Page 2 - CBFK SUMMER Newsletter 2020 flip

What I’m Learning About
Challenges in Morocco
During Our Pandemic
by Karen Zimmerman, Pastor with the Église Évangélique au Maroc
When I made the decision to stay in Morocco during the early days of this global pandemic, I didn’t quite realize what I was signing up for. At that point, I didn’t know that we would be under strict home quarantine measures for over two months. I didn’t understand what isolation would be like—I didn’t quite grasp how traumatic it would be to listen to news from home and know that I couldn’t return to the States even if things got bad.
But I’m so glad I’m here. I feel safe. I have everything I need. And I’m so happy to be sharing this uniquely challenging moment with friends and colleagues of our Protestant Church in Morocco. I’m learning a lot from them every day.
I’m learning that ministry in this Mo- roccan pandemic context requires col- laborating. Our migrant ministry teams are restricted in their movements in each city, and so we’ve had to work with other non-profits, faith-based groups, and even the government to provide aid to those who need it most. These types of collaborative efforts wouldn’t have seemed possible only a few months ago, but now they give me hope for future partnerships.
I’m learning that ministry in this Moroccan pandemic context requires
mobilizing global
networks. We rely
on funding part-
ners from all over
the world to sustain
our ministries and activities—even
more so during
this time of crisis
when the needs are
acute and relief is
often a matter of
life and death. I’m
learning to be bold
about asking for
help and inviting
others to join the
good work that
God is doing. (To
donate to our di-
saster relief fund,
go to www.cbfky.
org/donate and
make a note that
your contribution
is for Morocco Corona Relief).
I’m learning that ministry in this Mo- roccan pandemic context means caring for others while caring for yourself. For me, that means looking after my own mental health and setting clear bound- aries and routines (and checking in with my therapist occasionally!). For many of our church members, that means distributing food to others while won- dering where your own food is going to come from. For our church body, that means praying for creative solutions for members who can’t afford their rent, supporting each other through the grief of losing loved ones in countries that are now inaccessible, and making sure stu- dents can afford an internet connection to continue their classes. For all of us, we’re learning how to trust God to be our Provider, our Comforter, our Peace.
There are so many new, creative, heartbreaking, encouraging, inspiring ministries that have been born during
this coronavirus pandemic. We’re overwhelmed and hard-pressed, but sharing the Bread of Life has never been more tangible to me. It’s an honor to be here, learning, serving, sharing this experience with my church community.