If there is one word that is universally used and understood in the Year of Our Lord 2020, it is the word interruption. Across the globe, everything has been interrupted — family life, education, careers, finances, church, sports, future planning. We now realize our future is not what what we were expecting, and that is a tough and unsettling place to be.
Read MoreWherever you currently find yourself in the world, it’s no secret that all our lives have been affected by the Covid 19 pandemic. Our circumstances and situations might be different, but in an effort to create some solidarity between us we are starting a new mini-series titled “This Global Pandemic.” Each episode will have an interview with a new expat woman who will share her perspective on what life in the time of a global pandemic has been like for her.
In today’s episode you’ll hear from Kim, who lives in Ukraine with her husband and their six kids. They also have guardianship of three men with special needs and they work to deinstitutionalize people with disabilities. Kim shares with us what is was like for her family to unexpectedly welcome several new people into their home to quarantine with them, help a family get their adopted son to America in the middle of the pandemic, and what the Lord has been teaching her about releasing her love of control. Grab your favorite beverage and a comfy seat and prepare to be blessed by Kim’s story.
Read MoreDuring this pandemic, we expats have fallen into one of two categories: those who stayed and those who left. Expats who made the decision to evacuate their host country have undoubtedly faced some very unique challenges in leaving and finding a new normal in their passport country. In this episode of It’s Tea Time Somewhere, Denise interviews Alicia about her family’s decision to leave Indonesia and evacuate to the States, how they came to that decision, and the lessons she’s learning through it. Alicia’s story will help those who stayed abroad to better understand the realities of our friends who left, and will encourage fellow evacuees that you’re not alone in the ups and downs of repatriating during a pandemic.
Read MoreShould I stay or should I go? This is a question that most of us have had to wrestle with recently as country borders closed and flights were grounded. In this episode, Denise and Melissa talk about staying in their host countries during this pandemic, how they made the decision, and how they are coping with their choice. From schooling changes for the kids to cancelled trips and loss of control, this conversation deals with the very real fears, challenges, and blessings of choosing to stay abroad during this pandemic.
Read MoreIn some ways, during this time of social isolation, I find myself more connected than ever.
In the past two weeks alone, I’ve been on more video conferences than the rest of my life combined. I’ve had countless conversations through text and other messenger apps with friends. People have emailed and reached out to check on our family. We’ve chatted almost daily with our family in the States.
And yet, after a video call with several friends recently, I found myself messaging one of them saying, “I just wish we could sit across from each other with coffee and have a conversation face to face.”
Read MoreYesterday I made pumpkin bread with frozen pumpkin puree that a friend had made from scratch and tucked away, intending to use herself. Today I made pot roast for dinner with beef from their freezer. These friends had to make the abrupt decision to leave their home in Rwanda due to medical reasons. Even though the airport closed last week, some embassies worked to figure out a handful more flights out this week. So, these friends took the last-minute opportunity, packed up their home and two small children in a matter of days, texted out the contents of their freezer and pantry to those of us who lived in the neighborhood to come pick up, and — a few hours later — were headed to the airport, unsure of how many months it will be until they can return.
Read MoreThis morning I woke up to an invitation from a neighbor (via social media) to our whole apartment community. We were invited to sing hymns from our balconies together, since Germany has suspended church meetings.
Inspired by the viral video of Italians singing out their windows across empty streets, our neighbor invited us to do something similar. I'll admit, I was conflicted a bit about joining. I didn't know all the words and worried it would feel like an awkward performance on my part.
But we gathered on our separate balconies and, as the singing began, I forgot all that. More and more neighbors spilled outside, waving as they joined in. A woman stopped on the sidewalk below us and listened, occasionally wiping her eyes. We ended up with nearly half of the balconies between two buildings filled with neighbors singing hymns together.
Read MoreCan I just say that COVID-19 is really messing up some things? Like my plans. My husband and I had a much-needed weekend away planned. That came and went and is still much needed. My daughter is a senior this year. Her cap and gown are sitting in the packaging and she is making jokes about graduating online after all. We homeschooled for so long and she was looking forward to a graduation with her class. Her prom dress is hanging with the tags still on it in her room, and I’m trying to brainstorm a get together that fits in with the current restrictions on gatherings where we are. Our friends are trapped in country with expiring visas. Global workers who are stateside are having their much-needed fundraising functions cancelled. Schools are closing. Oh, the list goes on.
“The only good thing to come out of this are the memes,” I’ve muttered to my family.
But then I had to repent.
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