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The title is just because what nobody can stand is another "coronavirus update." Truthfully, I've eaten a lot of mangos recently, and I wear long socks everyday because there are mosquitoes under my desk in my office - so there you go.
The new coronavirus has made life and ministry much different than planned the past month. Our reality in Belo Horizonte is much like everyone else's. BH is a large metropolis; therefore, measures have been implemented to make sure the health system is not overloaded. No school, non-essential commerce extremely limited, social distancing - the whole 9 yards.
Personally, it is a challenge with A LOT of time in the house all together. It has been such a blessing to live in a house now, with outside options. The kids are still at ages where they desire a lot of interaction and dynamic changes of what is going on. That's not a bad thing, it's good quality time - but it is a change. Tension can grow, patience can wear thin, and bedtime, sometimes, cannot come soon enough! Our family style and being in ministry give to a very fluid structure, but the current reality has given way to a whole new form of fluidity. It's hard to prioritize urgent demands from the team, online meetings, time with kids, time with God, personal time - some days we don't do it well - and we are thankful for the joy that comes every new morning (Psalm 30:5).
Ministry has been a complete change of routine. It's been a whirlwind of figuring out how to do social distance with a team ministry that is based on face-to-face relationships on a closed college campus. My role is primarily in leading staff and the macro-ministry on campus. That is a challenge when nothing macro is really feasible! But as a team we have had a lot to interact together - because this is just hard. Our team is young, several non-Brazilians, and it's a lot to deal with. We continue to press hard in personal ministries, going deeper with discipleship groups and with students who are already engaged in a personal search for God.
One specific element that has been on my plate is that our local church is on the tail end of a pastor-search process and, currently, I am the church Session President. I am leading the search process and also am responsible for our Session meetings and decisions - and let's just say we have had many uncommon decisions to make recently. There is no game plan to rely on. It is a new way of practicing what a local church body looks like. It has been refreshing, but has also required a significant investment of time and energy.
Lastly, I want to be honest. I am not a fan of online meetings, conference calls and remote interaction. It is ok when needed, but using this as the foundation of almost every interaction I have outside my immediate family is not my cup of tea. But we press on!
Thank you for all the messages of encouragement. Please send more messages and prayers, it helps immensely!