Dear Brothers and Sisters in Missions,
I’m writing this to you today from sunny Nairobi, Kenya. I have found myself in complete isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 and not being able to return home. I’m hoping to share my heart and thoughts about upcoming TBM mission trips with everyone either interested in or already applied for one.
First of all, none of this is a surprise. I entered into this trip knowing this was a very real possibility. Approximately eight weeks ago, the federal government announced that it would be disallowing repatriation to the United States without a negative COVID-19 test. While I’m not sure, I believe that the US may have been one of the last countries to institute this change.
But with this change came logistical complexities in traveling on short term mission trips. For example, teams traveling into foreign mission fields take the chance of not being able to come home with the rest of the team if they test positive for COVID-19 (regardless of prior vaccinations). I initially thought that, if everyone knew this up front, it would be a manageable situation. But I now realize that being marooned in a foreign country, separated from loved ones for an indefinite amount of time, anxiously waiting for a negative test, is not something that I/we are comfortable proceeding with for the immediate future.
So, effective today we will be suspending group mission trips into the countries where we work until the US relaxes its travel restrictions. This certainly does not mean that the work of The Bucket Ministry is going to stop. Rather, just the opposite–this will give us ample time to invest into our local, in-country partners that are already sowing and reaping the fruits of Christ.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly over email. I hope you understand my heart and continue to engage with our mission through these tribulations.
In Christ,
Christopher Beth
The Bucket Ministry
