As I write this update, I am supposed to be in Peru, having just returned from Chile, but both of those trips were canceled due to COVID-19. Instead, like most of you all, I have been forced to work from home. As the governors began to set statewide restrictions, my daughter Abby and her fiancé, Caleb Prigge, who both work at the Wilds Christian Camp in North Carolina, decided to come home for the five weeks prior to their wedding scheduled for May 9. We are still planning on having a church wedding if the restrictions are lifted, but we may end up having a small ceremony in our back yard with just family. 
It has been good to have them with us as Caleb has helped me around the house and yard with some much-needed projects. Abby was a culinary major in college, so we have enjoyed her cooking. Our daughter Hannah is a sophomore at Bob Jones University and is finishing out her classes online. Joanna is staying busy caring for our Golden Doodle, Ollie, and her four puppies.
I am grateful for the providence of God which has allowed us to spend this extra time with Abby. We all are tempted to be anxious as we face these uncertain days. God is stretching our faith and teaching us to trust His providence, even over wedding plans. The Puritan John Flavel wrote a book called, “The Mystery of Providence,” in which he states, “Providence is wiser than you, and you may be confident it has suited all things better to your eternal good than you could do had you been left to your own option.”
I am grateful for the nice office I have in my home and the extra time I have to work on updating my database which could be a full-time job. I am thrilled to have more time to prepare new conference materials and even study a little Spanish. I am thankful for technology like emails, cell phones, and video conferencing which has allowed me opportunities to communicate with our missionaries, our ministry partners, and other ministry leaders. The change in travel plans has dominated a lot of my schedule as I have had to rearrange my calendar.
Lord willing, I am still planning on heading to Mexico, May 28-June 8. Chris Snowden, a videographer, will accompany me on this trip. The plan is to visit Marco Nunez and the six churches across the Yucatan Peninsula that he has helped to start. If everything goes according to plan, we will travel over 1,700 miles visiting these churches. I am also looking forward to ministry opportunities in Alaska in July as I will be preaching in a Regional Mission Conference and in two different churches.
One of the surprising blessings of the stay-at-home order has been the opportunity to get to know more of our neighbors. Everyone is careful about social distancing, but more people are working in their yards, and out walking and riding bikes. Last night, our neighborhood sponsored a Cuban food truck to set up shop on one of the street corners. We have had some terrible storms over the past couple of weeks which has allowed opportunities for neighbors to help each other with clean up. Please pray with us, that with the Lord’s help we will not waste these opportunities to be salt and light.