Dear friends,
This is definitely not a blog I ever intended to write. So please excuse if this is scattered, but in an attempt to give you the utmost transparency of my soul, I will process as I go.
I have no words. I sit here in a general numbness to my surroundings and disbelief for all that has now become my reality after having my world turned completely upside down.
During the past few months, the Coronavirus has been something I have heard about in a passing conversation or read about on a random newspaper. It was a vague concept in my mind that seemed a world way. However, last Thursday it started invading my world when Southern Asia (our next country) began closing its borders. At this point, we were looking at being rerouted. Unfortunately, shortly after this, chatter started in Africa of potentially doing the same.
On Friday afternoon, I was working at the Adventures in Missions office in Manzini, Swaziland, saying, “see you Monday” to the staff and dreaming of the next five months of my race.
Today, I write to you from Bridgewater, Virginia after facing the unthinkable reality – we have been sent home.
On Friday night, AIM was forced to make the incredibly difficult decision to pull all of their missionaries off of the field. By Saturday morning, we were on a bus, evacuating Swaziland before South Africa had a chance to close their borders. By Sunday night, we were on our first flight heading towards home. After several days of travel, we are officially back on American soil.
No words.
Everything I thought I knew about anything has changed.
Normal racers start getting emotionally and spiritually prepared for coming home approximately 3 months before actually leaving the field. We had 72 hours.
I am sure that you have many questions. That is okay. So do I. What now? Will we relaunch? When will we relaunch? What will that look like? What will I do in the meantime?
I have no idea. Not a single clue.
At this point it would be incredibly easy to turn to God and scream that this was not the plan. That this is not fair. That this is not how it’s supposed to be.
But it takes a lot more faith to trust that it actually is. To know that this is EXACTLY what He intended.
Circumstance does not change His character. Problems will never change His promises. Absolutely nothing He does is ever wasted. God is not surprised by this. He is still in control. He WILL be glorified through this.
Selfishly, I would love to be in Africa right now. But God has a bigger vision. Over 600 missionaries are about to flood the US. People on absolute fire for Jesus are about to be released all across the nation. That’s WILD. The mission does not end by us leaving international ground. The mission is about to begin in a whole new way.
This is not the end. This is merely a different kind of month 7.
More updates to come.
All my love,
Em
