a stronghold: coronavirus

I know it hasn’t been too long since my last blog post, but I feel it’s necessary to address this topic sooner, rather than later. 

as the whole world knows by now, corona virus has been a large stronghold in America, and many other countries/continents. school is closed, restaurants are closing down, large events and sports programs have come to a halt, and many people are bound to their homes, whether by choice or requirement. 

during these scary times I have seen many different reactions, from a spirit of fear, to a complete disregard for what is happening. and almost everything in between. 

first off i want to tell you this, it’s totally okay if your initial reaction was fear! if you were a little scared, don’t feel bad. disease and pandemic IS scary, no doubt about that. your feelings are valid, and it’s alright to process and FEEL the emotions.

BUT!!!

your emotions and feelings are not truth! they do not speak life and comfort over us in this time. so now that we have processed and felt the fear, we are going to face this. 

for those of you who don’t know, all missionaries associated with the world race have been sent home. the spread of the virus and fear in America was beginning to concern many, and AIM, after prayer and consideration, decided it would be best to bring home 550+ people. this transition has been hard for many and we need to love on our brothers and sisters who were expecting several months of a race to continue. 

little did we know that this would be a huge blessing for our country (and many others). 550 people, on fire for Jesus, are spread throughout America, aiding in the current revival. they are sharing stories, processing, and connecting with families and friends. and yet they are still in self-quarantine. we can’t even imagine what God will do with them once they can leave the house!!

another thing I would like to address is the amount of people who haven’t considered their community and those around them! this is not meant to bash others, or put them down, but it has to be addressed! there are elderly people in our lives, and if you don’t, your friend definitely does. chain reactions are being ignited across the world and we need to be the first to stop it. yes, please go to the store for groceries and other necessities, but this is not a time to just hangout and ignore the advice of our political leaders and parents. 

I personally don’t like being stuck at home so much, but I also know that God will reward this season, and that it is for my protection that social distancing is put into place.

from my perspective, we can’t isolate! we need human interaction and to have conversation on a daily basis. and in the times we are in, God has blessed so many people in America with phones, computers, facetime, texting, snail mail, and so many other tools! for many of us, and this includes myself, this season can seem boring, fearful ,and just plain confusing. my senior year is basically over, i’m not sure if I’ll get to walk across the stage. but God has something planned for this time, whether we see it or not. 

please be responsible. that’s all I’m asking! 

another thing worth mentioning is whether or not I will still be going on the world race gap year! will the route change? the timeline? is it cancelled? 

I’ve received so many questions about this, and if there is a “back up plan” for it all. first of all, the world race is still happening! the plan is to leave in september, as of right now, and the AIM leadership and staff is closely monitoring world events and safety of our countries. we are in such good hands!

as of march 25, 2020 there have been some pretty big changes though! the initial plan was to attend a 10 day training camp in the beginning of july and then launch in september. now… we will no longer have training camp in july and all events are moved to september. we will have a launch/parent event for the first couple days, followed by training camp, and launch immediately after. 

my squad is still processing the news, but we are grateful the trip hasn’t been pushed back by much. please keep us in your prayers as we continue to receive updates and prepare for our trip. 

I truly believe God has such a good plan for all of this, that He will renew His people, bring revival, and bring glory to His kingdom. our father is good and is watching over us is this time. this season is meant to be spent with Him, and we can’t take advantage of the time! press in to the Lord and learn something new. 

please be safe, and i’m praying good health for you all ! please message me with any prayer requests or if there is any way I can help you in this time!

love your neighbor, connect with a friend, and bring the kingdom down here on earth as it is in heaven. 

all the love, gretchen

“you rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.” 

-psalm 89:9