On the other side of COVID!
Ladies and Gentlemen...I am finally well enough to sit down and write a quick newsletter! Praising Jesus for that. I am a month out, and I am still dealing with random pains, and exhaustion that feels like you have been run over by a dump truck. An interesting story about that, a friend of mine let's call him "Frank", he and I had Covid around the same time in January. "Frank" had gotten hit by a bus earlier in the Fall (A BUS!!!)...and said having and recovering from COVID was worse than getting hit by a bus! That's no drama, that is just reality for those of us who got hit hard by this thing.
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So what can you do when you are only able to sit up for an hour before needing a nap?
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Start a FaceBook FUNDRAISING Campaign of course!
On Feb 1st I began the "February Final 20" (Looking for my final 20 donors at $50/month!)
- I now need just 14 more people to join the sending team!
Almost There....not long now!
This is my backyard in the NL
$1000/Month left to raise!!!
Together we can get this done!!!
I am now praying into and asking
that you would join me in that prayer
to be back in my home in the Netherlands
By April!
Join the team! Help make The Bridge Artistic Network a reality!
To donate to this work:
http://www.tinyurl.com/brendalillie
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More praise reports....
- No one else in my household (including my 84 year old mom) got sick! I kept this plague to myself!
- God has added 5 new donors to my sending team since Feb 1st!
- I am virus free and out of quarantine.
- After pushing it off a week (for more recovery time), we were able to have our yearly board meeting for the Allegro Arts Network via ZOOM! Thanking God for technology! I am getting excited about what God is going to do in this next year!
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What I learned from COVID.
Me and my brother being weird
Proverbs 17:17:
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
On Jan 11th I became sick with what I thought was the stomach flu. Fever, nausea, I could not eat, aches, pains, and exhaustion that had me sleeping 18 hours a day. On Thursday I asked my church and facebook community for prayer. And so began the journey of getting tested, testing positive, my family and I being quarantined, going to hospital when my symptoms got so bad that my finger tips were turning blue, getting the medical help I needed and getting on the road to recovery...a road I am still on today.
What Covid taught me:
Ask for prayer immediately!
I waited, I thought I could push through, fix it myself. Pray it in myself (cause I was praying). I was incorrect.
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Matthew 18:19-20: Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
As Christians prayer is our most powerful tool of faith! -Prayer support brings relief knowing you are not in the battle alone.
God's help comes in many forms.
- My brother took care of everything with the dogs, mom, the house and made sure I had what I needed, and got me to the hospital...and then spent the next week brining meals, and checking in and socially distanced chats with me when I had the strength.
Knowing there is someone there who will help you in your darkest hour - grants you peace and strips away fear!
- Family and friends from all over the world checking in with me daily. Seriously, I had people checking in every day- AMAZING!
Feeling loved -is healing stuff!
- Our church family bringing food, flowers to brighten my room, and buying groceries for us all as we the entire house was quarantined. When I was eating again (which took awhile) I was even brought a cake (Thanks Paul Hackett).
Having my family taken care of- granted comfort.
- Being able to "go to church" online. May we never again as the body of Christ neglect the shut ins and ill. ONLINE church is a powerful tool!
Hearing the Word of God and being able to worship and pray together (even while separated)- granted emotional and spiritual strength for the battle!
- Taking the time needed to rest and recover, is imperative no matter who wants you to heal faster, or how badly you just want to be done with it all...listen to your body.
Naps are from Jesus! Seriously.-They refresh and rejuvinate, heal and grant phyiscal strength to press on.
We are never truly alone.
- We sing about it, talk about. We say it and give thanksgiving in prayer about it. But when dark times come, it is sometimes hard to hold on to this truth.
- Human beings are built to be in relationship with one another. While some of us need more personal contact than others the truth is we all need some form of fellowship. So quarantine is an unnatural state of being for us.
- The truth is there are many ways to stay connected, to show your love, concern and care one to another. And this past month the Lord opened my eyes to all of it!
So, what did COVID teach me? To appreciate everything I am given in a day from the air I breathe, to soup brought to me, to puppy dog kisses, to a nap. COVID taught me to recognize and revel in the love I am surrounded by on a daily basis. And to turn around and be a blessing to someone else.
So, here I am on the other side of COVID, saying Thank You to all of you who showered both me and my family with love, prayer, kindness and food. You were all God's hands and feet to me and to us this past month. May you be blessed as you go this week! I am blessed and grateful.
Now onward and upward! Let's get me back to the Netherlands!
 
Time to get back to work!
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