Strangely enough, a global pandemic makes some people less global and more local. It's easy when we're staying at home for that to be where our focus is—our own homes. But what's happening to us now is something we're sharing with everyone. To lift our eyes and help our ears hear the global voices of College Church, we reached out to some of our missionaries to get their perspectives on COVID-19 in the countries where they live and serve. Here's what we've heard so far.

DATELINE—FRANCE, MARCH 17, 8:46 a.m.
STANLEY OKORO
The current shutdown is giving us an opportunity to practice what we preach. We preach that the church isn't the building, it's the disciples of Christ together. Church isn't something that happens on Sunday, we should be living church all week. When we're living as church all week long it takes the pressure of having to squeeze everything that should be part of church life into one hour and a half meeting. So during the next two weeks (or more) we will continue to live church by praying together in small groups daily, having a time of worship on Saturday and a brief teaching on Sunday. We're extremely grateful for the technology that allows us to continue to 'be' together, and even help those who are in need of a meal or groceries all without leaving our homes. We're also on the lookout for ways we can be of help to our neighbors and point them to God through our good works - Matthew 5:14

Thanks for praying for us,
Stanley (in Lille, France)

DATELINE—UKRAINE, MARCH 17, 10:40 a.m.
CHERYL WARNER
Thanks for your prayers. We're praying for all of you too. Here's a bit about life here.

On March 9, we were just wrapping up a great week in the Middle East at a conference on ministry in Central Asia when we learned that the member care conference we were heading to in Spain had been canceled. Scrambling to change our flights scheduled for the next morning, we were able to reroute and go straight home to Ukraine. We're using this unexpected block of time to prepare for future events, communicate with our Ukrainian missionaries, avoid overdosing on the news, pray more, read Scripture more, keep worshiping, and tend to others' souls and our own. (Having run out of excuses, I also started mopping floors and may have to wash windows if this goes on very long.) Borders are closed and we couldn't leave if we wanted to, but we're thankful to be right here. We thank God that we did not go to Spain and get stuck there, and we pray for our Ukrainian missionaries, who can't get home, to be shining lights where they are.

DATELINE—AUSTRIA, MARCH 18, 12:54 p.m.
JIM AND LYNETTE HATCHER
We are all navigating unfamiliar waters these days. Lynette and I are doing fine, confining ourselves to home and digital communication. We have taken walks together, keeping a safe distance from others along the way along the way; and today we had to do a shopping run. So far, we are fine and learning to do ministry in a new way. Here’s a brief look at that.

Austria is on lockdown, which is tough on extroverts like Lynette and me. I had some high needs to talk with people of late, these last couple of days, I picked up the phone and began making calls. The handful of seniors from church were grateful to chat. I was surprised how well and positive they seemed. They ended up being more of an encouragement to me than maybe I was to them. Next, I called my neighbor S, who is an atheist. Even on the phone, I sensed her fear and anxiety.

“It’s like war,” she said, “I’m afraid of people becoming desperate and trying to break in.” I promised to come over in my protecting gear, if she needed help. We both laughed. What are neighbors for, I said. She is in her 50s, but her husband is 67 and has high blood pressure. I hope S is less worried after the call, and I do know she feels loved.

After S, I called M, my Muslim friend and a refugee from Iraq and Syria. He is isolated and feeling terribly alone. He has a phone but no television or computer. His only friends are Christians in our church. We talked for nearly an hour. After these many calls, Lynette and I prayed for our lost friends, lonely and afraid, praying that they too would know God’s overwhelming peace and sustaining hope.

DATELINE—FRANCE, MARCH 18, 9:38 a.m.
THAD AND JOY MCAULEY
We went on full lockdown France-wide at noon yesterday (March 17). For at least the next two weeks we are only to go out to the grocery, pharmacy or bank, and that’s being enforced. Kids are doing school from home, but the servers for the older kids are overloaded. We can go out to exercise, just not in groups. Borders are closing, even Schengen [an area comprising 26 European states that officially abolished all passport and border control at mutual borders]. It’s surreal, but people seem calm and understanding. Our family is fine.

From a ministry perspective, we obviously must rethink things for the immediate future. Our church has done its worship services and other gatherings virtually the past two weeks. Our venue for an Easter service that was to be combined with a few other churches has already cancelled. It’s forcing us to rethink how and why we do things, which is good.

Right now, we are reflecting on personally and with our GEM (Greater Europe Mission) teams across Europe is
Crisis=Gospel catalyst
●When we can’t do things for Jesus, the focus can better become being with Jesus.
●What might God be saying to us right now?
●What opportunities do we have to help others to experience Jesus?

DATELINE—VIETNAM, MARCH 18, 8:33 p.m.
HEATHER OWENS
Greetings from Hanoi, Vietnam where we are finishing our seventh week of school closures and other social distancing measures. In the early days we kept thinking, “Surely, next week will be back to normal.” After nearly a month of waiting for “normal,” Daniel put on his “IT guy” hat and found a way for the Bible college to move classes online. The problem here is that the majority of the students live in mountain villages, and many of them do not have reliable internet access. Half-way through one of Daniel’s first classes a student complained that his battery was running low. Another student helpfully suggested that he plug it in. “I can’t,” he responded. “I had to climb the peak to get a signal, and there is no electricity here.”

Three weeks ago, Vietnam had successfully treated and released all known SARS-ncov-19 cases, so there was a brief window of optimism. The school brought the students back to Hanoi for a week of classes before more cases erupted. Hanoi Bible College made the difficult decision to cancel the semester for all but the graduating class of students. Those who have reliable internet access have returned to their homes. Those who don’t are doing classes online from the student house. Graduation has been moved to September in the hope that we will experience “normal” again by then.

Our family life is relatively unchanged. In fact, I think we should have t-shirts printed that say, “We homeschooled before corona.” The boys have been disappointed that activities are mostly cancelled and that we don’t get out of the house as much as usual. However, I noticed yesterday that they were laughing and chatting together instead of bickering. I’ve also seen that, in spite of a general fear and suspicion of foreigners right now (the new virus cases originated in Europe), our neighbors have continued to be warm toward us. One lady passing by our house as I was sweeping the alley nearly fell off her bicycle swerving to put distance between us. A few paces on, though, she stopped and lowered her mask to smile at me—a meaningful kindness. Such small things are evidence of God’s great mercy. It is to His unchanging love and strength that we cling in these uncertain times.

DATELINE—PAKISTAN, MARCH 19, 12:52 a.m.
BETH TEBBE
I think what has touched me the most is the profound faith in the Lord of some of our lower staff—mostly all illiterate, with good jobs at Forman, but still not highly paid and living from one monthly paycheck to another. These folks still have all the so-called normal illnesses and crises that are present as part of life and don’t have a lot of context for how to handle this new challenge, how hugely it could/will impact their lives. The government has cancelled all schools and worship services (for everyone (but enforced more for the Christian churches); there is little capability or concept of social distancing in their small households. But they know the Lord is powerful and cares for them, and they pray their hearts out. My household helper tells me every morning about some prayer meeting she has attended the previous night. Food prices are skyrocketing and so much looks grim, but these least-of-these brothers and sisters will be called great in the kingdom of heaven with their firm faith in the Lord!

I’m continually humbled as we stew over the logistics of our responsibility in managing the crisis and their faith is a constant encouragement—if anything, whining less than usual, just accepting both good and bad as from the Lord’s hands!

DATELINE—ONBOARD AFRICA MERCY, MARCH 19, 5:56 a.m.
BRIAN BLACKBURNHere is the official Mercy Ships statement:
The current situation of COVID-19 on a global level and the increasing travel restrictions applied by several countries, have made it increasingly difficult for Mercy Ships to continue to carry out its programs to the required standards, while protecting against the possible spread of the virus.

Therefore, in line with the measures taken by the President of Senegal with the Ministry of Health, Mercy Ships has reviewed the activities associated with the Africa Mercy, and has decided to adapt the programmatic operations of our mission in Senegal.

The main concerns of Mercy Ships are the health of the Senegalese people and the safety and well-being of our own volunteers, crew and staff worldwide.

Now from Brian:
We are safe and well on the Africa Mercy (currently docked in Senegal.) Things are changing each day and Warrie seems to be in meetings from morning to late in the night. The hospital is stopping service and we will return to Senegal to complete our outreach when it is safe to do so. We are committed to stay on the ship and serve the crew until our Mercy Ships headquarters makes other arrangements. It is very hard to social distance while living on a ship! God is good and at work in our patients, day crew, and crew.

DATELINE—KENYA, MARCH 19, 9:29 a.m.
STEPHEN RIGBY
We had our first case in Kenya confirmed on March 13, the government responded immediately and within two days added travel bans and closures of schools and other non-essential government offices followed. We were impressed with the speed of the response, but given we were the 116th country with a confirmed case, it was appropriate. Additionally we also knew with certain cultural proprensities and socio-economic realities implementing social distancing and eventual isolation here will be very difficult. We have many medical professionals in our organisation that are working at hospitals around East Africa. Several of them are on our leadership security response team and have kept us well aware of the unfolding situation since January and so we have been expecting this day, trying to anticipate what happens next.

With news unfolding seemingly hourly at times and situations changing daily we as a team, and other expat workers at large, have been asking similar questions... should we stay? how do we help? what's the impact? and... for how long? We have adjusted as a team to implement social distancing and minimizing how much we are out and about. We are praying with and listening to the medical community as they prepare their families, hospitals, and staff to handle the projected onslaught of patients, while still carrying the burdens of everyday brokenness around them has been sobering. There is no question of leaving; there is a sense of how do we prepare for a Tsunami with extremely limited resources? We are engaged with the local church community and experiencing the deep sadness in the cancellation of worship and small group gatherings—in this we are witnessing a distress that is beautiful to observe when one realises how cherished the body gathering is to people. We too are figuring out how to encourage one another and will be remotely meeting as a small group for now.

Within Ambassadors Football, all our programs have been shut down. With this we feel the weight of the cut off of our regular program income that we depend on to sustain our office for an indeterminate period of time and the effect that has on our staff who depend on that income. My coworkers give me a perspective from the impoverished community that is skeptical of the government, concerned for their neighbor who needs to go out of the house to fight for the $2 per day to survive and inundated with WhatsApp messages sharing poor theology, inaccurate medical advice and conspiracy theory information about coronavirus.

The myriad of responses around us has reminded us of our role to stand in the gap. To hold onto the hope of Jesus while facing the reality of the situation. Not overspiritualising our response (if you pray Psalm 91 enough times the virus won't affect you) or ignoring what's coming (it won't impact Africa). We seek to be wise, actively pray and be generous in this time. Psalm 112:7 is what my mind keeps coming back to, "[The righteous man] is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." May we anchor ourselves to the Lord in this season so that we may bear witness to his glory.

DATELINE—SPAIN, MARCH 20, 2020, 4:35 a.m.
DEBBIE DAVIS
For us personally it means National Lockdown. In our homes. Everyone must stay in their homes, military and police patrolling the streets and fining those that break the lock down rules. There are only eight justifiable reasons for leaving the house, only one person can be in a car, and if shopping for food or medicine there is a two meter safety distance to observe. Hotels are becoming makeshift hospitals. And there is an App that now helps us to self diagnose and communicate symptoms should we experience them.

For us ministry wise, we had to send our Canadian short termers home before they got stuck here. All church ministry is cancelled, although pastors and elders try hard to work via WhatsApp. In our personal ministry, we had to cancel Mision Posible, National Youth event for which GIles and I are directors, and would have begun April 9. We have a committee meeting today to determine what a possible next step could be. We already had 300 students paid, and some are asking for their money to be returned, while we cannot quite give answers about a future date since the location is unavailable at all possible future dates, and hotels are not able to focus on this topic at the moment. So we really need wisdom when interacting with people about it. We also do not want to see the enemy rob the country of this gathering, but maybe there is something else we have not thought of, that the Lord would have for youth. We just want to hear His will and desire.

Thank you for asking. We covet your prayers, and we are praying for YOU too. We know Freda cannot have visitors. And Tim, Giles brother at Washington House, is also getting antsy. We pray for the College Church staff, and all the ministry YOU all have to do as well in these tremendous times.