Every day things change. The virus COVID-19 is spreading across the global and impacting daily life. Praying for everyone to stay safe and healthy during this time.
Life here is new every day. There really is no use in planning past today, because it seems like everything can change tomorrow. So I trust God to lead the way each morning and some days that is spending time with co-workers or friends and sometimes it is just spending the day working on graduate studies. God is at work, even in the midst of the unknown and chaos. Keeping calm and speaking life and proclaiming the Lord reigns, helps encourage and uplift those around us.
A lot of people have been asking about my plans and travels. I want to give an update:
All my flights have been canceled. I am still waiting to see if it was approved to get refunds. Praying for refunds as it would be nice to have that money back. I have given the worrying over the refunds to the Lord. Proclaiming that He is provider and that I will be taken care of with or without a refund.
The US government has set a Global Travel Advisory Level 4 which means DO NOT TRAVEL. It has been a complicated couple of days trying to decipher the emails from the U.S. Embassy. The embassy has said that people traveling abroad should return to America and those living abroad should stay. If you choose to stay, you need to plan to be there for an indefinite amount of time. “Indefinite amount of time” is a little concerning. However, after much prayer, conversations, and answered prayers, I am going to stay for a longer time.
Answered prayers:
The school has approved for me to keep my residence card until it expires August 20. This gives me exactly 5 months in the country. This is important because the government here has stopped issuing new visas.
My landlord has agreed to let me stay in my apartment past April 11th and I can pay monthly. I don’t want to pay 3 months at a time, because I am not sure what will happen in one month.
We still have access to food at grocery stores and delivery options. There is word of a potential full shutdown, but I feel safe and confident in navigating the city with many contacts to survive a shutdown if it occurred.
Conversations
Traveling to America could be difficult. Since there are no direct flights from here to America, it means that I would have to transit in another country. Some countries have completely closed their borders to incoming foreigners and transit. So I could leave the country get stuck in another country, be sent back, and feel like the real-life movie of the Terminal (stuck in an airport indefinitely).
Quarantine. If I go back to America, I will have to self-quarantine or be quarantined depending on what happens while in the air (The flight is 24-36 hours to get home which means that many things could change while in the air). If I am quarantined and don’t have access to WIFI then I would be unable to finish grad school (which I only have 5 weeks left!!!). Also, I don’t have a place to self-quarantine in America. Self-quarantine means staying away from everyone (including family and friends) for 14 days.
Infecting others. I don’t have the corona-virus, but if I was to contract the virus during my travels, I am cautious about affecting people close to me that are high-risk. I am not worried about the virus, but I don’t want to affect my loved ones that could be high-risk if they contract the virus.
The emails from the embassy say that if you live in the country you should stay put, do not travel unless necessary. It is not necessary for me to travel due to having a home here and a visa.
Living. Since I am no longer working at my school, there is no extra income coming in. Trusting in the Lord during this time, my finances are in His hands. Growing my faith in Him. Thankful for my supporters that have supported me here in Vietnam the past 5 years financially and prayerfully. :) These are strange times and God is provider of our needs in all circumstances. The cost of living is lower here, so it makes sense to stay here than move back to America (I do not have a job in America either).
So… what’s the plan?
THERE IS NO PLAN…. taking each day one-day-at-a-time. :) Trusting and believing that God has my life in His hands. I am safe and taken care no matter where I am.
Praying about God’s direction for me, about how to be a light during this time to the people here, as well as the plan for moving to Malaysia.
Keeping an eye on the borders of Malaysia and America. If the borders of Malaysia open, I will go there to begin my new assignment
Finish my last 5 weeks of grad school (last day April 25th).
Continue slowly packing up my apartment. I had gotten through a lot of my food as I was planning to leave in a week or two, but I had to go grocery shopping yesterday for my extended stay :).
Thanks for thinking about me during this time. Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated. I am praying for everyone during this time. I know that the times are strange and there is a lot of uncertainty, but the Lord is still on his throne. He is our provider, our protector, our defender, our healer, our peace, our comfort, and so much more!
Spending time with chosen FAMILY here, with pizza delivery. Thankful for amazing community during the corona-virus pandemic.