Dear sisters and brothers in the Gospel, dear friends worldwide, how are you? I only hope this finds you well and that you can get by in this in so many ways unmanageable situation. I will keep this relatively brief, because I am aware of the fact that many of you are facing the same challenges these days. Berlin Mission, the Ecumenical Centre of the Evangelical Church of Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper-Lusatia, has not had to tackle a situation like this before. These days only two people are allowed to meet in public hereabouts and they need to keep a distance of two meters. The number of those infected by the Covid19 virus keeps spiralling. We grieve at the fact that so many people died worldwide recently, especially in China, Italy or Spain. Many people are afflicted with hardship, bereavement, loneliness (everyone must stay home unless they are needed for core activities), sorrow and pain. Church services cannot take place unless televised digitally in the absence of the congregation … Still we want to make a point of sending you this message of solidarity: You are in our prayers and in our thoughts. We trust the Lord who is Light and Love (1 John 1 and 4) to show us the way forward, not past sorrow, but through it, if need be. Thus, Berlin Mission keeps working. Though most of us need to work from home, we are available for your requests, we are here to support you and be supported by you. Please find a list of our mail addresses at https://www.berliner-missionswerk.de/fileadmin/user_upload/200318_Mitarbeitende_Berliner_Missionswerk.pdf Do not hesitate to come back to us with anything we need to discuss with each other. And please: We very much wish to hear from you regarding your situation, how you fare, how you come to terms with the challenges, what the main issues are etc. … Any report, story or photo is welcome!!! I also want to thank those of you warmly who have looked after our volunteers so well in the past months and the difficult last days before they were allowed to leave, those who still do so, those who welcomed our officers when visiting and those who sent us messages of support. I trust those volunteers you sent to Germany have arrived home safely? Yes, we did have to take some difficult decisions in the past days, but it was all done trusting that those decisions would be for the best of everyone concerned. Let me close by assuring you of our continuing friendship! We treasure the link with you and your church or organisation! Let’s keep in touch! By all means whatever happens …
May our Lord Jesus Christ keep you, protect you, guide and bless you!
Yours ever, Christof Theilemann The Revd Dr Christof Theilemann, Director of Berlin Mission and EKBO Representative for Mission, Worldwide Mission and Ecumenical Relations Source ⇒ Berlin Mission |