The world is not the same place it was just a few months ago and it continues to change. I know very few of us are finding any of this “easy.” So when I say it’s be a hard few months, I know that is true for most. In March we were asked to work from home and socially distance. Then my roommate got sick, and while we will never know what she had, for precaution, we quarantined for most of April. I never got sick, but not leaving the house and the isolation of that hit me hard. But even in all that, I was continually thankful during that time for technology and the faithful community around me who did our grocery shopping and stayed in touch through phone calls, texting, and Zoom.
When quarantine ended and with the general lifting of restrictions things have slowly been returning to some kind of normal. However, even though things seem normal here, I know that they are still not normal back home. I am watching what all is transpiring in the US, and it breaks my heart. It’s stressful to know that, while I can return to the US, it would be very difficult to return to Cambodia. There is a little guilt in thinking that Cambodia has been a safer place for me this year, than my passport country. It’s hard to not know exactly when I will see my parents again. And there is grief in knowing that when I return home one day, the America I return to will not be the same.
This has been a season of forced rest. I have been learning to let go of my plans and my sense of control, and learning to rest in the hands of my creator.
At the end of May, we gathered together at the office for our quarterly day of prayer and fasting. It felt particularly needed in this season.