We just arrived home from our big Western Trip. We took off before any states had shut down in March, and over the next month watched things get cancelled and paused. We had hoped to visit at least six churches and many, many friends and partners. That obviously didn’t happen. We were able to meet up with a couple of friends (you know who you are) and see and stay with family who we hadn’t seen in a long time (thanks for taking us in longer than planned!). But in many ways, it was a disappointing time. We have wondered why. We have questioned what God is doing. The answer so far seems to be that He is teaching us to rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91). As our goals are set aside,
A cruise ship passenger from Italy being treated for heart problems turned out to be the Cayman Islands’ first coronavirus patient. The government set restrictions into place quickly. The last church services held in the buildings in Cayman Brac were held on March 15. Since then, Dr. Woods has been broadcasting services by Facebook Live. A young lady named Tina had been attending the Spot Bay church for a few months. She contacted the Woods and told them that, during the Sunday evening service on March 22—broadcast online—she had given her heart to the Lord. Dr. Woods later wrote, “We praise the Lord that even in times of adversity God still works on the hearts of people. God is so good.”
When the year 2020 began, none of us suspected the careening detour it would take. Quarantines, curfews, social distancing. Who would have thought these kinds of words would become part of our everyday language? Yet, even as we find our schedules cleared from many normal activities, our hearts may be flooded with increasingly anxious thoughts. We would do well to remember Jesus’ words: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Of one thing we can be sure: God is not wringing His hands. He remains sovereign, even as his heart breaks with the pain of His children. The truth is that we can always trust Him. He has a long history of working g