We Pause Now for a Brief
“Inter-Mission”
Who could have foreseen the pandemic coming? Of
course, God knew it was coming and He prepared His Saints well. With Come Follow Me, stay at home church, Zoom social-distance-appropriate meetings, and inter-connections of ministering all in place, the shelter-in-place guidelines provided healing downtime for many people in an otherwise frenzied world.
But for missionaries around the world, it changed the face
and shape of their mission experience forever. On April 3, 2020, the Taiwan
Taipei mission and the Taiwan Taichung mission boarded up their non-native
missionaries to send them back to their homes. Our mission sent 99 young missionaries on air flights to their home countries. Some had just barely arrived on their mission.
In time, most of these missionaries would receive temporary
US-based reassignments to continue their missionary service. Las Vegas, San
Diego, Arcadia, North Carolina – the scattering of our Taiwan Taipei Israel. They
were so cute – so eager and happy to serve in their new assignments.
Since our home was still being rented out when we arrived, we were invited by one of our daughters to live with them. We assumed squatters rights in a bedroom in their basement. We’ve spent this time enjoying grandchildren, doing
family history work, helping with projects around the house, and enjoying this
brief “inter-mission” to our mission. As
restrictions have lifted somewhat, we’ve been able to visit some of our other
family members as well.
Then a couple of bombshells fell on us. Our renters needed
to leave early from their lease, and told us they will vacate our house in
July. That leaves us with reduced income for the mission costs. Maybe we could
finish our mission in our own home with a stay-at-home assignment?
The next day, our mission president from Taiwan called us.
Our scattered missionaries are being reassigned back to Taiwan right away, and
they need us to come and help! There are currently only 4 active cases of COVID-19 in Taiwan so young missionaries and a few senior missionaries who still have a valid resident card are being allowed back.
“Urgent news from the General! We’re needed at the front!
Pack
your bags, Cri-kee! We’re moving out!"
Courtesy of Flickr.com - Pawarisa Ch. |
Renew the
international drivers license. Make arrangements for the car. Buy chocolate chips to take to Taiwan. Finish up
projects. Wait for official reassignment.
And wait. And wait. And wait. Were we really going to Taiwan at all?
It seemed like forever, but finally the flight itinerary arrived in our email box - We're flying out on July 2nd. The reassignment back to Taiwan truly is happening!
And so we were off again! Three months after arriving back home,
we are excitedly heading back in the air, Taiwan bound.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen". Matthew 28:19-20.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen". Matthew 28:19-20.
We were able to buy all of the chocolate chips you could ever want to eat at the Taichung Costco. Don't they have it in Taipei as well? :-) I'm so happy to hear you get to go back!
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