Dearest family and friends,
There is undoubtedly much to pray about in these days of
uncertainty. May God’s sweet and peaceful embrace be evident in each of our
lives!
Quick updates from us:
·
Tom
continues work in Sierra Leone, and to our knowledge, there are no reported
cases of Coronavirus in SL at this time
·
Becky’s days
in Thailand were wonderful, her 2 weeks of seclusion went well, 3 upcoming
stateside trips have been postponed for now and she is deeply grateful to be
able to continue to serve our GSM missionaries remotely
·
Bo will
return with his mission team from England this weekend and conversations are in
progress for a potential seclusion
We love you and thank the Lord
for YOU!
Tom and Becky
From Rob Casey, Executive Director of GoSendMe Global
Friday, March 13, 2020
Dear GoSendMe Global friends, family, and team,
Despite necessary
security requirements that often refrain me from directly corresponding, I believe
it necessary in a week like this to step briefly into view and provide a sense
of direction and care toward the manner in which we are to respond as
Kingdom-minded fellow workers. Whether you are a financial supporter, prayer warrior, serving faithfully in the field of your calling, or in
the application phase
for a short-term team or as an intern, I am sure that you are pondering the implications of the Coronavirus.
I most recently had a trip to India put on hold and
am facing a trip to Botswana that departs
in a little more than a week being delayed as well. There is a spirit of
frustration and emotional stress in the air.
My wife, Julie, noted the behavior of folks in grocery store parking lots. My family sent pictures of empty
toilet paper shelves. Schools have delayed return from Spring Break. A family
member serving on a team in the United Kingdom saw one-way return tickets
skyrocket to over $2,500.00. These things can quickly cause us to question what
tomorrow holds, and what our response is to be as faithful followers of Jesus
Christ.
In that light, let me
provide you with a quote from famed Martin Luther,
whom you may recall served the Lord amidst
a far greater pandemic known
as the Black Death in the 14th century.
“…I shall ask God mercifully
to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. 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. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I
have done what he has expected of me
and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person
but will go freely, as stated above.
See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy
and does not tempt God.” (Luther’s Works Vol. 43, pg. 132)
It has been the policy
of GoSendMe Global (GSM) to not discontinue God-given plans to ministry locations unless the Lord
closes the door by means we cannot control, or when those assigned to go are instructed by trusted voices on the
ground to alter or cancel the trip. Such was
the case in the last month regarding our short-term teams to the Greek island
of Lesvos, for instance, where there was an escalation of violence to foreign aid workers and NGO’s that made it
necessary to discontinue sending college
age volunteers until our partners
on the ground give us the
all-clear.
We are committed to
ensuring that each trip applied for by short-term volunteers, church teams and
internship candidates are carefully monitored. We are ready to delay, cancel or
alter each of these opportunities to serve the Lord as He directs through wise
counsel and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Some of these trips will provide
no alternative but to cancel through the actions of governments or airlines. We
assure you that any such change will not cause you financial loss, so far as it
depends on GSM.
Where possible, flights that must be restricted or canceled will be reimbursed, change fees avoided, and refunds issued to
applicants and supporters. We will
also seek to re-arrange and hold on to funds raised for future opportunities, should applicants be willing to wait. This is one of those seasons
where God’s call on GSM to have zero financial dependency on our missionaries, teams or interns, being a 0%
ministry that assesses no fees and charges nothing to serve under our umbrella,
has proven an incredible blessing.
For those on the field
who are classified as “long-term”, we understand that each country in which you serve
has a unique scenario presented to you. Our hearts and prayers are with you. I believe that our Awesome God is absolutely still in
control, having a multitude of examples in the Scriptures of His activity
through such circumstances to bring about saving faith in the lost, repentance in the strongest of wills,
and nations back to seeking the Lord as God and King. Our world needs the
eternal cure of Christ against the consequences of sin far above a remedy and
vaccine against COVid 19. It is my prayer that as you find yourself
suddenly looked to for answers in the communities in which you
serve, that you will find this an incredible time for sharing your faith in our
Living Hope. In other words, the mission has not changed.
It is also a time for
wisdom from the Lord regarding how our decisions affect the lives
of the nationals we serve. It is a time to
appropriately prepare as the Holy Spirit directs you, and as you do so, we
stand with you. Should you find it a time to return to the States, or make any
other large decisions, we will do all that we can to support, guide and aid you
in the process. This is a time when who we are in Christ makes an incredible difference in the
lives of the lost around us. It is a time in which our faith and steadfast
peace in the face of a growing public panic demonstrate the reality of Jesus in
our lives. Therefore, above all else, we seek to be unified in the Spirit,
faithful in prayer, willing to serve
in any capacity the Lord chooses both near and far and to love one another as
Christ Jesus has loved us. This tells
the world that we are His disciples
(John 13:34-35).
In whatever manner in which I or a
member of the GSM family may be of help to you, please do not hesitate to reach
out to us. (Contact Lori Cannon directly for finance questions at finance@gosendme.us)
•
“Be strong
and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread
of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes
with you. He will not leave you or forsake
you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
• “Little children, you are from God and have overcome
them, for He who is in you is greater
than he who is in the world.”
1 John 4:4
•
“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you, because
he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
