I bring you greetings from Iquitos, Peru in the Amazon jungle. I’m Annette Thiesen lifelong missionary and I’d like to talk about HOPE in the midst of crisis. We have been in quarantine for more than 4 weeks now, and just like many of you, our lives (time, energy, resources, patience, etc.) have been put to the test.
Together with my husband of almost 38 years, we have been taking care of our three grand babies for more than 6 weeks now. They are 6, 4 and 2 yrs. old. They are fun and high energy. On an hourly basis we experience squabbles, fussing, laughing, tears, drama and trauma.
Even though I am so grateful for this time with my grandkids, it has been a spiritual, emotional, and physical strain on me as main child caregiver. We had agreed to baby sit for 12 days while our daughter and son-in-law went to the US for a conference. They arrived back in Lima the evening of the quarantine. They were trapped in Lima with no flights to come home.
We had great faith and prayed for a miraculous open door for them to return. They have talked to everyone they can think of to catch a flight home; and we were hoping they would be home much sooner than this.
They couldn’t make it out for March 24th like originally planned, we thought, “Ok, quarantine for two more weeks. We can handle this.” We had great time with the kids and go to bed very tired every night. Two weeks went by and the president of Peru announced that the quarantine would continue another two weeks. We thought, “Well, it’s getting long, but what else do we do but keep on watching and taking care of our sweet grand babies.”
So, April 26th flights were supposed to start up on a national scale again. We thought, “Yeah, just a couple more days!” Then today the president announced that the quarantine would be extended until May 10th, Mother’s Day.” Now I feel like my hope is waning which makes me think about the verse in Proverbs 13:12 that says:
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick." (NKJV)
"When hope’s dream seems to drag on and on, the delay can be depressing." (TPT)
Many of you might feel that same way… you may have a sick heart because of no hope or you may feel depressed over this whole thing. One thing I know is that God is still in control! And this too will pass. Then the second half of that verse will be sweet. It says, "But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life." And in TPT, “But when at last your dream comes true, life’s sweetness will satisfy your soul."
When at last this pandemic of coronavirus ends, Life’s sweetness will satisfy your soul. He will even satisfy our soul now.
Keep your hope in tack. God will pull through for me and for you! You and I will see those things we have longed for. God bless you!
Annette Thiesen
To watch a short video on the subject, go to: https://www.facebook.com/HeartfortheWorldChurch/videos/2957236977691566/
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