At 4:43 am on March 14, only hours after posting a blog update declaring that everything was fine overseas, we got the news that WR had decided to pull all 22 squads from the field. Over the next week, 500+ missionaries would be coming home. Our own squad would be heading back to the States in just under two days.
Rewind about 5 hours…
Plans were changing so quickly. We’d been given the all clear, but with two very important words attached: for now. I was up far later than I needed to be wondering about the future. What it would be like to actually go home right now? Would I feel excited? Sad? Relieved? Cheated? All of the above?
I had so much peace after that time of prayer—enough to, finally, fall asleep around midnight… only to be jolted awake at 1:30am by the creaking of wooden floorboards, zippers, and a hushed, “Are you okay? Do you need anything else?” Aspen was gone, the bed was made, and Heather, a friend we’d met in Tbilisi the week before, had just arrived after a harrowing night in which she’d attempted to board a flight to Turkey.
I tried to fall back asleep; I really did. But either the caffeine I’d drunk at 2pm hadn’t worn off, the antihistamine I’d taken was anti-drowsy, or my body just hates me, because I was wide awake.
So I talked to Heather instead. She had a lot to unload, and the conversation turned to Jesus multiple times. We talked about what the gospel should be and how the church has hurt both of us. She told me that when she first heard we were a Christian traveling group, she’d had major reservations about us.
It was, I think, one of the most rational, loving interactions she’s ever had with a Christian.
We talked for 3 hours. Which is why, unlike the rest of my team, I was awake for the email from Steph titled *New Change – Please Read ASAP*.
Hearing my exclamation, Aspen came in from the living room (she’d overheard us talking from the couch) to express her opinion. For a few moments there was chaos as I called my mom while Aspen and Heather discussed contingency plans for traveling through Asia during the middle of the first ever pandemic.
After the shock wore off, my first thoughts were for my teammates. We’d expected to have three more months to figure out where we would live, what job we would have, etc. Knowing what was coming for each of them as they woke up made the news that much worse. I spent the rest of the morning praying for my team and squad, finally dozing off for a quick nap at 6:30 am.
Despite what you might expect, however, our team meeting the next morning was anything but somber. Heather hadn’t ended up in the bed next to me by accident; only three days earlier, once we heard we wouldn’t be continuing to Uzbek, we’d booked an AirBnB and moved out of our hostel. The next day, we found out we’d dodged a bullet. By order of the government, the hostel was closing its doors. Our new friends had 12 hours to find lodging in a city that was only allowing them to book rooms hourly.
We had three stories, two dining rooms, heaters, and enough sleeping systems to double our current occupancy, so Dylan immediately suggested we extend them an invitation to come stay.
We’d already had a few people confirmed as coming the morning we got the news. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we snapped into action cleaning, moving furniture, and generally figuring out how we were going to host everyone at what our Australian friend Jackson lovingly nicknamed “Hostel Corona”. Antonio & Heather had already arrived, but Brigitte, Will and Jackson were on their way, in addition to Team River (four other members of our squad who suddenly needed to get to Baku ASAP).
Our race might be ending, but Hostel Corona was just opening for business. And we were going out with a bang.
By that night we were in full party mode… literally. My team had gotten invited to the very last wedding in Baku before the coronavirus shut down. I was following doctor’s orders not to be in big crowds (I’m fine, friends, it’s just a sinus infection, but it makes me more vulnerable to the virus) so they took Brigitte with them and I stayed behind with Antonio, Heather, Will, and Jackson.
I made homemade spaghetti for dinner. The Australians brought the wine and enough new card games (somehow, all titled with swear words?) to last us until midnight, when the rest of my team got back from the wedding. When I went to bed at 2am, Austin was telling the boys his testimony while John was in a pretty intense conversation with Brigitte about past relationships.
L-R: Heather (IN), Will (Australia), Antonio (TX)
Jackson (Australia)
The next day, our friends announced their intention to go trekking. We were not only able to give them a place to leave their bags, (we’d paid through the 28th), but also gave a lot of our gear to Heather, who was going trekking despite never having been camping before. Our friends stayed up until 1am when we left for the airport, giving us individual hugs and considering, with genuine surprise, how much they would miss us even though we’d only met the week before. Heather told us that we were her favorite Christians.
(Update as of 3/18: The roads to Baku will close for ten days, so our trekking friends had to turn back. They will stay at Hostel Corona once more! Short of flying back to their home country, they are currently stuck, so please pray they will be able to legally stay or find the funds to get home!)
I may have only gotten an average of 4 hours of sleep over the past four days, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. In the middle of the chaos, Hostel Corona was a beacon of laughter and light. It was easy to forget the chaos and leave the worry for another day because of the people around us. We started off our time in Baku thinking we wouldn’t have any ministry and ended with five people staying in close quarters with 11 Christians, listening to us worship at the top of our lungs from the top floor and hearing (whether they wanted to or not) about the love and hope we have in Jesus.
What we’ve been living for the past three days is the beginning of an answer to my prayer during those two hours that I kept vigil for my squad. So I leave you with those thoughts as an already/not-yet: giving thanks to God for the ways he’s already answered, but also anticipating that there is more of this yet to come!
“I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” ~Isaiah 46:4
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, and let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfect or of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning it’s shame, and is seated at the right hand of God.” ~Hebrews 12:1b-2
Ladies and gentlemen, OUR RACE IS NOT OVER, it has merely been rerouted to America for the last three months.
Going home early is (one part of) our cross. Jesus endured his for the joy set before him, because what he stood to gain was greater than the trial, disappointment, pain, loss, heartbreak, anxiety, shame, etc. that he had to endure. I believe that what we stand to gain is equally as great. God moves in America just as he moves around the world. Let’s move forward expecting great things from God, casting our cares, worries, pain and frustration on him because he will sustain us; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Ps. 55:22).
Lord, would you waken us morning by morning to listen like ones being taught? Would you give us well-instructed tongues to know the words that sustain the weary (Isaiah 50:4)? Would you show us that you are the Father of Compassion and the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:1)? We trust that you have paved this way before us and we ask that you would continue to give us wisdom and understanding, that we might know you better (Eph 1:17).
Even now, Lord, would you be opening doors and softening hearts? Would you build up and prepare the road, and remove obstacles from the way of your people (Is 57:14)? Give our leaders wisdom and give us patience. Help us, God. We need you right now, as always, but especially now. Let logistical things come together for your glory.
We trust all things by the power of your word and the strength of your glorious name. Jesus, YOU are the one we adore and worship, regardless of where we are in the world or what other factors sway us. Regardless of the waves that crash over us, trying to drag us under. You are our anchor, entering behind the curtain, firm and secure (Heb 6:19). You are the eye of this storm. You will hold all of us on perfect peace who trust in you, because our minds are fixed on you. (Isaiah 26:3). It is peace not as the world gives, but as you give. Peace and joy beyond circumstance! (Phil 4:4, John 4:27)
We love you Lord. We ask that all these prayers be true in your glorious Name, by the power of your Holy Spirit that is at work within us. Amen.
Signing off from the field,
Sarah
