orders…
Just a few weeks ago, Nola and I were enjoying an indoor soccer league with our son Ryan and his wife Bobbi, Nat and Emma Beck, and other friends. We ran a 5K for fun on March 7th. Cesar and a team had just completed construction on our base camp in the jungle. I was doing weekly calls to Cesar with other leaders. And Cesar had made a quick visit to a motorcycle group in Coatepeque, Guatemala. All during February and going into March, Bill, Justin, and I worked at producing content for video courses and the podcast.
Here’s Justin working on a sound check for Bill as we prepared for a podcast trial run.
Ray Gurney, pastor of Cross Creek Baptist Mission, in Oak Grove, Missouri, sends a video greeting to a motorcycle group near Coatepeque Guatemala, while I wait to translate.
The last weekend before the Coronavirus shutdown, Cesar was with a new PSE motorcycle group at their annual parade in Coatepeque. Here they are holding an envelope of money collected for a fellow motorcyclist who is suffering from serious burns from an accident.
The week before social distancing, Bill Burrows and Blake Huston high five in celebration of a completed discipleship step taken on a walk at the Parkville, Missouri, nature trail.
Church Service Closings…
Nola and I were in Omaha, Nebraska, for Brayden’s (our 6-year-old grandson) spring break. That weekend of March 15, churches began to close their doors for normal Sunday services and activities. The following week, it seemed that everything happened so quickly. While we were with Josh and Kristin, we got to witness their roller coaster of emotions. Kristin had just gotten an Optometrist of the Year award for her 3-year-old practice from her Optometry school where she graduated 6 years ago. But that same week, because of the pandemic, she realized that she would have to shut down her practice to only medical emergencies. While Josh’s job as a computer programmer is secure, if the shutdown lasts very long, Kristin will have to lay off her 5 employees. In all likelihood, she would lose her award-winning practice.
On March 15th, we watched a church service online of Stonebridge Christian Church in Omaha, Nebraska, where Josh and Kristin attend with our grandsons.
That week I had a phone conference call with a group of pastors in Guatemala, and they also suspended their normal Sunday services and have since struggled to help all those in need around them. Public transportation has stopped. Many jobs are on hold like they are here. Grocery stores are allowed to open from 8am to noon. Food shortages have kicked in, and calls for social distancing have created major challenges for those living in tight quarters.
During that call with pastors, I committed to sending them a video each week. Currently we are in week two of that commitment.
Sharing a video message with Cesar and leaders
So much has changed in such a short span of time that I find myself reeling a bit. When we think of the state of the church, many are worried that their church might suffer and lose ground. Please don’t take me wrong here. I know this is all very painful. But I believe that God is being gracious with us. For years, many have prayed that God would revive us as a nation and as a church. As much as we dislike going through tough times, God uses trials and persecutions to strengthen and grow the church. Throughout history, the church has grown and flourished during times of persecution and suffering.
What Would Jesus Say About Our Churches?
Remember that Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Looking at our empty church buildings, we might be inclined to wring our hands and say, “Ain’t it awful.” But remember that Jesus’ church cannot be stopped! Maybe our form of church might be in jeopardy. But true church, the way Jesus calls for it to happen, cannot be stopped.
Interestingly enough, before this pandemic started, we were working on video content for what we have been calling “Be the Church Coaching.” It is designed for pastors and church leaders to help their congregations and church members to not merely attend church services, but to operate in such a way that they are “being” the church together. Based on our experiences in multiple countries and multiple cultures, we believe that we can help any leader understand what the core mission and activity of a church really is—especially when it is stripped down to its simple but profound elements.
In coming days we hope to unveil this training. Please pray for us as we work on this. We are trying to speed up our learning curve to get these out as soon as possible in both English and Spanish.
Thanks for your continued prayers and encouragement! We are praying that God keeps you safe and uses you where you are during these days as well.
Love y’all!
Steve