Dear family and friends,
The last time some of you may have heard from me was an announcement that I was moving to Spain to attend G42, a leadership academy for missional living. In the past few weeks, life has gotten crazy for us all. As things are both ramping up and settling down, I figured now might be a great time for an update.
I’ve been living in Spain now for a little over 3 weeks and have spent the last 10 days in quarantine. Our quarantine restrictions are becoming more rigid and strict by the day. We were told that being in our yard could result in a 1500 euro fine with jail time. I found a few nights ago that our quarantine will be extended by 2 more weeks (a total of 4 weeks, so far). With what seems like bad news piling up, the good news is: Spaniards don’t stockpile and our house of 14 will not run out of toilet paper.
Joking aside, the truth is that Spain’s coronavirus outbreak has been bad. The hospitals in some of the northern parts are overwhelmed, the cases are adding up; there is a reason for our quarantine. We’re learning to be so grateful for it. Our little Pueblo in the south of Spain has remained untouched by covid-19 and we’re praising the Lord for this covering. We are able to carry on with our classes remotely, and are remaining hopeful as we consistently see God move (even through the internet).
Over the last week I have spent a lot of time asking God why He would allow this global pandemic to happen only to hear Him whisper that I’m asking the wrong question. Sometimes, it’s not about understanding the why. It’s about taking a step back to see His perspective and experiencing how He is moving. He is a God of revelation, not of reason as we know it.
One of my housemates heard the Lord say, “This isn’t quarantine. It’s the opposite of that.” Confused, my housemate looked up antonyms and found the word connection. We are believing that while the enemy is trying to bring isolation, God is restoring connection and intimacy across the globe. Restoration will rise in the family units, in our relationships, and in bringing us back to Him. This time will require greater intentionality and will bear beautiful harvest.
As a house, we have decided to choose joy and thankfulness. After a day of complaining and moping, we realized the only things that were growing were self-pity and fear. In renewing our minds, we’ve chosen to bond through worship, creating funny pictures, building a blanket fort, finding creative ways to exercise, and celebrating over family meals. We share our tears and our thankfulness with each other. Now, we’re seeing intimacy grow and joy take root. Don’t get me wrong, it can still be hard. But the goodness of the Lord far outweighs the difficulty of our circumstances. God has heard our prayers asking for Him to do a new thing and He is making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert (Isaiah 43:18-19).
Q-tips 😉 (Get it? Like quarantine tips but cuter)
When I first heard we were going to be quarantined, I called my friend crying. This free bird struggled deeply with the idea of being trapped and I felt so bound. But my perspective changed. Quarantine is not my cage; it is my opportunity. This change of perspective brought me a lot of excitement once I started realizing all of the things I could learn and the time I could spend on things I otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Allow this change of pace to exist and adjust accordingly. Here are a few tips (practical and spiritual) I can share about living quarantined.
- Let God love on you.
His love is always available to you, and now is a great time to learn to receive it a little more. Read the Gospel of John and the 3 letters of John (if you would like a list of questions to ask the Lord to grow in intimacy with Him, send me an email and I’ll get them to you!) - Stay productive (but not busy!).
Don’t fill your time with useless tasks and busy work but find new ways to feel productive. Create a schedule that works for you, and give yourself grace in the process. Setting a routine that includes wake-up and bedtimes, and things in between will add normalcy back into your life. Examples of productivity: spring cleaning, read that book that has been sitting on your shelf for a year, take one of the free classes that many universities and organizations are offering - REST.
We Americans are busy people and often try to rest by shutting down completely (ie. Netflix binging and mindless internet scrolling). Then, we are so confused as to why we don’t feel rested after indulging in these activities. I’m going to jump on my soapbox for a minute and explain a metaphor that helped me out. Know that rest is a completely individualized thing. What works for me may not work for you— take some time during quarantine to figure out your rest style. Okay to the metaphor: have you ever been super hungry and, instead of taking time to put together a salad, you pick up some fast food fries? Only to realize a couple hours later you’re still super hungry and now you also don’t feel that well? Maybe that is because your body was trying to tell you that you don’t have enough vitamin C and was asking you to replenish that but you grabbed the cheaper, faster option. It didn’t satisfy what your body was actually craving. For me, I rest through learning. When I give my body the rest it needs it often looks like reading a book, listening to a podcast, or having a good conversation. However, my “fast food” option is typically mindlessly scrolling through clickbait articles or binge watching a movie I have watched before. When I choose the “fast food” option, I typically feel less rested and it ends up in a cycle of choosing the wrong option for the sake of “rest.” True rest can sometimes look like putting a little more effort in up front, but it satisfies and fulfills what you really need. - Pick up a new hobby.
Or, jump back into an old one. I started embroidery and got back into writing poetry. For you, it could look like learning a new language or wood working. Anything that could bring joy or spark passion. Try a few new things out, you never know what will stick! - Get creative.
Now is the perfect time to challenge yourself in creativity whether it’s in the arts, in the kitchen, how you communicate with others, or with how you work out. Send me some of your creative ideas 🙂 - Keep moving!
Speaking of working out, make sure you keep your body moving. This is so important for your mental, physical and spiritual health. You’ll feel better if you get moving. Keeping and learning discipline helps you enjoy flow in your life. (There are a lot of apps for yoga and home workouts that are giving great deals for quarantine- we’re using Down Dog HIIT- and I have a list of 100 body weight daily workouts, if you want them let me know)Retaining Wall Rock Climbing
- Practice your thankfulness.
I’ll be honest, I was very quick to complain when I found out we were getting locked down and immediately tried to find ways around it. I am blessed because I had people around me to challenge me out of it. Practicing gratitude refreshes and renews your mind because you’re able to focus on the blessings you have, and not the things you’re lacking. As a house, we have made a habit to turn our “pleases” into “thank yous” as we are praying and it has made our house a much more positive place. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18House Worship and Thanksgiving
- Choose the people around you.
This is a big one. Chances are, you’re stuck (or might get stuck) with some people. Whether it is family, friends, roommates, or near strangers this is an opportunity that you may not be used to and may not often get. It is easy for friction to form and sparks to fly. But, like I said earlier, quarantine is the best time for connection. Choosing the people around you is a moment by moment choice but now is the perfect time to practice intentionality. How can you do this? Try family meals, ask random questions, challenge the people around you to funny activities. Celebrate literally everything you can. Invite people in to what you like, and learn a little something about what they like. Iron sharpens iron— meaning the friction and the sparks that come can help grow you and improve you. Conflict done well always breeds intimacy. Don’t let false harmony set in. Use this time for real conversations and help your people learn to love you better as you learn to love them better. This tends to happen the best when you’ve learned how to rest well and set up healthy boundaries. Healthy boundaries will assist in getting you from the “surviving” time with family into “thriving” with your family. - Encourage one another!
“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,” Hebrews 10 coming in clutch with some mighty instructions to keep the positivity flowing. We can acknowledge that this is a rough time for most. For some people, quarantine is going to look more chaotic than normal life because they still have to work from home, and now their kids don’t have school, and there are still house chores and other things. For some people, isolation and the economic situation might feel hopeless. Look for these people and encourage them. Well, really, encourage all people. Speak life. Send truth in love. Love people really really well. Be kind. Want to see major changes in our world? Start with love, then add a little hope. - Write.
Okay, maybe this one is just for me, but maybe it’s not. The world is probably going to look pretty different on the other side of this. We are all gaining new perspective.We’re all becoming aware of our fears and having the choice to grip onto them or let them go. We have the choice between joy and self-pity. And we get to carry these choices into what’s next. How are you doing? What are your feelings? What’s going on? What are your victories (big and small)? What’s something old that you’re noticing in a new way? Write them down so you can look back and reflect in years to come! - Trust that the Lord is solid ground and He will provide your next step
(Jesus made the water and the air walkable, after all). Honestly, it is way too easy to hold on to fear with all the dangling “what ifs.” What if I lose my job? What if I can’t pay rent? What if I get sick? Can I suggest a verse? Jeremiah 29:11. We’ve probably all heard it. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah gave this message to a people in exile, as he was breaking the news to them that they were going to be in exile for longer than they thought. oof. He was asking them to settle in to their exile, to embrace the circumstances that they were in, but to know that the Lord was their hope, and that He would also give them a way out. He is a good, loving father that wants to give His kids good gifts. While we are in the midst of it, it can be impossible to see the good. But trust that it is there. He loves you. He will provide for you.
Prayer Requests and Praises:
We are in some absolutely crazy times, fam, where we are playing a part in setting a precedent. This is a hard time, for sure, but hard times don’t have to feel hard. Let’s use this time to come together in intercession for our world. May God grow us in unity, in strength, in perseverance, in faith, and in love. May His love cast out our fear. Remember, the Lord hears our prayers and takes them in as a pleasant aroma. Are you praying with the fervor that your prayers can move the heart of God?
Personal requests-
That I maintain a joyful heart, and press in to intimacy with the Lord. My words for this year are awe and wonder, I want to be in a mental and spiritual posture to be amazed by the ways that the Lord moves and in a physical posture of leaning my head onto Jesus’ chest like John.
Also, fundraising. This is a weird time to be asking people to partner with me financially so if you would pray for my boldness, for people’s willingness, and for the Lord’s provision that would be great.
Praises-
Mijas (our pueblo) and the people of G42 are corona free and will stay that way (Lord willing!)
How can I be praying for you? Is there a way I can encourage you? Send me an email or a message! [email protected]
* Do you know one of the best way to combat your own personal fear, struggles, or temptations? Praying for other people that you know that may be struggling with the same things
If you are willing or feel called to support me financially you can find me through the tax deductible G42 donation link HERE (Allison Welgoss in March 2020) or my exact link HERE. If venmo works best, my name is @alleigh_e
Thank you!
