Mukono, Uganda: Experiencing COVID-19 from Abroad

By Jessica Hughes
(This article first appeared in the UgandaPartners blog.)

Jeremiah 29:7: “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

While I am neither an Israelite nor am I in exile, Jeremiah’s exhortation to pray for the place where you live is sound counsel that I think still applies today. As a missionary who has worked at Uganda Christian University (UCU) for almost eight years, I have long prayed for the peace and prosperity of Kampala and Mukono.

And then COVID-19 happened, and the US State Department issued a Global Level 4 Advisory – Do Not Travel (and come home if you are abroad unless you are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period). This immediately raises one challenge for any missionary or expatriate: Do you stay where you are, or do you go home?

I quickly decided that it was much easier for me to stay here, especially since I had no idea when I would be able to re-enter Uganda when the crisis had passed (without the mandatory 14-day quarantine expanded later to another three weeks). I have friends who have stayed, and I have friends who have returned home. Regardless of their choice, I am grateful that they were able to reach wherever they wanted to be safely.

One of the things for which I am grateful is that Uganda is a model for how to handle epidemics. The government reacted quickly, even though many of these decisions have caused a bit of havoc.

On March 18, Uganda announced that schools and churches would close on March 20 for 32 days. This meant that the students had to hurry and get home, and we had to hurry and try to finish the semester. I am so proud of my students; they finished their assignments as quickly as they could while packing and leaving early.

The airport and other borders were closed on March 22 for a minimum of 32 days to people, but cargo still transits, thankfully. Pharmacies, banks and all stores except for those that sell food were closed. All public transportation was shut down, and initially, private vehicles could carry three people, but then all driving was banned except for health transportation. People in Kampala were jogging in hordes on major roads, so then exercising outdoors in public was banned, though exercise in one’s yard is allowed. There is a curfew from 7 p.m.-6:30 a.m., and you will be arrested if you are caught even walking home from work.

In the midst of all this, I am grateful for so much:

• The Ministry of Health. They are handling the pandemic as well as can be expected. Uganda has long been a standard for how to manage epidemics, and COVID-19 is no exception. They have worked well with various communication outlets to be sure that the message of staying home and preventing the spread of the virus is prominent; one cannot make a phone call without a few seconds of a message being played before the call is actually placed. There are many challenges, of course, but I am grateful for how they have taken the lead.

• Uganda Christian University’s leadership. I often note that I live in an idyllic bubble on campus, with Internet, water, and security, and that is true. But I am most grateful that the University was very quick to make plans to allow lecturers to end the semester online and for exams to be converted to take-home exams. Though the latter was ultimately halted by the government, I am grateful that the University has been making use of online tools for education, was prepared to shift to take-home exams that would be submitted online (with allowances being made for students without easy internet access), but also that the students were so invested in their education that the overwhelming majority of them were very disappointed in the government’s decision disallowing take-home exams.

• The church’s response. Much like in the US and the rest of the world, churches immediately went online. The Archbishop of the Province of the Church of Uganda has been publishing daily devotions, as well as leading two services on Sundays from home. The UCU Chaplaincy also immediately went online, as did many of my Theology students, so much so that scrolling through Facebook on a Sunday was very likely to cause the web page to hang with all the Facebook Lives that were playing.

• For my mission society’s leadership. They have been proactive in checking on us, seeing what we need and where we need to be, and ensuring that we are well.

 

Most of all, I am grateful that my people, on both my continents, are safe. I’ve been able to talk with a number of my students, as well as friends and family, and all are well.

Yes, this pandemic is trying, difficult, and challenging. But just as the Lord was with the exiles in Babylon, He is with us also.

+++++

Rev. Jessica Hughes is a lecturer in the UCU Bishop Tucker School of Theology and Divinity. She hails from the state of Virginia.

Jerusalem, Israel: Experiencing COVID-19 from Abroad

By Daryl Fenton

Similar to almost every country and city around the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic overturned our lives and community here at Christ Church Jerusalem. Here in the Holy City we have just concluded a Holy Week & Passover week like no other that we can remember. The mid-week priestly blessing of Passover at the Western Wall usually attracts a crowd of over twenty-thousand, was held this year with only ten individuals. The Easter season that usually is marked by huge numbers of pilgrims, was strangely quiet. The typical marches of bagpipes through the streets of the Old City, pilgrimages to Gethsemane and the Via Dolorosa, and the major Holy Fire event of the Orthodox churches were extremely scaled back.  

We too, at Christ Church, spent our Holy Week in a completely different way. The usual activity that comes with having a museum, guest house, and coffeeshop was all absent.  We were blessed however, by two new opportunities for outreach during these unique times. Not surprisingly, our mercy ministry which cares for the poor and the marginalized saw a major spike in requests for assistance. We were able to partner with many organizations (mostly religious, but even secular ones!), both locally and overseas, to provide food and support for families whose members had lost their sources of income. Utilizing our staff we were also able to to provide critical services such as food and medicine purchases to the elderly who were not allowed to leave their homes. 

Our second opportunity was to begin broadcasting all our Easter Week services online in multiple time zones. This amounted to 30 services, which we broadcasted on facebook and reached over 70,000 individuals across the globe. So while it was a very different Holy Week for us here in Jerusalem, we are praising God for using the situation to His Glory.

The Rev. Cn. Daryl Fenton is a DOMA priest currently serving as the director of CMJ, the Israel ministry of which Christ Church, Jerusalem is a part. Daryl also serves as assisting clergy to The Rev. David Pileggi, Rector of Christ Church.

Brittany, France: Experiencing COVID-19 from Abroad

By Robin Adams

I am the chaplain of Christ Church Brittany. Donna and I cover four English-speaking congregations in the west of France. We have been in lockdown for six weeks now and at least 3 more before the some things open up. It is doubtful that we can have public worship or large group gatherings before the summer. In my 15-minute report I share how we are managing and what the Lord is teaching us. Our situation is probably not that different from most DOMA congregations except perhaps the demographics of the people and the limits of the great distances involved. We have less that a year left in France and I was hoping to leave the chaplaincy in a strong position before retiring to the USA, all in Gods good hands. “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you."

Robin and Donna Adams,
Brittany, France

A Virtual Hallelujah Chorus

Camp Booyah Breaks the Internet! 

Camp Booyah (an Anglican summer adventure) is moving online! Rather than meeting in person, camp has been restructured to an online format consisting on fun activities, morning prayer, talks, games, songs, and even cabin times every day.

With the new online format, registration has reopened at a new lower price with a new registration deadline! Included in the price is access to all worship and teaching sessions, a Camp Booyah 2020 T-shirt, camp notebooks, camp bookbag, devotional materials, and "encouragram" materials. Registration is $79 per student and closes April 30. Do not delay signing up for this unique opportunity to connect with your peers, grow in your faith, and have fun kicking off your summer with camp Booyah online!

Details here!
 

The Ministry of Making Masks

by Clancy Nixon

This outreach was born as I thought about what the people of our congregation needed that we could provide for them. The CDC made it clear early on that if someone in their house got sick, they would need to wear masks at home to protect themselves, but masks are in short supply; and surgical masks and N95 masks are needed by health care workers. So we’d need to make them ourselves, and get them to people. Recently, THE CDC RECOMMENDS we use them whenever we venture outside where other people are nearby, so the need is even greater.  

MASKMAKER, MASKMAKER recruits sewers, people with fabric and elastic, and local people with need for masks. We publish a pattern on our website, tips for sewing, and contact info so everyone can connect. Our church vestibule acts as a drop off and pick up point for masks, fabric (and for food). Now we are recruiting anyone—churches, individuals, neighbors, anyone at all—to help us make masks, and to receive masks. I’ve posted a Facebook ad inviting people to join us. This outreach is a three-way win: it’s a win for people needing cloth masks; a win for people at home with time, skills and a heart to serve—it’ s a great time to teach  your kids, (and adults) how to sew!—and for the church, as the world sees that we love them because God does.  

For information, see our webpage.

The Rev. Clancy Nixon the Rector of Church of the Holy Spirit in Leesburg, VA. 

Beyond Worship on Sunday Mornings

Attending Sunday morning services online (in a variety of formats) has become familiar and the new “normal” for most parishioners. Though it is impossible to recreate the experience of walking into a familiar building, home, or favorite coffee shop to see friendly faces each week, a variety of churches are encouraging fellowship and prayer before and after the service and on other days of the week, in many ways:

• Opportunities specifically for women or men groups, youth, and families (such as the Tuesday morning women’s Bible study with Immanuel Anglican)

• Newcomer Classes (for example, Church of the Messiah “Connections Class”)

• Daily Prayer (such as, evening prayer at The Falls Church Anglican)

• Online Bible Studies (for example, the Book of Nehemiah at St. Michael’s Anglican)

• Coffee Hours (There are a lot of examples…but below is a photo from the recent one with Winchester Anglican.)

The Rev. Patrick Ware shares how Winchester Anglican enjoyed coffee hour after their recent online Sunday service: The service is conducted though Facebook live, but coffee hour was enjoyed via Zoom. After the service, a link to participate in coffee hour via Zoom was provided. After joining the Zoom session, and waving and offering friendly greetings to everyone, the host used the Zoom option to create “random” small groups. They gathered back afterwards in a larger group before closing the session.




See more examples of continued ministry, worship ,and messages of hope during COVID-19 on the Diocese website.

The Mid-Atlantic Messenger