 Our next song will be from Nyimboza Christo, that is the Kiswahili hymnal, Wimbo nambari mi amoja ishirini na tano. In English it is there, there is life in Aluk, kwa Kiswahili uni angali e karibuni. Song number 334, Kamdao Fount of Every Blessing. The third stanza. Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. Prone to live the Lord I love. He is my heart, Lord, take and seal it for the courts above. 517, thank you for that. Number 517, my faith looks up to thee. Of course our faith is only grounded in the foundation and the foundation is Jesus Christ. My faith looks up to thee. Department of the Nairobi Central SDA Church would like to thank the family ministry council, would like to thank the church, would like to thank the servants of the Lord that have worked through the week and we would like to invite you to join us this afternoon to discuss, to converse, to listen, to hear what the Lord has to say, how he is equipping his people to thrive during a pandemic season, this season of COVID-19. So you are very welcome to this program and with me here I have the privilege to bring to you the panel and I'll start from my extreme right, my pastor, Pastor Peter Naga, afternoon and welcome to the program. Please say hello to the viewers and the congregation. Thank you so much. Dear viewers, you are most welcome to a program this afternoon. May the Lord bless you as you wait upon this program. He is my daughter in Christ, I'm privileged to introduce Andrea Umma. Andrea say hello. Happy Sabbath church. Good day. All right. And on my left, I have my pastor, Pastor Dan Aguirre. He comes to us from Dandora District. He is our pastor. Welcome pastor to Nairobi Central and to this program. Thank you very much. It does give me great pleasure to be part of this year. Thank you. And in the congregation is the servant of the Lord that the Lord sent this way this week. Pastor Marambi, he'll come up at the opportune time. We'd like to invite him to sit and join us and pray for us as even as we have this conversation. We also do have our audience moderator, Kate Gdaesh. She's sitting with us when her time comes. She will stand up and serve and minister. Thank you very much. Let us pray. Father, in the privileged name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord, we come before the throne of grace this afternoon to worship you, to exalt you and to thank you. To say, oh Lord Father, surely it has been by your grace. It has been through your masses, oh Lord, that we can see this day and be partakers of your love, of your promises, of your presence and your providence and protection. Now this afternoon, oh Lord, we invite you to abide with us. We invite you to come and rest in this sanctuary. We ask the Lord, Father, me the precious blood of Jesus, why sweep through this sanctuary and even the sanctuaries that are in the homes of our viewers, oh Lord. We invite the spiritual leaders to guide us, oh Lord. Father, let only Christ Jesus be manifest. Let only they will oking of glory. Take captive and authority over every mind and in our hearts, oh Lord. Use us today for the glory of your name and to our blessing, for we pray in Jesus' name. Amen, amen. Thank you very much. We are speaking about thriving amidst a pandemic. Pastenyaga, start us off. You know, last year, probably the same time when we had about this COVID-19, we actually fought well, it's just passing by. Then one year later, we are realizing that maybe we have actually stand up, speak to us. What has it brought from your vantage point as a shepherd of the Lord? You see your people, you see your flow. What has this thing brought in its way? Thank you, sister Ruth. I think it's an important question because while we know still COVID is with us, we are not talking about something in the past is still with us. And I think, Ruth, while we know this is a health crisis, allow me to say it's not just a health crisis, it's as a social impact, it has an economic impact. And as we all know, of course, even the major, major economies of the world have been hit and we have all experienced the rebounds of the effects. And so if you ask me what I see from the issue of COVID is that the entire humanity has been shaken. You know its foundations. Talk about social structures, economic structures, many spiritual structures. In fact, through this period of time, many people have been affected spiritually, but we all appreciate even, I think globally, the churches and the places of worship were locked down. And you can imagine a situation where you are going for several months, you can't access a place of worship. You can say that you are growing spiritually. So I see that all structures of humanity have been shaken by this. And I wouldn't be surprised that even in our own families, we have experienced the impact. I want to believe in different homes, of course people have related to this differently because we haven't been hit the same way. But using the principle, I want to believe that parents have experienced it. And you know, like any other crisis that would challenge your life, you know, it affects on your mental health. And when your mental health is affected, it comes down into your behavior. And so it could be even issues where parents' behavior has been changed by COVID because a lot of stress, people our jobs ended and then so many challenges came on board and you are bills to pay, you are not able to pay. You are behaving yourself well. So that even when you are at home and interacting with your children, maybe your behavior changed and the way you make judgment is different. And then this comes into your children. And I want to believe that children also have experienced it and their behaviors have changed. So it's a web of impact and effects. So I think as you discussed today, to me it's a concern, it's a good discussion route that you've brought on board. And may the Lord help us, as we even discussed here, to come out strongly and say, Areze, this is what we feel about this thing, but then God can help us to get solutions going forward. Thank you, thank you pastor. So from my perspective as a parent, I have seen it of the children. I have seen it, you know, we sat and said, in three months we'll go back to work, then everybody will meet again in the house in the evening. Then we continue to sit and we have seen that. But Anvia, how are the young people experiencing this season? For the young people we've gone through a spectrum of emotions. We've had uncertainty, we've had fear, we've had panic. We've also had a sense of stigma where people would cough and everyone is afraid. What are you carrying? We also didn't know if we had it because we didn't know if we were actually following the precautions from the beginning because we actually didn't know when the pandemic came and we were unsure. And during that moment, we needed, we were looking up to our elders for a sort of direction from them, but the elders were also confused and uncertain. And we were all just in this, you know, motion, you know, just they are hanging in a balance. And we just got our point where we turned into, we turned to social media to somehow bring light or give us some sort of comfort. So we'd, you know, people would find memes and share them and joke about it. Yeah, we'd have people coming up with these remedies that we should follow to keep us safe also. So we've actually gone through the spectrum and we had also the challenge of online learning. So this all of a sudden transition into online learning in the middle of physical classes. So this brought people was, you know, shaken, people have been confused because some people had to move back to their homes so that they can be able to observe social distancing and be with their families during this time. But you'd find that some people where they had gone, maybe they didn't have network, maybe they had network problems so they were not able to access online learning and that brought a lot of challenges amongst them. You'd find people also didn't know how to seek God during that time because, you know, with all this uncertainty, who do we turn to? Our elders are lost, our government is lost. All we are getting is panic and fear from left, right and center. So we, all of us, we just isolated, felt lonely, now we just wanted an assurance. I think we just needed some sort of assurance from everyone that it's going to be okay. But you know, now that we're all in the same boat, we just, you know, ride it together and we'll see where it goes. Yeah. Thank you. I think one of the things there. Sister Ruth, I think one of the things was I think I needed to mention, I think it's kept in my mind, especially in the African context, you know, where we are, you know, African culture is, you know, is based on communism, you know, coming together. And this was also shaken because, you know, I'm looking at a social cultural, you know, effect of this, where now I think we are not able to meet. Africa is a fellowshiping continent, you know. We fellowship together and I think on this aspect of social cultural effect, I think Africa was hit the most because I can imagine I'm having my child's birthday, but I can't invite you. You know, I'm having their chamas, the weddings and so many things in Africa. We come together, fellowship together. But now COVID came and say now, stay home. Yeah. Tough. It's been very tough. Yeah. All right. Andres, you were speaking about the young people. I remembered something. You know, we have always been the ones who have all the solutions as parents. And suddenly our officers have gone to the houses and we are shouting the names, Henry, come, the IT has refused. That's all. Confused, yeah. And I think you also had a good laugh seeing as panic with our computers. The amount of Zoom meetings have accidentally gone for my parents, yeah. It happened, yeah. But, you know, we also had to learn to accommodate each other being an environment where we have to be in. So, yes, there was a cabin fever, but we also learned how to overcome it, yeah. And also, you know, we would take walks out and the time we went out and this girl, she was going to the supermarket and she was actually having a class and answering questions and she was shopping. So, you know, we've all, as they use, we've all somehow found a way to adapt and to accommodate the situation and to take it positively within us. And, you know, as we wait for the future of what God has applied for us. So, it seems that, yes. Something you just raised to, sister Andrea, about their presence and their space in this crisis. I don't know, has it, have you felt maybe much more validated, needed, you know, when maybe mum can't fix and mute a mic and, you know, Andrea, I need help here. And kind of like some reverse mentoring, sort of to speak. I don't know, I don't want to hear, you know, from my youth. Because a lot of the time, you are on the periphery of ministry, you know, function in family and so on. But then you get into a crisis which kind of pushes you to the four where you are needed, you know. I don't know, I wish you'd speak to that. Yes, I think Andrea is going to speak to that as I'm just having a thought and thinking, you know, the young people who are quiet, confused, wondering and then when they realize the solutions weren't coming where they are used to having them, they took over, can't help thinking about Daniel and the four Hebrew boys. When they reached Babylon, they picked up and stood to the top of what needed to be done during that season. So, we thank you for the young people and we're going to listen to your wisdom as we go on. But, you know, we've talked about the things that we've seen, we are not able to meet in weddings. We have not been able to go to work. We are sitting in the house. We do not know whether we'll have a meal for tomorrow. But those are the physical things that we are able to see. What has been going on deeper and that we cannot see as we have experienced this season? True, true, thank you. I appreciate for that question. Because, you know, a lot of the time we speak about the things we are able to see and touch. But there is a lot also going below the surface that I think in the long run may be more critical whose impact might even be much more far reaching than the mere fact that I missed my brother's wedding, I was not able to eat your cake because I would not come and so on and so forth. So, the emotional upheaval and they unseen things a lot of the time actually tend to be the most important things because they are the drivers of the behaviors that we see. As a chaplain, we have a mantra as chaplains. We always say that behind every behavior there is a story. Behind every behavior, there is a motivation. There is something pushing you, there is an incentive and those things are normally deep down, the emotions. And I think Andrew already was speaking to some of them, you know, powerful emotions like fear, you know, a sense of anxiety and certainty. What is going to happen tomorrow, basically a community, a corporate panic kinder and the way a lot of the time we have operated in almost every sphere of society. Be it out there in government, in the churches, in the spiritual family and so on and so forth, you could feel sometimes a sense of confusion, anxiety because nobody had the answers. The authorities we are used to looking up to, they all of a sudden are not able to speak to our needs at that moment and so that even compounds the fear, it compounds the confusion and so on and so forth. So I think that even the greater damage that has happened is in our emotions. Yeah? There are people who have even developed opiates. Possibly, she was speaking, this is an experience I'm sure that many of us may relate to. You're standing in a crowd, maybe in a bus, it's a bus stop and somebody goes like fear and you know, initially people will just move away with a lot of suspicion. I mean, what are you praying in here and so on and so forth? So the stigma and so on and so forth. But let me speak to one other important thing that maybe as a community is not so common is spoken about. And in cancelling, we call it and it was lost. I want you to imagine about a family somewhere with a COVID-19 patient, but they cannot visit them in the hospital ward. And God forbid they die because many died. I had a pastor friend whose father died so not in our country. And they could not even be able to attend this funeral in person. And so it had to be beamed life by weirdly dressed health officers. And so ambiguous laws is that sense of like, you are there physically, but emotionally, maybe you are absent. But a lot of the time what Corona did is that it put people there emotionally, emotional presence was there, but you can't be there physically. I want to celebrate in your wedding, but I cannot be able to enjoy the physical presence that fellowship. And so it drops you of a lot of, and pastor was talking to the fact that we are a communal culture as Africans. Basically humanity, we want a sense of a fellowship. So I think all these things you put them together. There are a lot of wounds deep down and I am glad for the title of our discussion. It is thriving. And I hope that we'll be able to get it out. How do we bring healing ultimately? Thank you. Thank you, thank you pastor. So ambiguous laws causing deep wounds leading to behaviors that we cannot explain ourselves and being held captive by a fear or grief or loss and the season is just prolonging and going on. There has to be help for God's people. Pastor. Maybe before pastor comes in and the word of God speaks in the book of Matthew 24 about men's hearts failing them with fear. And I think literally, quite literally that is where we are now. People just dying. There have been a lot of deaths in this season. And if you just indulge me just a minute. I remember an ancient legend that I read about about this peace saint man who was driving to the great city of Constantinople and along the way met an old woman and she asked for a ride in their coaches being drawn by horses and so on. So he took her on board and as they were going along, it was like, who is this? I don't even know who I've given a lift. So he's like, who are you? And she turns to him and says that I am the great cholera. And he's like, what? I'm carrying cholera to Constantinople and so he's like, you have to go down. So the woman promised him that even though we go with you, I promise, I promise, I'm not going to kill many people in the city. So he's like, what do you mean? You are cholera, you kill people in mass. So she said that I will do a maximum of five people. So here is a dagger. If more than five people die in the city because of cholera, you get me, this is the only thing that can kill me. So when it was there after a few weeks, people started dying and it was reported 120 people died. This is just a myth, but to bring out a powerful point. And so this young man started, this old person started looking for this lady and he met her and he took the dagger once to kill her and she's like, before you kill me, I want you to know one thing. I only kill five people. All the other people, they died of fear. Cholera, the cholera outbreak. And I think that is where we are. A lot of damage has been brought because of the sifting human emotion, the fear, the anxiety. And we are yet to know the rest of the story about not what really corona did, but what the fear, what the anxiety, the uncertainty did to our nations and to a world this season. Thank you. Powerful, powerful viewers. We are having a conversation on how do both people thrive during this season. So thank you for joining us. Please, if you're joining us live on social media, send us your comments, send us your questions. We'll do their best to actually sample some of them as we go along. Thank you very much, pastor. What else do you have to say? Deep things, there is something happening. The fear might be causing more. The emotional things might be causing way more damage than we can't even start to talk about or we don't know. Yes, Ruth, I think we can't even attempt to bring out what people have gone through and are going through. I just want to give a scenario. This is a father who started earning way before he got married. When God is babies, he was earning. He has never known how to go without money. And because of COVID, he loses his job. He doesn't know how to beg. You know, there are some people are blessed with begging. They can't go hungry, they know how to beg. But this person is not used to begging. And he has an image here. He still wants to protect his image. Yet his pocket is completely torn. He doesn't know where to turn to. He has always made his children know that he has everything. So you can imagine kind of emotional feelings that situation this particular man is undergoing. At the same time, he doesn't seem to know how to get himself out of this. So many people have suffered more than we see. You know, there are people who got COVID-19 and they died very fast. To me, well, and my audience need to get me right. I think at times I will say some of them are lucky because there are people who have not died, sister Ruth. They have not even contracted this virus, but they have suffered greatly. It's better they are dead. They are walking, but they are so emotionally drained. And this is not the issue of anxiety, depression. People have got so sick, they are depressed. People are killing each other because of this. So we can't even attempt to dive into the depths of the emotional impact of COVID. And I think it is only by God's grace that families are still thriving. And I think we are here to give hope to some of the families who are still struggling, but even in this God cares. Thank you. Maybe ma'am Ruth, the spiritual realm is another area that we have to speak to. There are elements of spiritual isolation, spiritual anger, people angry at God, some of them. They think that God has brought coronavirus to punish them. So whereas some, it may be drawing them to God, unfortunately there are some who it has even pushed them away because they misunderstand the true picture of God. So I think also in the spiritual aspect a lot of people have been affected. You are online, rightly so, but there are some places where full fiscal worship has been called back, but still we don't see the people back. And actually some have even gone back to, I mean speaking now as a pastor, I know some of my members who've gone back to business on Sabbath and so on and so forth. So the spiritual aspect also for sure has been deeply affected yet on a positive level also for many others it has brought a great reawakening about where we find, the timelines where we are, time salvation history. Thank you pastor. I'm going to come to you just now because God does not leave his people without help. Oh yes. And I'm just going to come to you pastor now. What are some of the ways God has provided for his people who try to survive this season? But as you are speaking I'm reminded that we may have in very difficult situations when our necks are literally under boulder, we still have a choice to make. Either we are going to be the Israelites saying where is this God who has brought us, where is the water? Or we are going to say, God we want to see your glory, we want to see your glory in this season. So we have that thing that we are pressed down but we still have a choice to make deep within us. Which side are we looking? Which side of God are we looking? Which God are we looking to? But let me come to you. God has provided avenues for his people for such seasons. Speak to us about some of the ways people going through ambiguous loss, emotional strain. What are some of the ways God has provided for his people for this season? Right here, beautiful. And we do well just to focus on this is a beautiful moment here because in the midst of the suffering, the losses, the fear, the anxiety, I still see my God. Inviting me for example in Isaiah 26, verse 3 and it tells me that I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on me. Why? Because he trust in me. I think that one of the best ways, perhaps ultimate even before we start talking about the other practical ones that we have at hand here is his word. His word, this is a time that God's word becomes even more relevant than ever. You know, I know we've all added some point that there are for example 365 fear notes in the Bible, one for every day. If COVID-19 has gone on for over a year, you can start afresh and claim fear note. This is what the Lord says, fear note. I think of stories and I know we're talking about the marriage and family life, a week of prayer in this pastor Marambi, ma'am Doris have been sharing over here. We've had families, the gift of family. As a 70 Adventist church, we esteem family greatly, not just because it's just some natural setup you find yourself in because it is actually very, very divine. But I meant to believe number 23, it speaks, it's called marriage and family. And we talk about the family as a setup where we find support, we are able to fortify one another. So this is a wonderful season also where the family must, I hope has come to the fore as a tool for us to embrace one another within families, espouses, as parents and children because tell me what happened when you could not move out of our homes and you were stuck there and Andrew tell me if you don't have a working relationship with your ma'am, how that was in that space. Maybe some of us are fortunate to have maybe bigger compounds and you can stay in your quarters and you don't have to interact, but not many so in the place where I serve, the Easterlands, the spaces are not as generous. So if as a family you've not learned to love each other, to learn to get along, then it becomes a real challenge. So God has given us not only His word, but He invites us daily to seek for wisdom, to seek for strength and reassurance. He has given us family. The human, you know, my family, He has given us the church family. Let me tell you one thing that happened in our field and I'm glad my leader Pastor Marambis in the audience knows what happened. We've never had this before happening. The churches in Okambani stations, you know what they did during the COVID-19 because Nairobi was most hit. The churches, our leaders, they mobilized the churches in the Okambani stations. Somehow this time around they had a bamboo harvest. They had plenty of food that is last year. So the churches mobilized each other through the church leadership and they collected food, a lot of food. In my district Dandora, I got 10 sacks of maize, I got potatoes to distribute to many who needed food. So I'm talking about the resource of the church family. It is a wonderful resource that was before us to use. The prayer cells, when we could not meet more than 50 people, you know, 10 people would meet together. So I think that God has been gracious in all these things. Some of the wonderful stories that I think of in God's, in the Bible, I think of the Passover for example, when there was for sure a great death happening in that night. And then God's people were told, all you need to do is just paint blood on your turbos and we shall cross over. And I'm thinking about the place of prayer in the crisis that we had. You know, just praying and turning our hearts to God in humility, acknowledging that we don't have the resources, we don't have the wisdom. And I am not surprised that the naysayers, they got it wrong. Africa, the projection was that Africa, there was going to be a real rampage. We have been hit, but not as hard as the pandits put it. And it's because with all our challenges in Africa, we are a praying continent. So I think of prayer as a wonderful resource that has carried many of us through, and that will continue carrying us through as we give it its place. Thank you, pastor, as you organize the rest, viewers, members, if you have a notebook, I think the help has started coming through. One of the things I'm hearing pastor say, instead of being like the Israelites in the desert running to go and accuse Moses, just step a bit back and really see what is the promise that God has given. Instead of going to share, you know, sometimes we have the tendency to share a lot of coffee and teas, rominating our problems. First of all, let's stop and see what has God promised and take him at his word. First is saying, the second strategy we have is that we have the blessing of family. We may be single where we are living now, but God has provided the family. And in Africa, our family, we tend to have family growing. Everybody has family, everybody has family. We don't focus on a nuclear family, our family is always big. We have the benefit of family and maybe one of the things that it requires is that if we were not talking, we needed to learn how to talk. And so God has provided the family, which its foundation is love as a tool and a strategy to actually survive this season. The third thing I've heard from you pastor is the church, that it lets for God's people to be members of a church, that when some of us are down, God uses others to lift up. So we reach out to our own church family and say, look, I need help here and we shall survive, we shall thrive together. And I'm hearing you give tool number four, strategy for this season saying prayer. We just tell God, you know what, we don't know. We have no idea what's going on. Please come and help us. Thank you very much. Pastor, what are those, what else is God giving His people as help during this time? I think I'll still emphasis on what pastor said because when he spoke about the promises, I think there is nothing that carries one through a moment of crisis than the assurance that we get from the Word of God because he sees them with you. And I'll text the book of Isaiah 55 where he says, your thoughts are not my thoughts. You know, to us as human beings, this is a bad thing that has come to us. I think God is not fair and so many things we're talking about, but we are not very sure what is the mind of God. Perhaps God is mighty. Perhaps God is saying I'm still allowing it to continue because I will have to make sure my purpose is accomplished. One thing I'm very sure of, sister Ruth, is that God is in this situation. Amen. We are never alone. And once you know that God is with you, like Paul would say, if God is for us, then who can be against us? But we don't allow a crisis like this one to bring darkness in the world while we know a light that has shone from the microwave. It's enough to illuminate the corners of this world so that we have a hope even as we go through this. And those beautiful stories in the Bible and passages where God would appear to people who thought that this was the end in terms of imagine when a bad comes and defeats you, you thought you're dying. And I have so many stories in my mind from the scripture where God came through at that hour. One of the stories I like is when Jesus was training his disciples in the book of Mark and is telling them, I'm sending you into the world like a minister wolves. And then it tells them, after that, I know you're going to be taken from this place to being accused of this and that. But then it tells them, but don't you be worried of what you're going to say and how you're going to say it. But it shall be given to you at that hour. At that hour. It shall be given to you what to say and how to say it. And I'm saying God that I know is the God of that hour. Amen. And so in my hour, when I feel life is coming to an end, it says I am a God of this particular hour. In that pain, in that grief, in that anxiety, he is a God of that particular situation and he is able to come and bring you and take you out of that situation. And it turns things to be beautiful. So that now, to me as a Christian, and I think to my dear viewer, our fallback is Christ. We have hope in him. And the stories that we have seen in the scripture, and even from our people who live with us, it is enough to convince us that if we keep on trusting in him, even when it doesn't make sense, it shall come through for us. COVID-19 began way in 2019. We have gone through 2020. We are still here, we are not consumed. It looks like he is burning, but we are not consumed. And I can tell you for sure we will be there tomorrow because he lives. So this to me, it gives me courage that we are not alone in this desert. Because at least I can face tomorrow. Yes, amen. Now, Andrew, I'm going to come back to you to just tell us some one, two or three things that the youth would love to see, to be given perspective, a practical perspective on how to thrive during this one. But before I do that, first of, counseling. Right. Can we go for counseling? What is its place for God's people during this season? Right here. I'm glad you asked that because I think there are... I'm just trying to get the right word. You know, there are misconceptions about counseling and Christians and so on and so forth. And many of us forget that the right kind of counseling is actually divine. God is the master counselor. And it is very biblical. It is Christian. The wise man says in Proverbs 2717, he says that as iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens another man or sharpens the countenance of his friend. In other words, God uses the human agencies, human instruments to reach out to us. You, Mamruth, you are God's mouth to speak healing, to speak hope, to speak justice when justice is trying to take over. God uses us as his mouthpieces, as his hands, as his feet to visit and help those who are in need. So, counseling, number one I want to say is very biblical. We find it all over scripture. You know, God's servants being canceled by not some holy angels, but by other men. I think of Moses and Jethro. For example. Amazing. Moses was the greatest prophet. You know, whoever lived spoke with God face to face. But God decided to use Jethro, his father-in-law, to come sit him down and tell him, look here, son, you're messing yourself up and you're messing God's holy congregation. You cannot lead like this. We see the cancelling process working there just perfectly. So, cancelling, number one is right. I think a lot of God's children who are just bottling up issues. You know, carrying baggages which are just bearing them down in the midst of this crisis and thinking that, okay, you know what, I can only tell it to the Lord in prayer. I don't think that is what exactly that song means. Yes, God is our ultimate and we need to train ourselves to carry our human burdens more to the Lord than Potha, all other human beings. But also, we need to understand that God has positioned people in our lives and it is good to use them. Now, I will add a rider. Yes. Yes, yeah. It is not any cancelling. It is not any canceller. Yeah, not Google. It is not Google. The answers are not there. We are talking about God using human agencies as conduits to talk to you. So, I'm talking about Christian cancelling. Biblically based cancelling. And I'm sure that in this, your big church, I have no doubt that you've got wonderful resources, men and women of God who are trained, who are not only gifted as banner buses, sons of encouragement, daughters of encouragement, but also who are trained. It is their expertise. They are real trained cancellers, licensed, but also they are people of God. And so every moment they sit in their cancelling chair, they are not just pewing human wisdom, but God is using them. It's coming through them, yes, to uplift somebody. So, I want to encourage families where you feel that your resources have gone beyond, it is okay to get proper cancelling, cancelling services, people dealing with depression. Some of them, they will go beyond an elder's visit. Some situations will definitely go beyond Pastor Abuya's prayer. It will need some practical tools in a canceller, a trained, competent canceller's toolbox to help you so that biblically you are able to move forward. So it is Christian, it is biblical, it is right. It is okay to seek cancelling. There is nothing that should make you feel embarrassed about it. Just get it from the right person. Thank you. Allow me to recap as I'm waiting, as Andrea is organizing herself to ask and ask the servants of the Lord to give some light. So what I've had, Pastor said, deeper into the word, deeper on to Christ Jesus, clinging closer, cleaving closer and believing and trusting in Him for the perfect peace that we need. So that is I think tool number five on my finger of tools that we have to thrive in this season. And Pastor, you've told us that cancelling is okay for God's people. Numerous examples in the Bible of cancelling. Not cancelling from Mugugul, not any other canceller as a child of God, you're receiving counsel from people God has sent. And God will give revelation on who the canceller you need to visit with is. And I'm reminded, Pastor, as you're talking about cancelling being biblical and being a channel and a tool for God's people about how it met the difference between soul remaining the king and David. He didn't wait for God's counsel and his servant, God's servant had already been prepared to give him counsel. But he didn't ask. He thought he could do it in his wisdom. And then David kept waiting. And even when the servant of the Lord came to rebuke him, he was thankful that he had been rebuke because then it provided him healing. So thank you, thank you very much indeed. Andrea, what is it? If you think and look into the spectrum of the youth around you, what is the one or two complexities that they have that we could benefit and share that the servants of God can share some resources for them? During the pandemic, I think one thing that maybe we lost touch of was faith. How do we hold this faith during times of need where in a situation that nobody knows what's happening? There is so much confusion. How do we hold this faith to be able to move on for our daily lives, to be able to accept things that are happening, accept the way God is working for us? Because we also forget that God gives us things that we can't handle. He can't give us things or he doesn't give us things that we cannot handle. Amen. So how, as the youth, how can we hold that faith moving forward or in our day-to-day lives if anything was to happen? Is it just prayer? I mean, we have prayer, we have the Bible, but what else could we do to be able to have this faith within us going forward? I also wanted to include that as the youth, we always need a safe space to come and talk about our problems. And the church is a very good family. But how can we use the church? How can we use the church as a safe space to be able to come and bear our problems? Yeah, because some people might not want to bring their problems in front of the church. People want to bring their problems to a specific person. But is that space safe for them to actually pour out what's going on in their hearts? So that's it. Thank you, pastor. Well, it's very interesting to hear from Andrea and of course representing thousands and thousands of many young people out here. Now maybe Andrea, I'll give you one word that I think should bring solution to many of those kinds of concerns. The word is connect, connect. You see, the essence of the church is where we come that we may connect with one another and with the Lord. Now the church is not limited to the brick and mortar that we see. The church is a fellowship of brethren. And one thing I thank God for is that COVID-19 has come at a time when we are so much advanced in terms of technology. We are able to connect with people far and wide. And so one thing I would want to encourage young people is that connect, connect. But then as I'm talking about connect, I'm conscious of who are you connecting with because I think they have connected. But then, you know, once you connect, if I plug my gadget on a power source, if that line is faulty, that power line is faulty, there's a very high likelihood it is going to affect my gadget. So even as you connect, then you must make sure that the power source is not faulty. And what I mean here is that connect with people of your faith. During this time, I think young people have had more space before gadgets on the screen. The eyes have been glued on the screen more than any other time. We would take advantage then of finding out. I know Andrea, I know Judy, I know John. We used to fellowship together with him in church. Where are they? Can I call them? Can we connect to ourselves through Zoom or whatever kind of a platform we can use? And then continue sharing and talking and encouraging one another. Because if they're not intentional, again, that's the word I want to use. I won't tell young people they have to be intentional in making sure that they connect themselves with the family of God. If they're not intentional, the world is very intentional in connecting you to things that are going to remove you from the family of God. And many young people could be disconnected even as we're talking right now, Andrea, could be disconnected from the true source. And I would want to encourage them, let them connect with the true source, the word of God, the family of God. I would be happy to know this youth group that is telling a pastor we are having this challenge. Can we meet on this particular day? This hour via Zoom or whatever virtual platform that we can discuss these things. And I want to appreciate that actually there has been youths in our churches who have grown in this experience. They have grown stronger. So I will again emphasize where are you connecting yourself? And so if there's any young person out there and you connect and yourself to friends who are not strong in faith, it is high time for you to disconnect yourself and plug yourself to a source that is truly reviving and rejuvenating your power, your strength as a Christian. Things people who are telling you what to do as a Christian in this crisis to grow yourself heavenward. And I think, Andrea, it is not expensive. It is not difficult because we are privileged to be the people who are championing life in this crisis. Rufu, what you need to appreciate is as a pastor of this church, a church that has a spectrum of all ages. And for many years the church has been, the frontline soldiers have been the elderly people. And when COVID came, I saw instantly, without even me telling young people, I saw them charging forward and they came, they took the frontline and they have taken the church to another level. So I mean, Andrea, we have no excuse as young people today to say we are growing cold because COVID came. We can be intentional in repositioning ourselves to the very true source of our strength, which is Jesus Christ. And we found serving him because if you are not serving him, we are serving another power. Right. Right here. Thank you. Go on. What would happen because we see on social media, anybody and everybody can actually give their opinion what their thoughts are. And you'll find people have their own ideas. Yeah, you'll find, especially during this pandemic, there were a lot of false prophets, in some sense. Right. You know, people were predicting when the pandemic would end. You know, during the pandemic, there was also the locust invasion. We had a lot of things happening. So people said, attributing what's happening right now to the plagues of the Bible. So, you know, they're even wanting us to take care of your firstborn children because they don't have something in next. There's a lot of false prophecy happening. And social media is actually a very, a platform where you can't really stop them. Yeah, you can't really ban them. So what would they use to do during, you know, with people like that? I'll go back to what I've said, just connect. I said this connecting, we are connecting one to the other. The members of the same family and this is the family of faith. So before COVID came, I knew we used to sing with Andrea in Youth Choir. We used to go for mission with John in the youth department. Now COVID has come, we've been locked in our houses, but this doesn't stop us spiritual connection. We are having social distance but never spiritual distance. We're still connected with the Lord. We're still connected with one another. And so because we know there's a new challenge that has come because you know, I can call them, you know, the pandemic induced challenges, very unique challenges. Yeah, that's a common word. So that we are very, very intentional in knowing the environment now where we are, they are unique challenges and we can, you know, lease them. We know we're having a false teacher now because everyone has become a teacher, everyone has become a prophet, everyone has become a pastor. And I think at the time now we say, don't believe every spirit but test the spirit. But how do you test the spirit if you are lamenting locked in your house until when you look for Pasanyaga, until when you look for Elasu and so, and you look for this youth and that youth in church, then you get connected. Let me say this as maybe I end my views. I have been able to address various biblical concerns over the COVID period and I'm still doing to people that I don't know. You know, from, you know, people look for you. You in Facebook, they get you there and they say, okay, you know, people start following you. This person can say something and then they throw a question to you. And it has been a ministry to me. It has been a ministry. Yes, I agree, Andrea. The risk is when one is not able to test the spirit. We're not able to test who is speaking the truth. You know, she mentioned about COVID and then law cast. It was clear, you know, something is here. You know, this is not for nothing. And I saw those prophets. So Pasta, I'll just cut you up on something Andrea said. But before you answer, I don't know if Pasta, you have something to add on to what he said. But in terms of the church, Nairobi Central Church, is there a counseling opportunity for the youth to come in, for the adults to come in? But just before you answer also, I'll be asking Kate, we will send your questions, send your comments. Kate will be coming shortly to be able to sample some of them and share the questions. And if you have a question in the audience, you'll just lift up your hand, Kate will come to you and then we'll pick up your question. But you know, as you're speaking Pasta, it reminded me, it's like having a radio. You must be tuned to the right wavelength to get the signal. If you're tuned into the wrong wavelength, you'll get the wrong signal there. So you've got to assess and know, am I tuned into the right wavelength to be able to actually be connected to that station? So it's amazing. So I hear the tool of connection. If you're putting the tools down, I connected intentional connection, biblically, spiritually, intentionally connected. So I get that very much. So just a moment you speak to the past, one sentence about whether there is an opportunity for members of Nairobi Central SDA church for counseling. Thank you. I think one thing God has blessed in this church is that it's so rich in human resource. Basically you would get almost all, everyone you need in for help in this church. And we also strongly represent in terms of counseling, professional counseling. And just to let the members know while you are away, while you are away, you know, lock down your houses by COVID, members volunteered within the counseling profession to come out and say, past us, we are willing to offer counseling services. And every week we have, especially there's one of our members have been consistently coming every week and she sits in the elders room waiting for any case to attend to. And as a past because they come to work here every day, she has been helping people. So if you're out there and you have a challenge, you can get in touch with the pastorate and then we can connect you with the available counselor and you will get help. Speak, don't think that it's too much for you to speak. Just come out and speak. You never know, maybe that's where your help lies. Just come out and speak and you shall get your help. Thank you, thank you. And also I think Ruth also I just remember that as you are sharing with pastor Marama who is our lead in the conference, actually he told me even them as a conference, they have strongly considered this need to have a counseling center because even as pastors, I don't want to tell members what I'm going through because you can't imagine. So we are all affected. And I think pastor whispered that he is willing to partner, the conference is willing to partner even within Nairobi central church. So we have a consolidated approach of giving members not just for central church but even for other churches within the city possible help through cancer. Thank you. So there's help within here as well as Nairobi central SDH church. Pastor, just one more addition as Kate is standing. Kate, are you ready? As she's getting ready, one more addition to the youth. Yeah, well first of all, pastor, you can talk to me. Yes, I talk to him. Because we appreciate food. I mean pastor Dan is a trained counselor. Yes. We are so lucky to have him. So I just wanted to throw in and say something extra that for sure I feel is also a wake up cry to us as a church. And also we are being steered up. There are many areas of ministry that we haven't given the spotlight as they should rightly have. So this pandemic for me, it is also God waking us up and telling us, hey, it is not just the preaching ministry. We need the counseling ministry. We need the massing ministry. All these things that have come to the fore at this moment, they are always there. They are always needed even without this pandemic. We have just not leveraged on them and see how much impact we are going to have. So to the young people other than the fellowship, I just want to say, come forward, challenges as your leaders, speak to the powers that be in reverence and help them see aspects or perspectives they may not be able to see because they are not you now. Yeah, we'd appreciate that. We need that. Thank you. Right. Thank you pastor Kit. Please, what are the viewers saying? What's the audience saying? Some comments. Thank you. So a lot of audience have shared with us some of the effects that they have faced during COVID. We have Sister Mooma on Facebook who lost her dear husband. And you know, grif is one of the things that we have had to battle with, including as a church, a lot of members passing away and in the barrio rights that have changed as you had mentioned. So how do we go about the aspects of grief counseling around that? Also, Kennedy from Qatar has shared with us that they are facing challenges in terms of receiving 30% of their salary, yet the rent remains the same and being in a foreign country, what happens? He has also pointed out that the worship has reduced to one and a half hours. Some of the changes that people are having to adjust to. And then Sister Olivia says COVID-19 has really impacted us in a devastating way. Some of us are really working dead people looking at the emotional burden that is facing some of our members and viewers. Frederick says that he personally thanks our church and the leadership for the spiritual and economic mitigations that we've put in place to question the members against the pandemic, the care package that the church came up with, taking note of that. And if we come to some of the questions, one might ask Pastor Buya, what are the steps to finding the right counselor, the one that suits your need or the particular needs that you have in terms of counseling? Another is about, you find sometimes when you face a problem, immediately you look for somebody close to you who you can reach out to. Could be your relative, your close friend. So those trusted relatives or members. So does it mean that that person at that point is playing a role of counseling in that context? And in terms of the steps of counseling and going up to the point of aftercare, after they have gone through the stages of counseling, what structures are there for aftercare as a church looking at it? Lastly, when people have faced with challenges and especially when you look at the marriage context and you find that one partner or one of the spouses is the one that has reached out first to counseling and maybe the other person is not willing. How do you approach this challenge from a counseling angle? I would like to invite the audience to share with us any questions that you might have so that we can be able to bring them out. The panelists will now go into a short break and then they will respond after the break. Thank you. So thank you so much. Do not go away. We are speaking about how God's people can thrive during this pandemic. I am having a panel here of God-inspired servants. I have Pastor Nyaga here. I have my daughter Ann here here and I have my pastor Dan here. When we come back we're going not only to take in the questions but we'll be speaking about how can God's people find healing? And so the questions that get has actually positioned will lead us into the next session. Do not walk away, stay with us. Give us two minutes for the panelists to take a break for water. Thank you very much. Asante. Bada yama Fundishohayo tuta. Kungua vitabu vietu vienyimbo. Wimbo nambari kuminatisa. Msa labani pamo kozi. Karibu. Thank you. The great physician is here. Despite the COVID situation, the COVID-19 which has ravaged lives, we thank God that he has been faithful to us. We shall sing song number 254. The great physician now is near. The great physician is here. Thank you for staying with us. Thank you audience for staying with us. Thank you for your questions. And we're just going to step, pick up from where we have left it. We are talking about how do God's people thrive during a difficult season? And we're getting insights here. If you're with me and you've been with us, if you're just joining us, we have some tools here. The word of God is a powerful tool and strategy to thrive. Prayer is a powerful tool and strategy to pray. And God has provided us family that's number three where love and God's love is supposed to help us during such seasons. God has also provided his church family to help us during this season. And God has provided his word. And the word is Christ Jesus Himself. He is the word. John says that they beheld him in the flesh and the glory of God. And he was full of truth and grace. So Jesus Christ. And then we have counseling. Counseling is biblical. You just need to be able to choose who you are going to for counseling. Are they biblical based? Are they filled with the Holy Spirit? Are they within the web length of the realm of Jesus Christ, the realm of God? And number four, the final one is intentional connection for the young people, intentional connection. Who are you connected with? Where are you getting most of your advice? Is it Google? Or are you getting it from a group of people, the group of family of the right web length, intentional connection with the right people, the family of God, the people of God who can help you and support you along the journey. So welcome back. And pastor, as we went to the break, we had a question. And the question was, how do people move through the faces when there is so much pain? How do they find their healing? Speak to us about how counseling. In a few words, you may not necessarily be able to go into detail. But how does somebody walk through the counseling to find their healing? Right, thank you. Maybe let me just share something. In the counseling arena, we highly respect one wonderful lady, Dr. Elizabeth Coplar Rose. She came up with a model of acknowledging laws and kind of laws. And really what the COVID-19 has done, it has brought an array of losses. You know, everybody is dealing with it in their own way. And so she gave, there's a model, we call it the DABDA model, where you know, the first deeds and acronym, where people go into denial. So you're like, ah, that is the thing for the people who fly a lot. I don't even have a passport. You know, so COVID, I mean corona, I mean, so that is for the masunko. That is, it was cold. Yeah, COVID-19 was Christian, you know, yo gonjo ya masunko. Yeah, because they are the ones who fly out, so I'm not going to catch corona. So whether because of, you know, some just wrong ideas, lack of education or whatever, people are in denial. It is a Western thing to never catch us here in the village, you know, and so on and so forth. And even now for those who somehow got infected or affected, now they go in denial for various reasons or for particular, for whatever reason. And so healing can never begin so long as you are there. The next phase, and it's not in a straight line. You know, now we're talking of somebody who needs to get onto healing so that you can start thriving. You have to acknowledge these aspects of your situation. This situation of laws, this devastating, ravaging situation is anger. People now become angry because in spite of your denial, the reality is still there. You cannot continue going to work. You are losing half of your salary because of pay cuts, you are closing down on business and so there are losses. So people start becoming angry, angry at the government, why do they have to give us kafiu at 7 p.m.? Kwa ni yo corona i naju wa kutembe a raka in darkness. That is how it was initially. In fact, I remember, I remember our country was among the first to institute a kafiu. And I do remember one respected global news I don't want to say, the station, they were tasting Kenya, that Kenya discovers that corona moves faster in darkness. So people are angry at the government and their policies, they are angry at the church, why did you close church? I had some members who demanded we open the church because they want to worship in the church. And so you try to explain to them, they are angry at pastor, they are angry at themselves and even angry at God. Healing can begin there in that stage of anger. Then as people realize that this is really still here, it is not moving away in spite of my anger, people start beginning. Okay, you know what God, we cannot have our kids staying out for a whole year. I cannot have 30% salary, it can't work. You know God, if you get this corona away so my business gets back to normal, I will now give a full type. People start haggling with God, giving promises and so on and so forth. But you know this is still not genuine. It is because of the condition. It hasn't been acknowledged. So healing and thriving isn't beginning even at that stage. And so people realize that okay, it's not working. Then other people even now get depressed. You go to depression. So this is where I don't know how families copped at home. We had violence increasing, gender-based violence, it was it shot up because people could not be able to cop with this challenge at home in a positive way. So other people want Nikolala too, you've been laid off your workplace, others going to binge eating. I guess I want to hear Andrea telling me what happened when classes were not there. I'm sure the guys went into movie watching, the young people and so on and so forth. Maladaptive behavior set in, you know and of course the ultimate is depression. Ultimately even people committed suicide because of this. Where we begin healing is the final stage that is acceptance or acknowledgement. We have a challenge here. For whatever reason that God has permitted, we know God has not produced. It's only perfect gifts that come from above, but God has permitted it. So God, what do you want me to learn from this place? It is here with me, it has caught up with me. So when acceptance sets in, we are now in a position to start helping people to move on their way to healing and not just healing but thriving. Remember John 1010? Yes. The thief comes but to steal, to kill and to destroy. But Christ says that I have come that you may have life and not just life, but have is moa banan. But it begins with that knowledge and I think as we go deeper, we'll talk about the power of the mind in helping a person to thrive. So what I will quickly add also in the counseling is that other than being able to spot or get the right person, you also need to make sure that you develop a healthy relationship. At the risk of being unleashed by those in the helping profession, the truth is that there are a lot of challenges in the helping relationship. Kansela kanseli, pastor parishuna. You know, sometimes it becomes unhealthy. A lot of dependence. People even end up having affairs because it is a very close relationship and emotionally it brings you quite close together. So if you're coming, for example, I'm having a challenge at home, we can be able to communicate properly with my husband. For example, and you're talking to an opposite sex, maybe it's an elder, it's a pastor, or even it's even a kanseli. You know we are trained to listen and listen kindly. Of course, what is not happening at home. You're not getting that active listening. Really, you mean so you get hooked emotionally. So these are the things we would advise, cancel or church members, not only get the right person, but prayerfully watch out what is happening. Otherwise, sometimes it becomes disastrous. But by and large when you get the right person, a Christian kansela, then you know God can use them to help you move forward, to jumpstart you. Because the resources also we want to focus on is what has God put in you that you can use to move forward. So pastor, becoming back to you in terms of the resources now, we have understood, viewer you might be in any of these phases we have experienced extreme emotional distress out of this season. You might be at the place of denial in whatever situation, or you might be angry, or you might be buggaining, or you might have reached a point of acceptance. We are going to look at how do we then, what has God put in place for his children. Whatever point in time you come into this space where you accept and say, you know what God, now I need you look up and say I can't help but think of the situation where Haggar had completely reached the end of the line. But then something in her mind told her look up, look, and she was able to find. So reaching that point where we say, okay, here is where we do, but what is God saying? So we'll come to you to share that with us. Pasta, as we go on, I, as you add on to what Pasta has said, this COVID, I have an imagination. I can't help to think a lot of the things. The book of Corinthians tells us that our fight is not against flesh and blood. That our fight is against principalities and powers and forces of darkness. We already have the victory in Christ Jesus. I can't help but imagine that this disease has come with physical symbols of the disease. There must be some spiritual aspect to it. What does the mask when we look into, because the fight is not the physical thing we are saying. There is something happening in the spiritual realm. So is there, I'm curious about, what does this mask, what could it be saying? What does this washing of hands, what could it be saying? What is the social distancing saying? What is this thing about eating healthy saying? So you tell me what is happening. Give us the spiritual, start empowering us to get to know what's going on in the spiritual realm so that we are appropriately armored. Amen. Ruth, you are tempting me to preach. I'm not going to allow you to preach, pastor. I just want you to attach it. Attach. Because as a preacher, I love preaching. And when you challenge me that way, I start thinking so deeply. But anyway, before I come to this, just to add on what pastor Dan was saying, in terms of seeking help and how you need to move forward. And I think I followed him very well. He says the help comes at a point when now you're feeling, I think you don't know what to do. You have accepted I am in this situation. I just wanted to add there and say, even as you do that, also know that your situation is not hopeless. You know, at times we feel what you're going through no another person has gone through or no another person that can bear what I'm going through. And this brings in the thoughts of, I think it's not even worth for me leaving. And we hear cases of people committing suicide. So just to encourage somewhere there, whatever you're going through is not so unique that other people have not gone through. It's not so out of control. It's still you can get help. So that you don't have that in mind, I think I don't need, I can't get help. So let me stay and die. It could be marriage. I think mine is so ugly. I think things are out of hands. Nothing can be done. Let me step out. Your story could relate to somebody's story. And it's good when you speak so that people can come in to help you. And I think they go, they come from pastor then get the right person that you talk to. Now coming to the issue of how do we bring the spiritual aspect of the physical symbols of COVID? I'm looking at mask and especially distancing and washing off hands. I don't know what members are thinking about. But let me talk about the mask. Let me talk about the mask. And what is coming to my mind is the mask is worn on the face but not just the entire face. It covers the mouth and the nose. And so I'm just asking in my mind, what about the mouth and the nose? And I will maybe talk more about the mouth because I think you would rather, if you had to choose between the mouth and the nose, they would tell you cover your mouth. I think God is telling us you've been talking too much. Too loudly before me. You have forgotten to listen to me. I need you to be silent and listen to me. I'm hearing God saying as while you've been talking, you've been speaking infectious words that have been destructive to my people. And I need you to put something on your mouth to control your talking. I hear God saying, tongue is a small organ, yet very dangerous. It can lead an entire forest. So I think to me as a Christian, then it behooved me to think through and ask myself as a Christian, how has been my talking before the Lord? It is my tongue a blessing on the cus. And you know, Ruth, I think even the Bible says, blessing of the people who listen more than those who talk. Don't be quick to talk, but be quick to listen. And if there's something, a chat member, I think I can spiritualize the issue of the mask. Right. And give you, I think God want you to listen more to him. We have appeared before him often times and telling him things that doesn't make sense to him. I think that don't build and end for the house of God. But again, I'm looking at the, there's a text that I think I can get from Proverbs. I can get a text from Proverbs 18 verse 21. A text 18 of Proverbs 18 21. It says, it says death and life in the power of the tongue. This is a very powerful verse in the Bible. The death and life in the power of the tongue. And also have another verse in the same Proverbs 11 verse number nine. I think let me get it. That come into my mind. That says, with their words, the Godless destroy their friends. And there's so many verses in the Bible that talks about the power of tongue. So my dear viewer, maybe your marriage is in the shape it is in because of your tongue. Maybe your friends have ran away from you because of your tongue. Right. Maybe a lot of pain you experience in today is because of too much talking. I listened to a story when I was growing. One man was teaching family life and gave this story as is the truth. A woman who was being beaten almost every other time by the husband and she went to a counselor and then a counselor listened to her and the counselor told her, do this. When you go home, put water in your mouth. Put water in your mouth. Don't swallow it. Keep it in your mouth. Go home. Please don't swallow that water. Let it stay in your mouth. Sleep when that water is in your mouth. And do that every day for two weeks. And she was like, what is this man talking about? Well, she went home, water in her mouth and for the first time after a long time, there was no noise in the house. And then the second day, the same thing. Then when she went back to the counselor and the counselor asked her, what was the experience? He said, you can't imagine, there's no noise in my house. And then the counselor told her, you were the problem. So I think the mask. And social distancing, social distancing, of course God loves fellowship. So the only way then I can associate the issue of social distancing is to say God, we are keeping the social distance because we are fearing to spread a virus. So when we keep this distance, then we kind of avoiding close contact which can cause contamination and infection. And then we have a virus called SIN. We have a virus, a dental virus than coronavirus called SIN. And I hear God saying, keep social distance from SIN. Distance also from SIN. And if you doubt that getting in contact with the SIN is dangerous, you take yourself there. SIN destroys, SIN kills. And the only way God has in his mind for a Christian to thrive even through the spiritual struggle is by keeping social distance from SIN. There are so many viruses that can come into my mind. And you see in Hebrew 12 where Paul speaks about faith and struggle and says make sure that you lay off a SIN that so easily entangles you. If you have some that entangles and snares you and you keep yourself in that snare, there's no way you're going not being snare. It's easier for you to avoid a situation rather than putting yourself in a situation and struggle to get yourself off from the situation. So I mean the concept of social distancing to me as a Christian, let me avoid a situation of even what the Bible calls a parents of evil. Put yourself away from SIN. Let me talk to Andrea and all young people. You are locked in your house because of COVID-19, you have your gadgets and the only thing you do is go to YouTube and then you go to YouTube, you go to pornography. Those are things you're watching and then you want to practice Christianity. It becomes impossible for you. Keep social distance from that SIN because once you feed your mind with filthiness, you will give out filthiness. And so to me, I think the issue of the social distance is telling me keep a distance from SIN. And washing hands rules. Well, I don't know why they tell us. I think why they tell us to wash our hands is because we, you know these hands, I didn't know that actually I used to touch my mouth and my nose so often. I didn't know until when corona came. You know, the first time when they said, keep on washing your hands and shaking your hands, but I was asking, does COVID enter my body through my hands? They made me understand no, it enters through your nose or you through your mouth, but often times you put your hands into your mouth unconsciously. Your dirty hand. And so you need to sanitize. And sanitizing or washing hands is to remove any virus that could be accidentally in your hands. And I will say for us to avoid gesting, you keep putting into our system viruses of SIN is by purifying and washing our characters. Let's keep washing our characters. And I think that's related to what we find in the book of Revelation 22. And of course, a few other verses in the book of Revelation talking about washing the robes white, the character, the purifying of our character. And I think as a Christian, COVID-19 is telling us, check on yourself, reexamine yourself. You may think you don't have this virus. You may not see it, just sanitize your hands. And so I think it's a period of self-examination. It's a period when you know I am in this work alone, but how I work this can affect my sister and my brother. And all my brother there works his hands and all my brother there works his life or her life also can affect me. And so let me keep purifying myself. And I will end with this famous saying that if you want in the world to be clean, just sweep your compound. And the entire world will be clean if every person is keeping his compound. So purify yourself with the wonder of God. Thank you. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you so much. Thank you for keeping us company this afternoon. We are talking about how do God's people thrive during COVID-19? How can God's people thrive during this season? And we are getting very, very interesting lessons. Stay with us. Andi, I'll come back to you in a short while for you to just share with us what are some one or two areas the youth are yearning to thrive in so that we can hear what the servants of God have to say. But before I do that, first let me come back here to you and ask throughout the history of redemption God has been with his people through some very, very difficult situations. Somehow it's nearly like some things happen but God is yearning to provide deliverance for his people. So share with us some stories that warm your heart, that can help families. We are talking about through the lens of family whether it's true when, whether it's marriages, whether it's how can God's people thrive? How has God done it before? Just what was the situation? What did God say? What did the people have to do? And how did God provide his deliverance during that time? Amen. That excites me indeed to share. And of course I've also enjoyed the symbolism and there is a lot out there. I think powerful practical lessons that all these precautions we have to take are communicating to us every single day. I think God is talking to us every single moment and he just had to catch the attention of the whole world. In the Bible we find wonderful numerals, you know, salvation stories there. When God's people are in crisis, when God's people feel hopeless, when there doesn't seem to be a way out and God just comes through for them in a powerful way. Indeed, you know, it is true when we say that man's extremity is God's opportunity. That at our end, then now God is supposed to manifest himself. Because a lot of the time we think that we got this together. I think of, you know, my name is Saint Daniel and you know, in crisis, the lion's den is three friends in the priory planes. And they are almost burning up but God comes right there. He is right there in the midst. In other words, if there was a moment when we gole experience a God even closer, it is a moment like this. When we are at our end, if we open our eyes, then we are able to see him even clearer. Because in the thickest of darkness, then even the slightest ray of light, it shines brightest. It shines brightest. You know, I think of the children of Israel in Egypt. Next order is chapter six. You know, God comes down and he says that I have surely heard, I have surely seen, I have surely known your pain. As in God hears, God sees, God knows our struggles is right here in our midst. One powerful story that I found most meaningful in this crisis is one found in second chronicles, chapter 20. King Jeoshaphat is faced by a mighty army. And it is a coalition of forces who want to have a genocide on the people of Judah. And you know what King Jeoshaphat does? The Bible acknowledges that he fears greatly. That is what verse one and two says when he's given a report. But then you go down, he doesn't just fear and stop there, but then he calls, immobilizes all the people into prayer. That is second chronicles, chapter 20. When you go down verse 12, he prays and tells God that, you know, there is nothing that we can do in this situation our eyes are upon you. This is the time to turn our eyes upon the Lord. And as you go down, you know, the Lord tells him that through the Prophet, he tells him that the battle is not yours, the battle is mine, the battle belongs to me. Wonderful, powerful, many many other interesting stories. Individual crisis, corporate crisis as God's people, the Old Testament, where we find God coming through for his people. But I will end by adding one thing. God has never had a challenge saving or coming through for his children. That has never been God's greatest challenge. The challenge has been us. It has been us turning, having a shift in where our focus is. God has not been hidden somewhere, now we look for him, then we find God is here. No, he is always there. But where are our eyes? Where are our minds? Where are our thoughts? This is the time now to shift our minds back from what we can do for ourselves to what God is able to do for us. The strongest economies in the world, the brightest minds, the most powerful people, they are veiled to nothing. Just allow me to read just one text. Yes, yes. The book of Jeremiah chapter nine, when you read from verse 20 down to 24, it says that let know the mighty man, you know, glory in his might, know the wise man in his wisdom, know the rich man in his wealth, but let whoever wants to glory, glory in this, that I know who, I am God, believing God, you know, who loves justice and all that. So I think that it is time for us to shift our minds from ourselves to our God, to trust less of what we are able to do to ourselves and more of what God is able to do for us. In fact Paul says in Romans 12 that let's, you know, as God's people we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The mind is a powerful thing, a powerful tool that God has given us. We need now to reposition it from ourselves to God so he can speak through our minds, he can walk through our minds so that he can show us the way in moments like this. Thank you pastor. As you're speaking about the story in second chronicles, I can't help but cover connection of the symbolism that pastor has given to that particular moment. And pastor, you know, if we are shutting up to listen to God, then we are able to hear him quicken us in what we need to do, quicken our souls, quicken our minds. Because I've always wondered in that story because when the deliverance comes, it doesn't come by the army. It comes by Joseph had put in a band of musicians. They are facing a great, great crisis and instead of coming to sharpen their knives for the war, he decides that they are going to sing towards the enemy. But I have wondered how did he know that that's what God wanted? So I think when we are listening, when our mouths are shut, when our goggles are shut, then God is able to quicken us on what he wants us to do in a particular situation. So it's an amazing story and an every connection. What you're saying that because he must have been listening. His servants must have been listening at the time to hear what God wants them to do in that situation. Remember the still small voice? Remember the man of God had been waiting to hear God speaking through the mighty wind, the earthquake, all this noise. It is until the still small voice, we hear God clearest in the silence when we can silence the chatter. There is a lot of in and out of chatter around our lives. We need to hash those voices so that we can hear God speaking to us clearly. Thank you. Let me add you a question faster so that you can answer them together. And in the midst of this as well, God is providing some funds of victories and deliverance to his people. So as you add into that, just speak to some of the mighty things God is doing. Thank you. Let me begin by echoing what my pastor said. The assurances that we find in the world of God in such crisis like this, that we are never alone. And to say of God that in Isaiah, I want to read two texts, Isaiah 63, verse number nine, where he says in all their affliction, he was afflicted. And some versions will say in all their distress, he was distressed. And I want to lay emphasis not on affliction or distress, but on all of our afflictions. Meaning even in the affliction or distress that we are going through because of COVID-19, God says in this particular distress you are in, I am distressed. Okay, but it doesn't end there because he says and the angel of his presence saved them. Meaning he says when you are distressed and I get distressed, I quickly command my angel to come to rescue you. To come to rescue you. Amen. I think to me this is very, very encouraging, but he is with us. And you know even looking at the name of God, it's another story because look at Jesus, he's called Emmanuel, which is translated in God with us. And when you look at the Jehovah's name as he introduced himself to Moses, the bunny bush, he said, I am and I am, this name says it is precedent tense, it's not future tense. It's not past tense, it's present tense. I am in this situation, I am. So that now I will be able to have strength and courage to wait tomorrow in confidence knowing my God is on my side. And then talking on the beautiful things, he says all things work for good. Amen. All things work for good. There's no time in history. I'm still learning about God, but I don't see any time in history where a situation happened and became so disadvantageous to God. God turns misfortunes to be opportunities for him to reach out and touch our hearts in a better way. So even in this situation, there has been significant ways God has come out strongly to say I am with you. Let me just use my chart here. I can tell you for sure, Ruth, and you are my chart member. COVID has been a blessing to us because we were so much narrowed before COVID in issues, you know, mission of the church. We were so much self-centered. We were ministering to ourselves here. We never knew that God wanted us to reach out to so many people out here. Some of them who have no church to turn to and COVID has come to take our church to different corners of this world into places where even Christianity is not acceptable. You know, in homes where ordinarily they couldn't even sit and listen to the Word of God. I was sharing with one of our leaders in this country when we were having preparation for the funeral for the late onerable child. And one of the top leaders from security, whatever in the government here, we met, he told me, ah, on the screen you look too big. This is what size, and I asked him, so which screen, what do you see? It's not a chart, it's not a dentist. And he told me, you pastor, you know, since COVID came, I've been watching you preachy every sabah. So when I look at these, I say, God, while we are crying because we don't want to, you know, the nature of a human being, we don't want to be disturbed, we want comfort. But you know, God can tire waters so that we know there is one with us who even does terms and they see obey. And so I'm looking at it and saying, God has been gracious because the testimonies we hear. Number two, God to me, God has been through COVID repositioning the church for authentic ministry. Amen. Going forward, Ruth, because if as a prophetic church or a church that is based on prophecy, we know we are heading to tougher days ahead of us here, how will we be able to minister when we will not be allowed, you know, to have that freedom of expression and fellowship together? Is this what he has so fast to say? Is this what he has? God is positioning the church. And I can go on and on and on and tell you so many things as a pastor, as a Christian, I say, thank you God. And I think to us as pastors, no, it avenged pastors. If as a pastor, I have not learned to change my ministry, to transform my ministry through COVID-19, I may retire without changing my ministry. I think it has been an awakening to us pastors to tell us this is what the world is. Quickly, readjust yourself and feed yourself into this space because this is what I am. I'm going to finish the work of the gospel in this space and we want all the pastors in the clergy to appreciate that and move on to this. And I think to our institutions of learning where they train pastors, they have to revisit their curriculum. Yes. And fashion the training to feed a pastor in this new space because I can tell you for sure Ruf is a winding space and I don't see as retreating back we'll have to navigate through this space and see how we do a ministry in this space, amen. Thank you. Thank you pastor. So to be sure, we've suffered great losses. Many people have suffered great losses but God is saying there's a glimmer of hope. Do not look any longer to the loss, to the pain, to the ambiguousness but look up. Look up and see the little glimmer of hope, the little light that is trying to come through and find your healing and thrive during this season. Because we're just coming towards the tail end of this program, we have been talking about how can God's people thrive during a pandemic. If you're online, please do send in your questions and Kat is just preparing to come up to share them. If you're in the audience, please just lift up your hand. Kat will scan around and pick your question from you. So thank you so much for being with us. I want to come to you, Andrea, as you've listened to servants of God speaking. If there is one still, you know a small place where you're thinking this is where we still need you, pastor, to speak to. This is where we were yearning to thrive. This is something we want to transform and thrive in, speak to it. From the online transition and you look at the comments on our YouTube page or Facebook page, you'll see a lot of people who are interacting with the church for a first time in a long time, in a very long time and as the youth, you also find some youth haven't actually been involved with the church with whatever country they've been. So how would you adopt outreach to them? How can we reach them? How can you be able to accommodate them in a way that they could actually feel a part of us even if they are a thousand miles away? Because you find a lot of the comments, they always, most people are, I'm glad we are having the service online. It has been such a blessing where I am right now, people. I've not been able to go to church or to interact with youth my age. It's been a difficult experience and now in this platform that has been provided to us, I'm able to actually share what's going on within myself on the platform. So how can we use outreach on social media but to directly reach the youth and not only the youth but also other members who have felt left out over the years? Thank you. Thank you. Andrea, again, we can't disconnect young people from the social platforms. This is their space. Whether we have this opinion or that opinion, this is their space for so many years to come. Actually, they've just begun. This is their space. And I think, this is one of the things we were saying, we need to reposition and reposition ourselves and revisit our mission strategies to know that there are people busy here in this space that actually need Christ. And so that we start talking to our own young people, me as your pastor, and then to start talking to you so that I show you then how to minister to the many people that we connect with here. You see, reaching out to people, mission evangelism is not having a two weeks series of presenting the gospel. When you come to this space and you're posting things, the word you post, I imagine in the situation where Sister Andrea, people watching you, people know you, you were in college and your friends, they know you, you're adventist. But then, the thing they see, you are posting on your page. Right. It's like, ah, who is this? Is this Andrea or somebody else? So that we are having a double standard life. What we display on the social media and what we see when you come to church is two different people. So that we tell our young people, you don't become popular or you don't become accepting into this space because you expose yourself. You know, I'm talking about some of the things they see young people sharing, you know, images that are not Christian, they are not even acceptable in any society and they're seeking to be accepting by doing this kind of things. So that we start telling our young people, you know, at times I post verses on Facebook, for instance, and you can see, you know when you post a verse and you say somebody says a man, this was meant for me, this is more than me standing here taking 40 minutes preaching. So that we tell people, our Christian believers that, let's know how to use the social platform. Let's not copy what is happening in the world and as people of God, we do the same things. Let us know we are the light of the world. We, unfortunately, you know, our pastor Dan and you are counselors. I think the society today, we have, you know, the moral public is completely torn. The landmarks have been broken. So that now people are thriving by immoral behavior and exposures on social behavior. In fact, the more you become, not on the social media, the more you become popular and the more you earn. But we need to tell our young people man shall not live on brand alone. Okay? So once you come here, know you are coming here as an ambassador of Christ on the social platform. Not to fellowship with the world of darkness. And I think in this way, I will be engaging youths and trying them to get a meaningful way of staying this space you know, being citizens of heaven. I think that's what I would want to say on this system. Right. I also want to add that I think pastor as the spiritual leadership, we need to acknowledge this challenge. We are lagging behind in relevance in terms of where the world is, you know. In tech wise, you know, it's an information age. My leader is here, for example, you know, Pastor Marambi. Maybe it's time we've added a department, you know, a full-fledged department in our church structures dealing with the media and technology because you go, for example, to our websites. Most of them they are obsolete. How many people are visiting there? The clique's there. So I think that we have to acknowledge that God is waking us up. The way I take Daniel chapter 12 where he says knowledge will increase in the end times, it is for the sake of mission. So we need to leverage on technology and I think this is a space where our young people can do reverse mentoring so that we can give them the space to help us finish this work. So wake up, so wake up call. Thank you, Pastor. And truth, just to add on to that one. Just again to speak to our youths. But you see, the reason why they get into this space and do the things the world is doing is because they think, one, as I said, it's a means of being accepted, but again, it's a way of becoming rich and having a name. But I think COVID, COVID, one of the lessons we need to pick from COVID, actually it has come to bring us to a common ground. All right. Right now to me, looking through the experience of COVID, man is nothing. Billionaires have died, billions of dollars. Man is useless. There's a COVID in telling us man is useless. Celebrities of this world have died. They are no longer there because of COVID. And you see, as a Christian, let's you die at death of a faithful person so that you know this is not the end of your life when Christ's coming way to go to heaven. Let's not go out for money and beginning to do anything to earn this money. This madness of sponsors and all this kind of things, young people. Big sense. COVID is telling you man is nothing. Man is nothing. People have left a lot of money in banks. Even maybe some of them were so stingy and so selfish. They even didn't tell their family members they have these amounts of money in these banks. They have just been left here in this world. So why should you lose your soul for an athlete again that is short-lived? I think we need to start talking to our young people. We evaluate our values again and state and affirm them so that we position them for the ministry. Thank you. Thank you, Pastor Kit. We are waiting for you. And as Kit is coming back, Pastor, what I'm hearing resonating and starting to go to my mind is that what God is calling us to do is to get into His word. You know, you've spoken about posting of us and then somebody clicks and speaks to their heart and they say, oh my goodness. This is what I needed. And I can't help but to think of the man who lay at the pool for 38 years and when the Savior came and told him, pick up your mat and go home. It is so hard. And so any word that God has written in the Bible, my pastors, it still has that life because it's a voice of eternity. It is still doing what He spoke to do and we need to engage it and see if we can find life in that because that word is Christ Jesus. So it's an amazing, amazing lesson. It's amazing tools we are learning today but it's profound how God's solutions are usually very simple. They're not complicated. They are actually simple to the point of being ridiculous in our wisdom. So Kit, please. Tell us what the viewers are saying. Right, happy day. Thank you so much for your presentation and trying to help us understand about the whole issue. I had a question which was, you kind of asked it but I would like a more response to it and I wish we had leaders who would come and declare the origin of COVID. Like, is it from the devil or is it from God? Because when I listen to you, like you said, God wants us to shut our mouths. That's a symbolism I guess so. But then I would like to, if people can, you see when you encounter an enemy, you need to know what kind of weaponry you apply. For instance, if you're going to fight a landlocked country, you don't need a navy there. Maybe you need the air force or something. So if we know the enemy, if we know where the origin is, then we will know how to apply the weaponry. I'm talking of a mask. You mentioned how do you fight a spiritual battle with a mask. The next question. Then if people could know it's from God, instance he wants their mouth shut, that would be another story. If it's declared to be from the devil, then we would know it's a spiritual battle. Then how do we tackle it? So my question is, is it really a spiritual battle or it's something also we can counteract it in another means? I like your question. So I would like a declaration really in not so mixed words, specific and common pinpoint is the devil. Then we're fighting the devil or it's from another angle. Because when I look back, we see Jesus, he never really applied a lot of physical fighting, the diseases of those days. He would say, go your faith as he'll do, your sin has been forgiven. So I'd like you to elaborate on that and make a declaration before we go that this is the enemy we fighting and kind of weaponry we should apply. Thank you. Thank you for your question. I'll just let Kate put up the rest of the questions. I'll spasta you, you're planning to handle it. I think that's a great question and I'm excited what the spirit is going to be speaking through his servants. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you Francis for that question. Our audience has been sharing with us some of the Bible promises that have ensured or rather carried them through the COVID period and if I can just mention a few, Lucy says that Isaiah 43, verse one and two and Jeremiah 29, verse 11 are some of the verses that have kept her going. Lufuno says verse the Salonian story, chapter five verse six to 18. Pam says Psalms 18 verse 10 and Psalms 91 that those are the verses that have kept them going. Kwanboka is telling us that the online summons have kept her going and they should continue as part of the opportunities that have been brought up. The online summons should continue beyond this period. Jeremiah on Facebook has shared with us that spiritual protocol is very important as you've clearly brought up. So the questions that have come up, one is the person who is in ICU or HDU at this time or they are self-isolating and have no access to technology. What hope can we give to them so that when they recover and they watch this show online, what message will they be able to see? Two is maybe this is specifically to Pasta Nyaga is that a member would like to know, is there a channel of bringing out issues to do with counselling? So counselling needs in an anonymous manner before they reach to the pastorate. So they would want to find out what is the referral mechanism. Is there a point where they can raise their issue anonymously before then they are known and now from the response that they will get at the anonymous point, then they can move and make a decision to seek professional counseling or pastoral care Lastly, in terms of healthy habits, what are some of the healthy habits that our members or viewers can take away from this conversation in terms of building mental wellness as we progress even beyond the pandemic? Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you viewers. Thank you congregation for giving us those questions and the comments. Pasta, I'll probably start with you. You can pick up any of the questions and start from there. So we have something about, who are we fighting here? Where has this thing come? Position it properly from my brother to make, to hold the dual perspective that he needs to position for the fight. Right. And then counselling anonymously first of all, how do people get counselling needs expressed without them being known? And what is the message of hope for somebody who's fighting for their lives now? And what are some of the habits that we can build that will help us thrive? I think probably one or two. So just start off and then I'll come to you Pasta Nyangi. All right. I'm sure this won't be exhaustive, but I first of all want to quickly speak to my brother's question, which is very relevant. It has been asked several times over. And because of misunderstanding, especially about the official position that a church holds, this particular situation, we are having offshoots, having a field day. People are coming up with crazy ideologies. The vaccine is now out. People are talking about 666 as ushiting it and so many manner of things here. One thing I want to say, the book of James 117, it says that every good and perfect gift comes from, from above. So God never prings anything bad. He's God, he's essence, he's character, he's goodness, he's holiness, he's perfection. And so when we find coronavirus, cancers or whatever other kind of crisis, it comes from the enemy. However, one thing in Pasta made it very clear, Romans 8 verse 28, is that God still is a poor, is a God who is able to turn negatives into positives. Is a God who takes our worst situations and makes them to be the greatest blessings in our lives. So coronavirus has not come from God. However, God in his supreme will, he's the supreme God. So we call it his permissive will. So he permits, some of these things to come and of course when he allows, it is here now, God uses it so that he can be able to lift us up higher and make us better, ready prepared, polish us up like in a furnace, so that ultimately we come out pure. So our church position about this is that and of course I'm not speaking this as an ultimate authority, I'm also glad that we have our executive secretary here, maybe we'll make that even more clear. But at least the biblical understanding that we have where we draw our official statements, we acknowledge COVID-19 as a real disease. It is there, it is a physical disease. However, the devil uses these things now to bring spiritual battles. So mam was talking about Ephesians chapter 6 that all these things now they become powers that the devil uses to distract us, to bring fear which is not from God, so that now he can start shaking our faith. As we ask where is God in all this, other people's faith is going to be shaken. They will question and doubt God's love for them and that is how the enemy now comes in and wins a spiritual battle from a physical component. In mental health we call it that it converts. We have conversion diseases. The mind it now becomes a physical illness. Somebody is so stressed that actually they become blind, literally blind now. But you know it is where, it is in the mind. So it is a physical illness, but the devil is using it, leveraging it to fight us spiritually. The number two and final thing I will answer to is this brother of mine or sister who is isolated in the hospital. Where is hope when they come out from this? How do they see God? Where do they find hope in all this? The wise man says in Ecclesiastis that a living dog is better than a dead lion. So long as we have life. Ecclesiastis chapter nine verse four. So long as we have the breath of life in us that is an opportunity for possibilities. So it means that God is still able to work something in your life. So open up yourself to God and you know he says, one of my favorite texts that I'll finish here, Samirwan vasten he says that open up your mouth and I will fail you. So to what extent you are going to open up your life for the Lord to come in and do what he desires to do to that extent will he bless you, lift you, polish you so that in the adversity that was meant to crush us we will grow and thrive. That is God's purpose for us. Thank you. And so Pastor I'll ask you to respond and just very briefly and then give us your final thoughts as you come towards the end of this program. Thank you. I think I'll just mention something about what our brother asked and on what Pastor Dan has explained. You know, a controversy in our mind as to what role does God play in our afflictions, in misfortunes, you know, in challenges of life. Now between God and Satan who is to blame for the bad things that happen then I will ask a few questions. Now is God in control of their fears of this world? So if then we believe God is in control then we are compelled by reason to believe that even what we think has come and been caused by the evil one God allowed it to happen. Now why would God allow evil things to happen? God allows evil things to happen so that people and Satan himself can see his power. Amen. And so today and tomorrow as we'll be getting more, you know of challenging experiences we need to appreciate when we read the Bible in Gonsis God does not fashion a peace lens He allows now the Satan who is always out. These are his weapons. He allows him to release. He is preventing him. At times he allows him to release so that through this God can awaken his people. God can argue his case. I was not as bad as you thought because they can come and help you. So we need to appreciate and a text that I think is relevant to us in this story is what is found in the book of Matthew 24 where Jesus spoke about the last day you know events and especially the verse number 23 you see that three so also when you see all these things you will know that he is near right at the door. If there is anything as a Christian I'm learning from COVID it doesn't matter whether it's from God or from Satan it's a sign of the last days and I need then to prepare myself issue of you know counseling I thought Pasadana would be more position to answer that but let me mention this as I said you see it is you who knows that you have a problem it is a sick who goes to the physician well there are times when people will discover that sister Andrew has a problem we need to help but she is not aware or she is aware but she is shying off but we need to encourage members to seek for help you know if you are challenged really there must be somebody that you can trust you can talk to and especially your spiritual leaders come out to us they listen to you we are people who keep a lot of secrets we know how to confine you know people's issues within us so that then we think through with your reason with you and we see whether you need a serious professional counseling or it can end with Asia but you need to be helped thank you thank you Pasadana thank you so much Andrew your final thoughts one sentence I think as everyone as a community we should not be afraid to ask for help asking for help is not a sin it's not bad it's actually a guide a sort of courage for us we have to at least have the courage to go to your pastor if not your pastor go to a relative or someone just ask for help because as much as people have their own issues there's always one or two people who are willing to listen and willing to advise and I think we should always have that within ourselves and just to add one more thing is to always leave your day through gratitude because you never realize how much you need something until it's gone we take things for granted and just saying a gratitude once a day or every hour whatever you feel comfortable with it's very important thank you first time your very final word thank you I just need 5 seconds to comment and recommend to our members yes the book of the year it is most fitting it is hope or troubled times it is a cheap book 100 chillings get it for yourself I have like about two dozens in my car so I just keep giving away get it give your neighbor hope for troubled times by Mark Finley wonderful resource that will be a blessing to you it is quite relevant also to the time that we are in I think as a church we have enough resources if only we looked thank you thank you so much viewers thank you audience for being with us thank you so much for this session we apologies for the questions and comments that we have not taken but please do pick the email address for the church and you can send in your comment or your question if you need help and then the church leadership will get in touch with you otherwise thank you so much thank you panelists thank you so much for being here thank you for serving this afternoon I would like to invite Pastor Jeremy Marambi who has been the servant of the Lord the whole week to give us the final prayer thank you so much Karibu Pastor thank you very much I just want to appreciate you you have done great job may the Lord bless you Pastor Buya Pastor Nyaga Sister Andre and Ruth I think the Lord has used you in a mighty way and we need to appreciate you and pray for you as you think about all these things before I give my thanks and prayers I just want to pick the question my brother raised we are trying to answer and it is very you have answered the way and the way I could have thought about it and I learned something from someone called Peter Taku he said to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic we need concreteness of science we need prophecy and we need creativity now what am I trying to borrow from this person there is science there is concreteness in science there is prophecy and there is creativity one thing I want to thank the Lord out of COVID-19 the church has been very creative on how to reach the world and we thank the Lord for that number two we need prophecy we need to balance the prophecy so that we don't become extreme on one side or the other for example in the book of Isaiah it is possible I can share with you from Isaiah 28 v. 21 Isaiah 28-21 says God will permit acts of unusual acts to happen but we cannot stand and say COVID-19 is from the devil neither can we stand at this point and say COVID-19 is from God but there are things God allows as pastor Abuya said there are things that God may allow for a purpose, for a reason but we need to take balance as Christians not go to extreme and blame God for the problems that does not belong to God neither blame the devil for the things that do not belong to the devil and then I listened in the summary they have raised a number of issues they have talked about issues of anxiety emotional effect, grief, denial, anger let it go and for me I want to say now what is the way forward I think that is the one I could bring as the way forward before we thank the church and the rest and I want to say the way forward number one Andrea brought an issue that we need to create intentional ministry for our youth in the YouTube so the church we need to pick that one create a ministry for the young people in the YouTube the issue number two I have hand you say is that we need a strong counseling department in the church of trained counselors and we need them blending of pastoro and the counseling put together and then this one to take place I will transfer it from pastoro and from the counseling themselves but come up with UNROK committee that can sit down look at this in my office I have 21 people have come to my office and they are asking what is the church doing to come up with pastoro counseling sessions for the pastors I think this is the time we can partner this church and the conference to come up with the program that people can work without being noticed by the pastor work in when they are not noticed by the elders problems shortened but again I will say counseling and pastoro will not end the problem but we need to ask God to blend the two so that they can be a two a vehicle to help the members to know it is ultimate God who can help us I number three which I have hand them telling us that now we need also to sit down and identify some of the needs that we have as a church and then we can create many ministries that we know what happens during this time then on the other thing I want to add to our audience there is a book by the name called David Siemand David Siemand wrote a book and in this book he talks about how we can receive healing in fact it causes healing from emotional damages healing from emotional damages how people can be healed and he talks about healing from memories of the past redeeming the past recovery from the memories that cause pain and then says people had people even in the church so in the church possibly Pastor Marambi during the week family life possibly I had someone in my presentation without knowing and this person can cancel him to know when I was talking I was not addressing him or her and I also in our audience here as you are helping us to solve the problem they have not been affected by your discussion without knowing that you are not talking about this person but you are raising a problem so you want those people now to walk somewhere where they can assure us and you are able to bring it out very well may the Lord bless you and then the other thing that I hand you mentioned very well is the assurance that the Lord has given us Jeremiah just to wrap up what you are saying there in Jeremiah 30 verses 17 this is what I found the Lord saying and you really send it out of view that in Jeremiah 17 says I will restore your health and heal your wounds I will restore your health and heal your wounds we have so many wounds that have been inflicted by the problem that we have gone through we should not lose heart but we thank the Lord finally allow me to say I thank the pastorate of the church in a very special way I want to thank the family ministry department you can pick this one take it to the pastorate think about it take it to church in bond and then from there share with us the conference we bring those I am blended ideas together and then we can now run this department which will help every one of us because every day we experience such stress in our ministries number two I want to thank all the church members for following us and our viewers across the bond that the Lord may bless you and keep you safe and strong and have strong families because it is not easy but the Lord has been with us then I want to thank the panelists here for the great job you have done may the Lord bless you and keep you safe and remind our members let us not focus on negative energy but focus on positive energy this is a Indian philosophy from Indru that the more you focus on negative energy you talk things that are not even biblical things which not create anything in your life but when you talk about positive energy you say I will make it even if you have covered you say I will not die even if you are not married you say one day I will get someone to marry me if you have problems in your life you say yes I don't care the Lord will open ways for me if you have lost your job you say yes I will get my job because you have a positive word energy and positive energy will propel us to the next and also we say the Lord will give us strength to begin cancelling department and the program and after we begin I want to say that we go an extra mile and now train our people from pastorate and the members who are interested we train them and then we use them within our context that someone can be calling anytime and we get professional certificate because we have what it takes we can begin from here train, give people certificate and then the rest we can talk without now sharing the world public and it comes with a cost so that no one will take it just like that and they say aha I can do it for example for me during this COVID-19 a number of things have done which has helped me to think through my life and my ministry of the church so my pastor because you are here, I think you got it pastor Buya you are here, our sisters we can come up together, create ideas and the possibility of this one in our group we can process it, you can create time when to process this and then we share those ideas when we take to the church I believe all the members will embrace it because it is very very needy thing for our church finally Eondra Chola in the ministry, family ministry under your wife under your council may the Lord bless you and the whole church may the Lord bless you and keep you safe my wife, I thank you very well for being with me standing with me and giving me juice every day if there is anything I need to you contrari to your wishes please forgive me so that I can get space in the kingdom of God and for the members I do also likewise may the Lord keep us safe If you wish, I can ask you, we stand and pray for this family which they say that they have special need but they are saying they are not sure whether the Lord is still with them and the Lord is punishing them. I want to tell them the Lord is not punishing them but the Lord is with them. Let's pray. Our father in heaven, what a privilege you have given us through our panelists to bring out how families can drive in the times of COVID. With our children we have learned a lot and there are action plans that we have come up with. We pray that Lord you may help us as a church and the conference and as we think through helping the pastorate, helping the members, Lord, give us great ideas. As someone said we need concrete science. As someone said that Lord we need prophecy and we need creativity now. Let us come to a creativity, consciousness mind that you have placed in us, that we know Lord by the beginning of this new time or we can think about coming to the second quarter of this year. We can say, Lord we have got it, you have given us the idea, we are running with the idea because from last year we talked about cancelling and now it's the right time Lord and nothing that gets you by surprise. Bless all the people behind this idea that Lord bless them in a very special way and bless their thinking as we think through together. Give us broad mind that will bless your church. Lord be with the team of pastor leadership, be with the family ministries, council and leadership. Be with the entire pastors and elders, be with all the members, our children that Lord the devil is out to destroy the families. The devil is out to destroy the church but we thank you out of this technology you have used men and women not only to contribute to reach to others but to ensure everyday people are being blessed. Bless the team of communication department that Lord anytime they send a message, it will not be just a message but a voice from you to reach someone somewhere and to save their lives. Lord now as we go home we ask you Lord to go with us to continue putting an edge around our families. Yes, COVID is there but we don't fear because still the Lord is with us. We don't fear because we know the Lord will protect us but in the event that we find ourselves in the problem help us Lord also help us not to be careless, help us Lord to know that we have a responsibility. Help us Lord not to take these things far and to be panatics of this world but help us Lord to balance between the problems that we go through. As you said in the Old Testament the Lord brought fever and it is equivalently the fever we have today of COVID-19 but that does not put us and put fear in us because I hand the panelists to say that fear is number one killer of humanity. Lord remove fear in us as Christian and to know when we are working in the midst of troubles even the COVID itself Lord will be able to protect but only put one thing in our mind that we should not be careless in our way we do things. Let us embrace science, let us embrace the prophecy, let us embrace creativity, bondand on your thinking, bondand on your thought and bondand on your guiding wisdom and above all on. Let each one of us be found in the kingdom of heaven and this is our prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.