Greetings all,
As you know I have been scheduled to depart to Asia Pacific this coming Monday. Our mission has a great “contingency team” who has been monitoring this whole corona virus situation closely, so we have been following along with their updates and recommendations. As we have looked at all the travel interruptions and quarantines we have also been in earnest prayer wanting the “mind of the Lord” for my upcoming trip. Yesterday as I was in the process of writing another email to our contingency team regarding my trip, an email came in from our mission headquarters with the following recommendation, “As we consider the facts about COVID-19 and how it could affect our members as well as our organizational objectives worldwide, it is not out of fear, but from an abundance of caution the Executive Leadership Team recommends that all Ethnos360 members reconsider their need for nonessential travel both here in the US and to other countries…” We have communicated with our Asia Pacific field and we are of one heart and one mind that it would be best we push the “pause” button and reschedule my trip for a later date. So this morning I have been busy rescheduling everything. Thankfully the airline and my travel insurance company have waived all change fees so nothing has been lost and all has been changed for a later date. Even though all this took us by surprise we know it didn’t take our Lord by surprise, He is still in the process of building His church, and HE still reigns Supreme.
I was looking forward to this trip with LOTS of anticipation as some great things are happening in the Wana tribe where we serve. I will really miss being able to teach at this Bible conference and Bible curriculum development seminar this time, but I have more than enough to keep me busy with transferring the Scripture translation to Paratext and continuing on with the development of the Old Testament lessons for mature believers. We are praying that the Lord will bring things back to some normalcy so we can resume international travel once again. Thanks so much for standing with us through thick and thin – we appreciate it very much!
Blessings,
Ed n Jeanne Casteel
A few pics of the kids from last youth retreat.
Ed Casteel
Church Planting Asia Pacific
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