Where is your blanket when the sky falls?
Joyce Lau
The sky is falling! Plans and schedules crashed, planes and operations stalled while anxiety and confusion sky-rocketed. COVID-19 which was first discovered in China is now a worldwide phenomenon and international pandemic. As all of us are still experiencing and reeling from this, thank you for taking the time off from following online COVID-19 statistics, medical facts and human tragedies to pause and reflect together what God is doing.
We were first alerted of the COVID-19 during our annual conference in January. To be honest, it was just a blip on my radar and I hardly noticed. Boy, was I wrong! As we all returned home for Chinese New Year, the scale and severity of the pandemic rapidly unfolded before the world’s eyes. We scrambled to deliver coherent guidelines on whether colleagues should return to their sites after their annual Spring break. There were also MSI colleagues who were already in mainland China, together with local staff and partners. I became involved in this whirlwind of operations as I myself had to decide whether to stay or to go. It was no longer a given that we could happily hop onto the plane and return to our beloved sites. I re-discovered it is really by God’s grace that we are able to live and work in China. COVID-19 really hit this home.
Amidst the chaos and cacophony of voices, I am encouraged many MSI colleagues and staff paused and sought His help and leading. I believe it is God who enabled us to see and seize the opportunity to explore different ways of serving. What some would define as creativity, I would deem as necessity when we partner God. The new norm only feels new for us. God is not surprised or shocked by the pandemic but has been waiting for us to take time to listen, to see and to follow His plans and His purposes.
In this bulletin, you would read how we are adopting online training as an integral part of our service opportunities. You would also discover how MSI colleagues are ministered to first before we minister to others, and how we need to continually learn new skills before we teach and journey with others. Find out how we are expanding the scope of the professional services we offer to better fit the needs of those we serve. I believe this new normal is not externally enforced by the pandemic but God’s way of moulding MSI to abide and to be in-step with Him. Amidst the floods of change, what will never change are God the Rock and for us to choose to stand on that Rock and not sinking sand. Even if the sky falls, He is the blanket we take refuge in. We welcome you to continue to enjoy His refuge as we serve together.
