Dealing with Covid-19 constriction of any new personal news, but guess you do want to know if it's found me yet
Linda Krieg
As I keep telling my daughter, Christy Sharp, I live vicariously through her and her family, since that’s about the only outside personal news I get these days. Since personal news during the pandemic is more likely to be bad than good, I guess that is something for which to thank the Lord, too. “Please just keep my life boring, Lord!” is my prayer.
When our regional missionary leader in Wewak, PNG, sent me a clutch of emails with photos of letters written by Siawi folks, I thought, “Hurrah, news from the Siawi church family!” and immediately made plans to get an update out, so all those who are praying for the Siawi ministry to get busy and down on their knees. Well, do stay on your knees, but nope. No church news and no real personal news from any of the recent correspondents, either or at least, not much.
Instead, all the writers were concerned about their former missionary friends and about you! They are hearing pandemic news on the radio, the primary access for outside news for those outside the cities. And of course, the USA is making headlines as one of the worst hit nations in the world, so they are concerned, picturing, I think, most of us lying sick in the hospital…or dead. With their very limited understanding of the size and breadth of the USA, that is understandable. It’s like their concern for me one year when I was on home assignment in Missouri and a hurricane was ravaging the eastern seaboard. Umm, no, not a threat to me in Missouri. Nor could I “drop by” to visit another missionary home in California, to see how they were doing.
That said, I do really appreciate their concern and their prayers. What I long for, though, is news about how THEY are doing-not just physically, though I want to know that, too; but spiritually, is the church functioning with life and joy, standing strongly on God’s Word through these threatening days as a plague sweeps the world? And there wasn’t a single word about that.
Well, except also attached to those copies of letters was one from Melick, who was in Anu (another language group next door to Siawi-his home village). He had written the letter to the mission headquarters in Wewak, asking for teacher’s books, lesson plans, and such for getting teaching going again in that Amto language group village. The Siawi church had sent Melick out as a missionary to this village after he was saved through the teaching in Siawi, but the Anu group who were teaching a perverted version of the Gospel wouldn’t allow him to teach. Instead, they wanted him to teach for them, recognizing that the Holy Spirit had definitely given him the gift of teaching. Melick told them that he couldn’t do that, so they didn’t want him teaching anywhere. Evidently that village is now open for him to teach the truth, so we do need to be praying for him as he does so. His job is not to point out any false teaching of the previous group, but to just clearly and honestly preach God’s Word.
Hmm, exactly what we are taught to do here in the USA, isn’t it? I see so many professing Christians using hateful statements to deride those with whom they disagree, rather than just teaching and sharing the truth of God’s Word. Not their views, not their stands, but only God’s Truth and letting it stand as the standard for behavior. So hard to keep politics out of it, isn’t it? John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (ESV)” should resonate constantly in our lives. For myself, the challenge is to focus on the good in others, not the bad-especially other believers. God never made me your judge and jury. He reserved that responsibility for Himself.
The State of Florida requires COVID testing every two weeks for all staff of Long Term Care facilities. A few weeks ago one of our staff members received a positive result to their COVID test. We praise the Lord that the staff person is doing well and is, in fact, considered recovered at this point. The staff person did not enter our Latham Center at any time while they were contagious, so thankfully that population was not exposed. We’d appreciate your ongoing prayers that no one else on the property will catch COVID-19.
So far, the continued regular testing of assisted living staff has produced negative results, a huge matter for praise. And there have been no known cases of Covid-19 among the duplex apartment folks either (of whom I’m a part). Doorstep delivery of groceries continues to be a huge blessing, especially for those of us without transportation. Armed with Amazon Prime, Walmart Unlimited Delivery, InstaCart, and a friend who is able to safely drive to a local produce market, mask up and purchased lovely fresh tomatoes, peaches, and other luscious items for me make life in isolation not too difficult….at least, as long as you are an introvert like me.
My sister in St. Louis is about to go crazy, locked into her apartment, with neighbors in the hallways and elevators who eschew masks. And my granddaughter, Beka Sharp, a missionary teacher at Black Forest Academy, Germany, who had to isolate for just 7 days after her return from the States, it was torture. She said she now has a greater appreciation of what it means for me to be totally lacking with physical social interaction since early February. Of course, her being an extrovert totally skews her view.
Amazingly (to me, at least), my financial support has continued to be about the same, and hopefully the prayer support has continued unabated, too. How I appreciate you and your faithfulness as Covid-19 changes your schedules and freedoms, and for some, your financial status. May the Lord keeps beacons of light in a dark and troubled world!
Safely on the Rock I stand, weak of knee and fading mental skills, but upheld by His hand,
Linda
Linda_Krieg(at)ntm.org
232 Brazil Court, Sanford, FL 32771
Ethnos360 Hdqts: 312 W 1st St, Sanford, FL 32771
