Embrace the New

At no time did we think it would be necessary to sanitize our hands, wear a mask and face shield to buy groceries, or meet someone in the park to have a spiritual conversation.

In April 2020, Mexico declared phase three (total shutdown) for COVID-19. We thought it would be temporary and things would return to normal in the next few months.

That has not happened and fear is still high among our community as they are waiting for a third peak. Many families that we built intentional relationships with have kept themselves at home and some have even left Mexico. All outreach activities—including Bible and language classes—were cancelled, as well as the short-term teams that had planned to come.

Our hearts were heavy—we felt as though God had closed the door on a new church project we had been planning. We could only pray earnestly and wait on God. We know God is sovereign and He is the one in control over all things and we realize that God wants us to be still and to know Him deeper, to surrender ourselves totally to Him, to allow Him to navigate us in the new normal.

Our focus for the new church plant among Mandarin-speaking Chinese professionals is to bring the Gospel to this community. Social distancing and gathering restrictions posed a great challenge.

God opened our eyes and mind to do things differently and think outside the box, He challenged us to venture into the unknown with Him on our side. We stepped outside of our comfort zone. Through learning to use technology we were enabled to chat, worship, pray, and care for people in new and different ways.

People are being impacted by our online ministry. One man asked my wife to help take his pregnant wife to the hospital for delivery. We praise the Lord that the baby did well after some initial problems postdelivery. The mother has three small children and she has found that online worship works well because she doesn’t have to leave her home. She has even encouraged her family overseas to join our online worship and discipleship class.

Before the pandemic, outreach gatherings were held in salons in the high-rise complexes. Though restrictions are still in place, as the pandemic situation has improved, some families were able to meet at the park so that the kids could have some playtime with other kids. This opened the door to a new park ministry to organize small gatherings in the open space at the local park. Besides providing community support, it also allowed us to meet new families invited by others.

As we were preparing to return to Canada for our Home Assignment, we met a young woman who is interested in understanding more about Christianity. We were able to bless her and others with items we no longer needed.

Though the pandemic has been a difficult time, we recognize how God is stretching and strengthening our faith. Opportunities tell us to not cling to the old but embrace the new. The pandemic has invited us to new discoveries, new possibilities, and the development of new skills in changing times. As the world is constantly changing, God is unchanging. He is faithful even when we have little faith. All He asks us to do is be faithful and trust in Him in all circumstances. Our faithfulness and presence among the people we serve are vital. We seek to
live out Christ in the community to open access to the Gospel to those who do not know Him.

This is an article from our Fall 2021 edition of Alliance Connection. Read the full copy here.