Dear Mission Friends,

“Are we there yet?” While driving my family across the country to relocated near the District Office, I was asked that age-old road trip question by my kids more than once. The excitement of where we are going, combined with the boredom of stagnant landscapes and the monotony of miles, triggered the question.

I have finally settled in enough to start asking the question to myself, out loud, concerning this shelter in place declaration. I am asking family, friends, city officials, state officials, and God Himself. “Are we there yet? Can we be done with this? Can we just get to where we are going already?” It was a unique experience at first, a chance for creativity, a chance to try new things, but for many of us, it has become an annoyance, a burden, and a pain.

Jeremiah had to deal with something far worse and, in Lamentations chapter three, he vows not to forget the pain and suffering he and God’s people went through after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. In the midst of his despair, he clung to the hope and promise of the Lord’s steadfast love and His mercies, which are new every day.

In the frustrations and aggravation of these lonely and unprecedented days, I pray that you are encouraged by the same promises of God. Even more so, know that the resurrected Christ promises to never leave you or forsake you. Let us not forget these days and tell of the Lord’s faithfulness through them.

Blessings,

Rev. Joe Robb
Assistant to the President- Mission Leader