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Between the moment of our salvation and the moment we graduate to glory, Christians interact with people from two worlds: unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:4) and believers in Jesus (John 3:18), or Christians (Acts 11:26). The Bible teaches that our activities with believers include fellowship and worship, while all of our activities with unbelievers fall under the life-style of evangelism. Jesus is Sending Us Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you” (John 20:21) ... to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). His followers are all to be “the salt of the earth ... the light of the world,” and He commanded us to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:13- 16). I define “being light” as “living the Good News” and “being salt” as “speaking the Good News” or “the Gospel.” Furthermore, I believe “being light” involves, (1) competence or doing excellent work (Col. 3:23), (2) character or demonstrating integrity (Phil. 2:14-15), and (3) compassion or displaying kindness (Phil. 2:4). Evangelism is most fruitful when it is face-to-face – in person. The “light” is most intense when we are closest to it. Biblical evangelism is not televangelism (“tele” is a root word that comes from the Greek word that means ‘’far off ’’ or ‘’at a distance”). We can’t share the Good News during this COVID-19 pandemic without being present. Caring for those fearful about or suffering from this virus from afar is for us not an option. Do We Flee This Plague? Nevertheless, some Christian health professionals are asking, “Should I self-quarantine to protect myself and my loved ones?” My answer is the same as Martin Luther’s. When the bubonic plague struck Wittenberg, Germany, in August of 1527, Luther and his pregnant wife, Katharina, were urged to flee; however, they chose to stay in order to minister to the sick and dying – even taking some into their home. When Luther was asked by Christians in another city for advice, he penned a thorough treatise that tis as theologically and practically applicable as when he wrote it. Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague (tinyurl.com/w3hqnoy) combines realism and faith in a way that is powerfully relevant to each Christian health professional and minister. Luther counseled his readers to utilize medicine and intelligence “to guard and to take good care of the body so that we can live in good health.” As a result, he stated, “I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it.” He also practiced what is now being called “social distancing” by writing, “I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence” ... adding this caveat: “If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely” (tinyurl.com/w3hqnoy). As Pastor Jim Denison writes, “[Luther] understood the urgency of sharing the Gospel so as to lead the sick to saving faith before they died and to minister to believers in their final days” (tinyurl. com/sgg4qfl). Luther, Katharina, their children and unborn child (Elizabeth, born just before Christmas) all survived and their ministry thrived. Our Ministry in Healthcare Must be Founded on Prayer In the midst of this pandemic, we don’t retreat! We run to the front, understanding, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). As we serve our patients, Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6). Being salt and light must be practiced on, proceeded by, and protected with the power of prayer. Jacob Boehme wrote, “To pray aright is right earnest work. ... It is in one aspect glory and blessedness; in another, it is toil and travail, battle and agony. Uplifted hands grow tremulous long before the field is won” (tinyurl.com/swstrwe). As author S. D. Gordon advised, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed. But you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed” (tinyurl.com/svnt3by), while Samuel Chadwick, a Wesleyan Methodist minister, added, “Satan dreads nothing but prayer. His one concern is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray” (tinyurl.com/tw6b9ep). We Must Minister with Words and Works Upon a mighty foundation of prayer, Jesus sends us out, as He did His disciples, “to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:2 and Matt 4:23). We are to minister in this COVID-19 pandemic with words and actions. Some Christian health professionals want to “heal the sick” but not “proclaim the kingdom.” They often tell me, “St. Francis of Assisi said, ‘Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words.’” But there are three problems with this: St. Francis never said it. In fact, he wrote the opposite: “All the Friars, however, should preach by their deeds” (tinyurl.com/yyrpvkve). No one is good enough to actually do this. Elton Trueblood noted, “The living deed is never adequate without the support which the spoken word can provide. This is because no life is ever good enough. The person who says naïvely, ‘I don’t need to preach; I just let my life speak,’ is insufferably self-righteous. What one among us is so good that he can let his life speak and leave it at that?” (tinyurl.com/wapeddj). Finally, it’s terrible theology. In a Washington Post article titled, “Call yourself a Christian? Start talking about Jesus Christ,” Ed Stetzer points out, “You see, using [St. Francis’] statement is a bit like saying, ‘Feed the hungry at all times; if necessary, use food.’ For Christians, the Gospel is Good News — it’s what the word literally means. The Good News needs to be told” (tinyurl.com/ jtt8fr4). Trueblood adds, “We must use words because our faith must be in something vastly greater than ourselves. We make a witness by telling not who we are but whose we are.” Samuel Shoemaker added, “I cannot by being good tell of Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection, nor of my faith in His divinity” (tinyurl. com/wapeddj). So, how do we Christian healthcare professionals who are caring for patients in the midst of this pandemic verbally share the Good News? How do we be salt that is flavorful? Let me suggest two of the many “spiritual interventions” that Dr. Bill Peel and I share in CMDA’s “Grace Prescriptions” course (tinyurl.com/sfx5cek): A Spiritual Assessment First, we cannot provide proper treatment without a proper history. Adding a short “spiritual assessment” to your social history with each patient you see who is worried about or may have COVID-19 is critical. This will allow you to see where they are on their spiritual journey. Are they a believer or an unbeliever? To the former we can offer spiritual support, to the latter spiritual salvation. If you’ve never utilized a spiritual assessment, I have written a review article explaining the academic and Biblical support for this evidence-based form of quality patient care, as well as some tips on how to do this quickly and efficiently. We are all bombarded with patients needing rapid assessment and care, so I pray you’ll find this quick and simple spiritual history easy to use. You can find it at tinyurl. com/yywzjyb7. One of the easiest to remember and use is what I call “The God Questions:” G = God: May I ask your faith background? Do you have a spiritual or faith preference? Is God, spirituality, religion, or prayer important to you, or not? O = Others: Do you now or have you ever met with others in religious or spiritual community? If so, how often? How important or supportive is/was this to you? D = Do: What can I do to help you incorporate your faith into your medical care? Do you need to see a chaplain, pastor, or priest? Do you need any religious materials or resources? May I pray with/for you? May I have others pray? Of course, you can adapt these questions to fit your personality, specialty, organization, and situation. For those already comfortable utilizing a simple spiritual assessment, you may want to consider my review on a more advanced assessment, the LORD’s LAP, that can quickly and easily help you discover if your religious patients are experiencing any “religious/spiritual distress.” You can find this resource at tinyurl.com/y3q9e66p. Praying With Patients Second, not only must we pray for our patients, our colleagues, and ourselves, but also, we now have a wonderful opportunity in the midst of this “plague” to pray with our patients. Scripture clearly teaches us, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need,” (Heb. 4:16) and, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,” (James 5:16). As we close our time with our patients, instead of just wishing them “good luck” or “goodbye,” we can say something like, “I know this is a lot to be going through or to think about. Would you mind if I prayed for you about this?” Patients who say “yes” to prayer often assume that the praying will be done later. When they say “yes”, I say, “May I pray with you right now?” A prayer spoken out loud directly to God on behalf of my patient is a simple way to help them experience the reality of being in the presence of God. I keep it short and simple. I don’t address God as if He doesn’t know what’s going on. It may be something like, “Dear Lord, you know my patient is sick, worried, and scared. I invite you into our trouble. I ask you to help us trust you as you work out your plan for this precious person’s life. Amen.” Larry Dossey, MD, writes, “Not to employ prayer with my patients was the equivalent of deliberately withholding a potent drug or surgical procedure.” If you choose to offer to pray with patients, CMDA recommends considering the following prerequisites: You should have taken a spiritual history The patient must either request or consent to prayer The situation calls for prayer (and COVID-19 certainly fits this criteria!) Discuss with the patient any specific prayer requests and specific people you can share the prayer request with (i.e., colleagues, your spouse, prayer ministers at your church, etc.). Finally, it is critical for you to record the patient’s request or consent for prayer in the medical record and, of course, at all times, remember confidentiality. “In the midst of this pandemic, we don’t retreat! We run to the front, understanding, ‘We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” As Christian healthcare professionals, we have a powerful healing resource not all healthcare professionals know how to use—prayer. Use it! Intentionally, wisely, and prayerfully. And, for a patient who desires prayer, a Christian healthcare professional’s prayer may be as or more therapeutic than any other intervention we can offer. For more details about praying with patients, I’ve written an article you can find here: tinyurl.com/y7fkbt54. Conclusion A mentor and dear friend of mine, Sir Paul Brand, MD, once wrote to me that, “In the medical profession, we do have a matchless, wonderful opportunity to meet people at times of their real need when they are ready to open up their hearts and expose their fears and worries and concerns.” This has never been truer than today. I’m finding an incredible openness in my patients who are both the “walking worried” and the “sick and worried.” By cracking open the door to spirituality and to Jesus, most are open to my throwing it wide open. Let me conclude by borrowing from Luther: “I hope that I’ve written enough in this [article] for those who can be saved so that—God be praised—many may thereby be snatched from [Satan’s] jaws and many more may be strengthened and confirmed in the truth. May Christ our Lord and Savior preserve us all in pure faith and fervent love, unspotted and pure until his day. Amen. Pray for me, a poor sinner” (tinyurl.com/w3hqnoy). Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here

By Kacie Chase and Caleb Brooks We rarely think of service to others in terms of things we don’t do. For most of us, service is a verb, and when we consider acts of service they are just that: active. In this rare moment, however, we are presented with an opportunity to reframe our Christian duties to one another in ways that may seem counterintuitive. What we are referring to is social distancing. In this unusual time of global pandemic, it’s actually what we do not do that can be most impactful. Social distancing is a fairly basic concept: limiting your social contact to those that you live with and avoiding public spaces unless it is absolutely necessary. Scientifically, the strategy behind social distancing is also simple: by removing ourselves from the larger pool of those that can be carriers of COVID-19, we contribute to a broader effort to curb the rate of infection within the population. In doing this, we slow or “stagger” the number of infections so that local healthcare systems are not overwhelmed by coronavirus cases that will require hospitalization to survive. This may go without saying, but social distancing will probably feel like something of an inconvenience. “Aren’t I a healthy, free person?” you might ask. “Why would I limit my own movement and access to the people and places that help fulfill me and add meaning to my days?” The answer to these questions lies within the concept of neighborliness. We all know the passage in Luke 10 where Jesus tells the Parable of the Good Samaritan. After a brief back and forth with an expert in the Torah, the man answers with the first and greatest commandment: To love God with all that we are and love our neighbors as ourselves is the way to eternal life. But in a step further, this man of the law poses the question, “And who is my neighbor?” Each time I read this question it kind of rings in my ears. In the text, the question seems to be instantly placed in the mouth of the reader. There is a power in its simplicity, and I imagine a wry grin crossing Jesus’ face as he begins his answer in the form of the parable. During this outbreak we are reminded, as Jesus reminded those gathered that day, that each one of us has an opportunity to be a good neighbor. Many of our neighbors are now, as always, people that we may not ever meet or know. Because of the ease with which COVID-19 is spread from one person to another, our neighborly duty has become the act of self-limitation, and even self-isolation. By understanding that we each represent part of a greater whole, we can love our neighbors as ourselves by staying at home, avoiding crowded places, and encouraging those around us to do the same. In the way that monastics through the centuries have committed to lives of isolation and deprivation in service to God, we can now serve our numbers by acts as simple as playing board games with our families in the living room and preparing meals from whatever we have in the pantry. But there are also ways we can love our neighbors more actively. One such way is recognizing that social distancing will be inordinately difficult for those with less privilege. Consider the homeless who don’t have adequate hand-washing facilities. Consider the children who live in single-parent homes and will face the fear and uncertainty of being home alone or suddenly having a parent with no income. Consider low-wage workers who are being sent home without notice and don’t know when they will have work again. Consider the hospital cleaning and maintenance staff that will work through this pandemic with high risks and low pay. Those of us able to work from home and care for our children all while still getting a paycheck are persons of privilege during this season. Social distancing precludes in-person acts of kindness for these folks, but there are certainly still ways we can support them. We can be generous in our giving through the support of local non-profits that address these insecurities in our communities. We can encourage legislation that will ensure that everyone’s basic needs are met, and there are no big winners or big losers as a result of something so broadly impactful and so completely beyond any one person’s control. These are ultimately small acts, and may not always even feel like direct service, but social distancing and awareness are the most effective ways to show mercy to those around us in the weeks ahead. In this unique period of pandemic, we live out our sanctity for life by taking a break from life as we know it. Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here

This is a simple explanation as to how Covid-19 became such a dangerous highly contagious pandemic. This explains why, as an emergency medicine physician, we emphasize the importance of social distancing while medical protocols are developed.     COVID-19 This is a post from a respected Infectious disease doctor that gives a nice simple explanation of why COVID-19 is so contagious. Please take note as to why social distancing is so important as we have time to develop medical protocols. Feeling confused as to why Coronavirus is a bigger deal than Seasonal flu?  Here it is in a nutshell. I hope this helps. Feel free to share this to others who don’t understand. It has to do with RNA sequencing ... i.e. genetics. Seasonal flu is an “all human virus”.  The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognized by the human immune system.  This means your body has some immunity to it before it comes around each year. You get immunity two ways: through exposure to a virus, or by getting a flu shot.   Novel viruses come from animals. The WHO tracks novel viruses in animals (sometimes for years ... watching for mutations). Usually these viruses only transfer from animal to animal (pigs in the case of H1N1) (birds in the case of the Spanish flu). But once one of these animal viruses mutates and starts to transfer from animals to humans ... then it’s a problem. Why? Because we have no natural or acquired immunity. The RNA sequencing of genes inside the virus isn’t human, and the human immune system doesn’t recognize it so we can’t fight it off. Now .... sometimes the mutation only allows transfer from animal to human; for years the only transmission is from an infected animal to a human before it finally mutates so it can now transfer human to human. Once that happens, we have a new contagion phase.  And depending on the fashion of this new mutation, that’s what decides how contagious, or how deadly, it’s going to be. H1N1 was deadly, but it did not mutate in a way that was as deadly as the Spanish flu. The RNA was slower to mutate, and it attacked its host differently, too.   Fast forward. Now, here comes this Coronavirus ... it existed in animals only, for nobody knows how long ... but one day at an animal market, in Wuhan China, in December 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people.  At first only animals could give it to a person ... but here is the scary part ... in just TWO WEEKS it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human. Scientists call this quick ability, “slippery”. This Coronavirus, not being in any form a “human” virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity) took off like a rocket.  And this was because humans have no known immunity and doctors have no known medicines for it. And it just so happens that this particular mutated animal virus changed itself in such a way the way that it causes great damage to human lungs. That’s why Coronavirus is different from seasonal flu, or H1N1 or any other type of influenza. Coronavirus is slippery and it’s a lung eater, and it’s already mutated AGAIN so that we now have two strains to deal with, strain S and strain L ... which makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine. We really have no tools in our shed with this.  History has shown that fast and immediate closings of public places has helped in the past pandemics.  Philadelphia and Baltimore were reluctant to close events in 1918 and they were the hardest hit in the US during the Spanish Flu. Factoid:  Henry VIII stayed in his room and allowed no one near him, till the Black Plague passed ... (honestly, I understand him so much better now). Just like us, he had no tools in his shed, except social isolation... And let me end by saying ... right now it’s hitting older folks harder ... but this genome is so slippery ... if it mutates again (and it will) who is to say what it will do next.   Be smart folks ...

I often find myself wishing I could do more to help when there are crisis situations around the world. When I see pictures and hear stories of hospitals in Italy overwhelmed with patients, running low on supplies, beds, and healthcare workers, I wish I could roll up my sleeves up and jump in to help. As a non-medical person, however, my engagement on the front lines of this medical crisis is limited. I can check in with the elderly in my neighborhood, offer to buy groceries for those more susceptible to this virus, and fulfill my personal civic responsibility to avoid the spread of the virus. But there’s not much I can do on the medical front. However, during this COVID-19 outbreak, God has reminded me that everyone has a significant role, regardless of profession or skill set. Remember the story of Moses? In Exodus 17 when Joshua was leading the Israelites in battle against the Amalekites, Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to a nearby hilltop. When Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning. When he lowered them, the Amalekites began to win. When Moses began to get weary, Aaron and Hur literally held up his arms, and the Israelites won! For some reason, God chose to work through Moses in this way for this particular battle. He led the battle, but Aaron and Hur played a significant role by ensuring Moses’ hands stayed up! In the same way, non-medical people can support and care for those in the medical community. God will use them in this battle against COVID-19. What could this look like? Prayer-walking around neighborhood hospitals. Making provisions for single parents working in area hospitals and emergency rooms. Ordering food for healthcare workers during the crisis. Mowing the lawn of an overworked caregiver in your neighborhood. Putting a card or note of encouragement in the mailbox of a caregiver. Creative possibilities are endless. Think of ways to make healthcare workers feel loved and supported as they sacrifice to care for patients. As the COVID-19 crisis progresses, Christians cannot retreat in fear. With worship services and Bible studies being cancelled everywhere, it can feel like the Church is sidelined. I believe that we can, and should, continue to find opportunities to show Christ’s love for others, to point them to One who provides a peace that surpasses all understanding, and support those on the front lines of healthcare. Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here

We don’t talk much about God’s providence until we get into moments in history like this, and then we start becoming more interested in these types of topics. John Frame defines providence as, “God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.” This definition challenges our thoughts while presenting us a great hope for God’s active role through all of life.   Lord over the Natural World Proverbs 16:33 tells us about a lot being cast, while making it clear that “every decision is from the Lord” proposing a narrative that all things are under God’s control. If anything, we see that God is intensely personal in all of life. He isn’t aloof or distant, He is constantly active and deeply personal with all of His creatures through all things.   Lord over Human History Joshua 21:44-45 paints a picture that “not one word of God’s has failed” leading us to a deeper understanding that God is not only Lord over the natural world, but also over human history. We’re reminded here of the birds and the flowers of Matthew 6, that is God is in control of every event in nature, how much more would He care for us, His children?   Lord over Individual Human Lives Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalms 139:13-16 both capture this picture that our Father has knit us together before time and in our mother’s womb... far before any of us could personally engage in our own lives. God has been doing something miraculous in each of our lives before we existed and He continues that Lordship over our lives all through the lives we now live.   Lord over the Good and the Bad Lamentations 3:37-38 then challenge us with these words, “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?”. For some of this, the concept of God being Lord over the good and the bad is uncomfortable. We’re challenged in our thought of His Lordship and what we even mean by His Lordship. All the while, scripture is filled with over 6,000 verses of God’s Lordship over all things as He is in control of, has authority over, and is present in all things.   Present in His Lordship So what’s the point in all of this? For me, it’s simple. His Lordship and Providence all point to the overwhelming reassurance that He is present with us in and through all things. As each of us navigates COVID-19 with our family, our work, our finances, and every other aspect of life, we can rest assured that He is present with us in all things. He is Lord over the natural world. He is Lord over human history. He is Lord over our personal lives. He is Lord over the good and the bad. And He is present in every aspect of His Lordship.   May we all rest assured that not even the most remote and minor aspect of our current circumstance are out of His control, and rest in His absolute presence in our lives. Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here

You might have seen the Samaritan's Purse Emergency Field Hospital on display a few years ago at the Global Missions Health Conference - the massive structure is as impressive as it is large. Samaritan's Purse, a partner of the GMHC, designed the hospital for emergency situations, ready to be deployed in a moments notice. Samaritan's Purse is now responding to the Covid-19 pandemic right here in the United States - in New York City's Central Park. We are so thankful for the work of Samaritan's Purse and all of the field staff that will be dedicating their time, resources, and their health to serve the people in New York.  Check out this article to learn more: Samaritan’s Purse Deploys Emergency Field Hospital to New York City  

Through sharing personal experience and case studies, current demographics, trends, treatment and challenges of HIV care will be discussed

International healthcare workers are accustomed to making nuanced decisions. We routinely consider various cultural perspectives, resource limitations, and spiritual insights. Now, the current COVID-19 pandemic is calling all our decision-making skills into action. How can supporters in home countries help those serving in hot zones overseas? Pray! Thinking of decisions the overseas workers face, pray for them! Medical missionaries live in settings of varied perspectives. Cultures and values differ between international teammates, and between those serving and those being served. As COVID-19 began spreading, some people in Europe scoffed at American worriers and paraded through crowded streets. When Americans were settling in to a phase of social distancing, one pastor encouraged large gatherings, saying “the safest place is in God’s house.” We all need to realize that overseas workers like the rest of us, are confronted with varied beliefs stemming from divergent cultural perspectives. Pray that they will listen respectfully, and that their own comments will be seasoned with grace. Medical missionaries are accustomed to dealing with limited resources. Now, in their settings of service, they grapple daily with limited supplies, decisions about allocation of costly resources, and outside advice about how to implement interventions that simply aren’t available. Pray that they will focus on caring for people instead of just bodies. Pray that they will see value in their ministry, even when resources are limited. Pray that healing and hope will come to their patients, even if oxygen and ventilators are not readily available. Most medical missionaries sensed a call that propelled them to their places of service. Sometimes, though, they need to be reminded that they were called to ministries of salvation and sanctification, not just to live in safety and security. We need to pray that medical missionaries will remember Who they serve and to which Kingdom’s growth they are contributing. We can pray that we all face the current pandemic with eternal perspectives. We need to pray that medical missionaries will be graced with divine wisdom as they discern which risks to their own security and safety are worth taking for the greater good of providing care to people in need. We need to pray that they will stay humble rather than seeking heroism, that they show compassion to individuals while not endangering the populations they intend to serve. How can we help those serving overseas? They know that Paul sometimes fled danger, escaping hostility by sneaking over a wall, and that he sometimes faced angry crowds. They also know, though, that Paul changed his mind after listening to godly counsel and didn’t run into a rioting crowd in Ephesus. Pray for overseas workers, and be willing to bounce thoughts around with them. Stay or go? They know that Jesus once slipped away from a crowd wanting to kill Him and that at another time He welcomed those coming to arrest and crucify Him. Supportively praying for overseas workers, we need to realize the truth of Ecclesiastes, that there are different times for different responses to events. International medical workers are facing daily decisions during rapidly changing situations. We should pray that they will discern God’s specific will for each specific time. How can those stateside support those overseas working in high prevalence areas? Pray for them. Pray that they will wisely sift through conflicting opinions while maintaining excellent cross-cultural relationships. Pray that they will focus on the good God is doing, even when they are confronted with discouraging resource limitations. Pray that they will have specific guidance as they make specific decisions – about “big” questions of whether to stay or go and about “little” decisions about when to implement versus withhold interventions. And, remember we are all in this together. No human knows all the right answers. None of us has truly unlimited resources. Even those who feel safer today might be in the pandemic’s hot zone tomorrow. Even as we pray for those working overseas, we need to be open to the guidance they might have for us as we face similar situations. How can those stateside support those overseas working in high prevalence areas? Pray with open ears, minds, and hearts. We need to pray, while listening to God ourselves. We need to pray, while listening to the godly counsel of others. We need to pray, while realizing we truly are in this together. Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here

We want to highlight another story from the field today. This story comes from Guatemala and we hope you are challenged by how your own short term trips might produce long term fruit! In June 2018, a GO InterNational medical team visited the village of La Libertad. Late that afternoon, as the doctors and nurses ended to the remaining patients, team members Nic Cabrini and Nestor Gomez spent a good bit of time with a man from the village named Juan. They shared the gospel but the man was not interested. Despite their efforts, he was very resistant. That night they shared with the team their burden for Juan. The team prayed for him and committed to continue to pray for him as they began heir journey home the next day. Nic returned to Guatemala as one of our Community Health Evangelism trainers in October 2019.  One of the first people to come up to him was Juan. He couldn’t wait to tell Nic what had happened. After our team left, our partner Jorge Camposeco continued to return to the village regularly to witness to him. Eventually his resistance was broken and he came to faith in Christ. His life was totally changed. He told us that even his garden was more productive His wife had no interest in becoming Christian but she began to go to church with him and also became a Christian. The two of them are now key people for Jorge’s ministry in that village and have now completed our Community Health Evangelism training so they can continue to impact their community. Often our teams don’t get to see the fruit of their work. This was one of those rare times for Nic to be able to see the fruit of the seed he had planted over a year before.  And it also shows the value of “short-term missions through long’-term partnerships,” a phrase we use often at GO InterNational. Nestor and Nic planed the seed and God used Jorge to water and harvest. What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ working together across the nations. 

Christians face the same challenge every day of their lives, namely, the challenge of living by faith. We perceive that challenge differently depending on our circumstances, but it is no more or less real regardless of what we face on any given day. These days, however, the challenge can be overwhelming. The current challenge is no further away than a quick swipe or touch on a phone. As COVID-19 sweeps the world, we are inundated with news of rising case numbers, death tolls, social and economic crises, lockdowns, sheltering in place, hoarding of food and supplies, and often conflicting and confusing predictions of worst case scenarios as well as less than comforting best-case scenarios. Early assurances from some government officials and a few news outlets that the virus is nowhere near as bad as some “experts” in the media make it sound, have all but evaporated. The Pollyanna hope that we’ll soon turn the corner and find that it was really nothing more, or even less, than seasonal flu is gone. Now we are all facing an uncertain future in both the long and short term. To say that COVID-19 and all its ripple effects is a “challenge” for every human being is an understatement, but for Christians there is a particular issue at stake, namely, whether we will be shaped and conformed by what we hear and see, or whether we will live, as we say we do, by faith. In times of uncertainty, tragedy, and loss, we often turn to one of the more well-known verses in the Bible for comfort, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28,ESV). The reasons we love this verse are easy to recognize. The Apostle Paul assures us that, no matter what, God is on our side, and even working for our good. Why is it, then, that such a profound and glorious verse sometimes brings (if we’re honest) cold comfort? For one, we often use that verse like a spiritual Band-Aid we offer one another, and to ourselves, in times of trials. Not of course, that we shouldn’t remind ourselves of it, but we do need to be thoughtful of its meaning and application. The big problem is what we think the word “know” means. Paul is not offering knowledge of a spiritual blueprint that will explain the behind the scenes work that God is doing in our lives. Neither is he saying that we will “know” how God is at work for our good like the way we know the latest COVID-19 case stats. That latter is knowing by “sight”—what we see, hear and experience. The knowing Paul speaks of is the knowing of faith. In other words, Paul is not saying that given enough time, we will see exactly what God was up to in our lives and one day say, “Now I see what God was doing!” Sometimes that happens, but not all the time. What he is saying is this: faith believes that God is who he says he is, has done all he says he has done in Christ, and is, therefore trustworthy. God can be trusted even when everything around us would line up as evidence against his promises. Faith in Christ is not the absence of doubt, fear, anxiety, or stress—it is believing in the face of doubt, fear, anxiety, and stress. Here’s why you, as a Christian, can believe that God is on your side and working for your ultimate good. Later on in Romans 8, Paul gives a long list of things in verses 38-39 that he says “will never separate us from the love of God in Christ.” The list needs to be read primarily as painting a holistic picture rather than trying to break down each part and find individual parallels: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” All those things represent what we may see, hear, encounter, experience, sense, and perceive. Some are physical and some are spiritual in nature. All together they represent a vanguard of realities that would line up to attack and ultimately destroy our faith (not unlike the news lately). COVID-19, and all its related effects, fits into that list. Paul offers us the hope that regardless of what we see, we may know by faith that God really is on our side. He is at work always conforming “us to the image of his Son” (8:29). We can have assurance of that by faith because God has already given us the supreme gift in the ultimate sacrifice for us: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things” (8:31-32). That’s how God is at work for our good. That is the knowledge, the ultimate knowledge, of faith. Romans 8:28 is not for a spiritual burying our heads in the sand, or an offer of easy answers—faith is never easy—in our current difficult times. It is, rather, a biblical call to understand and react to COVID-19 specifically as Christians. Romans 8:28 does not magically wipe away concern and replace it with casual complacency, but offers the freedom of faith so that we can live as Christ in the world, witnesses to God in Christ in a world gripped with fear, doubt, and death. Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here

Challenges for the church just keep coming in an onslaught that is fierce and seemingly unending. Now, the church faces a pandemic. Throughout time God has used catastrophic tragedies to bring people to himself. Every crisis is an opportunity to love people. Every church has shortcomings. Crisis exposes weakness and tests strength. How well the church has equipped members to be disciples who reach out is put in full view during crisis. There are key questions. How fast does the church respond to those in need? Do people feel inspired and empowered to act and respond in their own neighborhoods? Is the church actively looking for opportunities to serve the most vulnerable? Is the church willing to hang with these folks when the crisis is over? Will church outreach projects transition to development and lasting transformation? This COVID-19 crisis is unique in that it has forced the church to go online with worship services, prayer meetings, leader’s meetings, and Bible studies. This has been a huge win! A senior pastor of a church in Champaign, Illinois, has been hosting a weekly prayer gathering on Wednesdays at noon with attendance hovering around 100. The first week the crisis hit and church services were forced online, the noon prayer gathering, hosted online, had 3,000 participants. Online nights of prayer were not part of the program at Southeast Christian Church until COVID-19 made it impossible to meet. Now the church’s vision to be a praying church is taking a big step forward due to the crisis. During times of crisis, the Gospel can be demonstrated most beautifully. God gave us the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), the great commandment (Matt. 22:37) and the great concern (Matt. 25: 34-46) as the full Gospel. As the church responds as Jesus commands in Mark, the church becomes relevant to the community. During a crisis, the “least of these” among us suffer most. In the case of this crisis, it’s the elderly, the poor, single moms and their children that are hit first and hardest. Across the U.S., 45% of single moms live in poverty. Mark 25: 34-46 describes praying for the hungry, thirsty, lonely, naked, sick, and those in prison. This could be expanded to those are anxious, giving hope. A crisis can also expose a lack of unity within the body of Christ. For years, pastors have been praying that God will unite the body of Christ in cities across the country. Prayer can demolish strongholds that divide, such as racism, denominationalism, politics, poverty, affluence, and more. Every part of the body of Christ needs the other parts. Each part of the body has blind spots. As we submit to one another, blind spots are exposed and God is glorified. Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here

Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of our thirty-second president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, famously said “A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water”. Mrs. Roosevelt was cleverly restating what we’ve learned from experience: the pressures of stress and danger reveal our true character. This truism applies to individual disciples of Jesus and also to the collective American church. Today’s hot water is an invisible virus that’s sickening and killing people. For a time it was a distant abstraction endangering the other side of the world, but now it’s striking our cities and states. At this writing, more than 100 Americans have died from COVID-19. Despite the implementation of quarantine and distancing strategies, many, many more will die. While most Americans are being asked to withdraw from settings where the virus might be transmitted, health care workers are actively engaging the people and places where the virus can attack. By caring for ill patients, we’re potentially exposing ourselves and our families to illness and even death. For many Western health care workers, especially those under forty, this is new, anxiety-provoking territory. I started medical school in 1986, just a few years after a Los Angles physician described a mysterious cluster of deaths from Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, an infection that only affects patients with weakened immune systems. Reports of similar deaths grew more numerous across the country, especially among gay men, injection drug users, and those dependent on blood transfusions. For some time, there was not scientific consensus about how the infection could be spread. As late as 1984 The New York Times cited a study suggesting AIDS could be contracted by exposure to infected saliva, leaving many healthcare workers with fear and uncertainty surrounding HIV and AIDS. By 1985 the first HIV blood tests became commercially available, but it would be another decade before effective drug therapy changed HIV into a potentially manageable chronic disease. Nearly forty years since HIV’s emergence, over 700,000 Americans have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Many remain without effective anti-viral treatment and we’re still waiting for an effective HIV vaccine. Many Christians and churches allowed fear to dictate their response to the HIV crisis. There were notable exceptions, but most of the American church quietly distanced itself from the suffering and dying. Regrettably, there were even instances of Christian leaders making public pronouncements of condemnation over those who had contracted AIDS. This was a tragic missed opportunity with long-lasting consequences—akin to nineteenth century Christian support for slavery and twentieth century opposition to the Civil Rights Movement. Imagine if a different story could have been told. What if Christians and churches in the mid-1980s had mobilized people and resources to San Fransisco, New York, and other HIV hotspots, to care and advocate for the sick? What if more Christians had taken risks and shared the epidemic’s front lines with those holding moral and political convictions different from their own? What if our evangelical medical and missions organizations had convened summits that led to sustained meaningful efforts to slow the disease and care for the sick and dying? Would not God have been glorified? Would not the watching world have seen a glimpse of the justice and righteousness that characterize the Kingdom of Jesus? The Church and Christian healthcare workers have another chance. A dangerously deadly, virus, not yet fully known, is achieving global pandemic status. Unlike the rest of the world, Christian disciples have powerful advantages. Jesus Christ has freed us from the fear of death (Hebrews 4:15), allowing us to prudently face danger. We believe Jesus’ promise that every hair on our heads is numbered and that no sparrow falls to the ground apart from our heavenly Father’s will (Luke 12:7). If we or our family members suffer in our bodies—even if life is lost—we know that God will meet the needs of our families, for He has promised never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Knowing all that to be true, we can courageously step forward to serve the sick and dying. The water is hot and getting hotter. For the glory of God and the advancement of Jesus’ Kingdom, let’s individually and corporately rely on our risen Lord and the Holy Spirit to show the world how strong we are. Download full ebook "A Healthcare Worker's Response to COVID-19" here