Hey folks. It's been a couple of years since I wrote and/or updated our news. 2020 started out normal. I flew out to Belize for my church's construction mission trip. It's a seven day trip where we work and build buildings, houses, or other small building from the ground up in five days. We usually take around 40 guys and get a lot done in that week. As we started work on that Monday, some of the guys started complaining about having problems breathing, not feeling well. By Wednesday, 8 or 9 men were in the bed running high fevers, chills, and feeling like they had the flu. We took them to the hospital nearby but they couldn't identify what it was. After returning home, we found out it was something called covid. But not knowing, me and some others were going into their rooms, bringing water, and meals, and kneeling down beside the bed, laying my hands on them and praying for healing multiple times a day. By the end of the week, they were well enough to work some and then we flew home on that Saturday.
Then in February, I turned 60 yrs old. My wife and daughter planned a big surprise party. Some of my closest friends from all over the US flew in to be part of my surprise. It was great seeing everyone. Then in the first week of March, I flew to California and went to Hartland Christian Camp to lead worship at their "Man Camp". We had around 400 men from all over California for the weekend. We shook hands, hugged, ate meals and prayed with each other all weekend. Then I boarded a plane home. I hadn't been home long when the news broke that there was a worldwide epidemic. As the government started shutting down the country, news channels began telling the story and my thoughts were, "well, if I'm gonna get it, I've probably already got it." After being at all of the different states and countries I had been in since January, not wearing masks, no hand sanitizer, etc. I was sure I was infected. But I wasn't. I finally got covid in September of 2021. Lost taste and smell for a week, (which is why I got tested) had major body aches but never had any fever, congestion, or trouble breathing. One night I was checking my oxygen levels on my left hand fingers. It was reading in the low 80's. I had been told that if it dropped below 90 to go to the ER immediately. I put the tester on my right hand fingers and it was reading mid 90's. So, I didn't go to the ER and I'm glad I didn't. Instead, I went to bed. After a week or so, I was feeling better and returned to work. My wife got it 2 or 3 days after I did and her symptoms were completely different than mine.
Our church shutdown all services until May of 2020. We bought supplies and put teams together to swap out rows of chairs in between services and stayed spread out. Things were pretty much back to normal by fall of 2020. It's now been over two years.
It's been sad to watch how all of this has divided people, friends, and even family members. We still have church members that haven't come back to church. The excuses range from "we're still fearful, or being cautious, and so we let them know that we're praying for them and hope to see them in person soon. Then we started seeing those people out at restaurants, sporting events, and movies. We still pray for those folks. Others have been upfront and honest and told us, "we just gotten lazy and enjoy watching church online in our pajama's while eating breakfast. We're praying for those folks too.
No matter which side of this issue, let's remember to be kind, except others right to their own opinions and choices and when you disagree, treat those people the same way you want to be treated.
Peace.