Wow! A year has passed since the day the President of Colombia implemented a nationwide quarantine! It's been a crazy year with lots of changes. Today as I looked back on my Facebook timeline review, I was reminded that a year ago our church, La Iglesia Nueva Esperanza here in Armenia, Quindio, Colombia halted in-person services due to the quarantine, but our faithful God provided a way for our church to continue to meet via WhatsApp to worship and grow together through audio-recorded sermons, worship music, and sharing prayer needs and scriptures.
Another thing that struck me today is that our kids and the other church kids have not been back to a church service at our church in a year. Last Sunday marked a year since the last time they were able to attend services in-person at our church due to the restrictions.
On September 5, 2020, the adults were able to return to in-person services. Our church was one of the first in Armenia, Colombia to return to in-person services when the green light was given to do so with bio-safety protocols, but only adults could attend. We were given permission to use the community center across the street from our church to accommodate the social distancing requirements, and we continue to meet there. Throughout the quarantine and so many changes in how we met together as a church God was faithful and met the needs of the people both spiritual and physical. God strengthened their faith, gave them hope, and kept them faithful to Him. They were so excited when the church services started back up, they had missed being together worshipping and just seeing one another. Some volunteered to help meet the protocols from checking people in and doing temperature checks at the door to helping set up and disinfect the building. On a regular basis, about 30 adults, young and old faithfully join together for worship. God is faithful!! Chris and I rotate attending services and are sometimes able to go together when our friend watches the kids for us. It has been a joy and a blessing being able to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and see them more often, such a testimony to God's faithfulness! In December, the church was able to bless the families of the church with a Christmas dinner to take home after the church service, and we have been able to distribute grocery packages as well after services. God has faithfully provided allowing our church to meet the felt practical needs of His people through His church.
A few weeks ago a lady came to the church asking about the services. She told us that she wanted to attend because her church that she had attended before the quarantine had permanently shut down. Sadly, due to economics and other factors during the quarantine, this was the case of many churches, especially small churches, here in Colombia. Pray for the people who attended the churches that had to close their doors. Pray that they would seek, find, and be welcomed into other churches. We praise God for the churches that have been able to return to in-person services and pray for those still waiting to be able to do so.
Protocols are beginning to relax a little throughout Armenia, and we are currently discussing a return date for the children to have children's church in our church building, across the street from the community center where the adults are meeting. There are still social distancing and mask usage protocols that must be followed, but we believe that we can accommodate these protocols with the children as well. Pray for wisdom and direction as we make these plans.
God in His faithfulness continues to protect La Iglesia Nueva Esperanza and provide ways for us to be a light in the community! Praise His Holy Name!
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