Tanzania Update: Portugal!
Peter Brown
by Michelle Ko
Dear Friends,
Are you ready to go on an adventure with me? It is a story I would love to tell.
When I left Tanzania in March to take my annual leave, I did not expect to encounter such a Pandemic. I mean, who would?
I packed a little backpack, just the necessities for my trip, and off I went…
A day after I arrived Lisbon (Portugal), the boarder was closed to all travel. I have been stuck here ever since.
Now we are at the end of July. Let me give you a short version of my life in these past four months.
Back in late March, when all the tourists were panicking and leaving the country, at that moment, I really did not know what to do. My plane ticket was booked to go back to Tanzania, but there were no flights. I prayed and felt I should stay put and see how this would pan out. All the hotels and hostels were cancelling their bookings, including mine. Miraculously, God provided a place for me stay with minimum rent. And not just any place, a beautiful place where I can rest and wait for their period of time. Especially when I left Tanzania, I needed a place to recharge and refocus. This was the perfect place. My God knows what I need. He provides when I needed it most! What a mighty God we serve. I stayed at the apartment until recently. Then another amazing connection happened. I will tell you later.
I was doing a lot of online church, which I absolutely loved. Getting fed each day, reading the Word, praying about the pandemic. During this time, I got an invitation from an Australian-Chinese church to be part of their online prayer meeting and Bible study. In Tanzania, with limited access to the Internet, you forgot how powerful it is to be online. Technology is an amazing tool!
During this time of confinement, I also got a chance to reconnect with my family. I had time to talk to my siblings and my parents. It was very nice. And I regularly have Zoom meetings with the Tanzania team.
Visa—you might be wondering how I can stay in Portugal for such a long time. Because of the pandemic, the Portuguese government has extended all tourist visas until the end of October. So, I do not need to worry about it. Praise God!
Remember the amazing connection that I mention before? In the process of looking for a way to leave Portugal, I realized I had to go back either to Tanzania or Taiwan. It was a very difficult decision. I still have not yet decided. Throughout these four months of lockdown, it has been very isolating and difficult at times. I was praying that I will be able to have some connection with humans. And I know that with this pandemic, it is hard to meet people, especially when you are in the new country. God must have heard my prayer! He has used a person who I have not known or met, and she has introduced me to an Israeli family who needs help with their 7-month-old baby girl. After some consideration, I agreed to stay with them and help them until August.
Phew! That is the short version of the last four months of my life. Can you see God’s hand on this? Well, I can! What an amazing God we serve! Matt 6:25 said: “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lot of anxiety, not knowing or being able to control the future. May I encourage you? Do not lose sight of our God, keep your eye on Him. Do not let the worry take away your peace. Throughout the last four months, I learned to trust God no matter what. He will open a way for you because he loves you!
In Christ,
Michelle Ko