What God has Taught me during the Pandemic as a Teacher

Grace Damian 

A Message Of Hope  

Perspective Of A Teacher

When we reflect on 2020, we will remember it as a year of distress, but better yet, it will be remembered as a year of compassion and human resilience. As an Educator in the Ontario school system, I have observed a variety of obstacles faced by many people from different walks of life. It is in this role that I have seen how a pandemic can shake people at their very core and expose their truest values, fears, and doubts in life. From matters of equity and its disproportionate distribution of privilege to the matters of free will to wear a mask or not; our lives are riddled with conflicting views that cultivate chaos. However, the world’s chaos is the canvas in which the beautiful gospel can be drawn.  

Today, children are forced to learn from home, parents are challenged with work-life balance to the greatest degree, and grandparents are plunged into a foreign world of intimidating technology or lonely isolation. Every generation has its unique challenges and is forced to adapt quickly. It is through these obstacles that we have been called to show compassion towards one other and have learned to become more resilient. No other time before the pandemic have we been so interdependent on each other. From children stepping up in responsibility at a younger age to grandparents stepping in to help their child ease the load of parenting. Many have stepped forward to come to the aid of another.  

Christ has equipped you and I with the Holy Spirit to influence change for His glory whether it be big or small. In every interaction we have, we leave an impression on someone’s life, whether it is a positive or negative one is our choice. Christ has given me the opportunity as a Teacher to alter the course of people’s reaction to the pandemic and He’s prepared you to do the same in whatever role He’s placed you in. So, let’s answer the daily call Christ gives us to spur others on with love and encouragement. Let’s continue supporting one another through His word and in prayer as we embark on a brighter year ahead.  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in your faith, so that in the power of the Holy Spirit you may be rich in hope. - Romans 15:13 

What God has Taught me during the Pandemic as a Church Leader

Juancho Chu

2020 has truly been a horrible year or some would say in Latin, 'annus horribilis' in terms of lives lost with, 3,500 alone in Ontario. Not to mention the disruption in the everyday lives of all the people of the whole world both personally and economically. But, I believe GOD is great and in control and gracious always. He is full of mercy! We were in Florida in the 2nd week of January last year when the pandemic was declared. Our flight was scheduled to take off 1 day before the flights were all grounded. The airport arrivals area was jam-packed with people trying to get home and when we arrived in Toronto, we were all packed again like sardines in the immigration and customs area without masks, without what we now call PPEs, yet the Lord protected us all from the virus! Praise God! There are many more blessings from Him that I can recall this year but I will occupy all your writer's column and time, suffice it to say that my heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for it all. Thank you, Lord Jesus. 

I praise and thank Him too for I did not lose my job, in fact, He has allowed me to work from home! Isn't that great? Another thing to give Him praise is that He has allowed me the time to start reading the Bible more intently as I have made it my goal to read the entire Bible in a year and by God's grace and mercy, I should finish my goal by March. This pandemic has surely placed a crimp on our ministry as it has prevented us from running all our programs this year, however, we praise God that despite all of that, He has not allowed His people, especially those in the frontlines (missionaries) to be left wanting for support from our church. He also allowed us to meet even in these times with a tool that allows us to still see each other virtually. I could not imagine in a million years that we could do that as a church much less as a missions committee. The gates of hell surely will not prevail against His word.

May these words truly give glory to God alone and to our Lord Jesus Christ, blessings, and honor upon Him!

Praise God and so truly worthy of worship!!

Ariel Poquiz

I praise God because He is my ever-present helper during these unprecedented times. He is always there every moment of my life. I am grateful for His provision, and there is no moment that His stream of blessing has been disconnected. His grace was sufficient when my family had experienced different challenges amidst this COVID-19 situation. I am thankful for His goodness in so many ways. I have remained focused on my responsibility as a servant of the Lord and to the church. I have also found ways to connect with others virtually through a regular Bible study.

What have I learned from this crisis? It is more on obedience, in the sense of not being irresponsible to those around us. I must listen to the health and safety advice coming from the government and abide by it as I reflect Jesus Christ in our community. Additionally, the Lord has given me an opportunity to share the gospel with my family in the Philippines through Bible study.

Glory to God.

Melissa Borja

In the midst of the pandemic, I was challenged with the continuity of CNU. We started our Bible study through Discord in March 2020. As new applications have made it a lot easier to connect with each other virtually, we also faced lower attendance (with just one sometimes!). Whether the reason may be due to school, work, personal or spiritual, our calling is to be faithful no matter the circumstance we are facing and who our audience is. After all, we only have one audience that matters - God Himself. In this pandemic, God is bringing us back to the true heart of worship, without the embellishments of what a “church” is or a“ Bible study”. He removed the distractions of life that we take for granted and instead, urged us to seek His word, to pray and to engage in Christian fellowship. We are still currently facing the challenge but our hope is in the Gospel. Christ alone for Him, through Him and to Him!

Tim Paras 

The pandemic has changed many things for everyone. Personally, continuing to work retail at Eaton Centre came with several concerns; getting sick, fluctuating work hours, and the uncertainty of continued employment. As a church member not attending services physically, I feel a significant loss in my sense of community. Being a youth leader, some new challenges arose. Before the winter break last year, we were using Zoom for our weekly meetings. It took time to adjust to the new meeting environment and the various technical difficulties. Losing the face to face interaction makes it even harder to communicate with the kids, especially when they don’t feel like turning on their cameras.

Through these difficulties, God has reminded me of His sovereignty - His will and control overall. This has become a great opportunity for me to practice my reliance on Him. God has given me peace and I look forward to how this will resolve in His will.

Earl Cabaluna 

If I were, to sum up 2020 as a lesson, it would be the importance of community. I think throughout this pandemic, God has shown us the importance of community among us Christians. We so often rely on being able to see each other in person that we actually struggle when we don't get to see our friends and family in person. I think during this year, we had to adjust our approach with how youth would meet. It was definitely an adjustment, we all had to be on our screens more than we normally do. The kids in youth, when school started, had to be on zoom during school and then we expected them to be on zoom for a couple more hours after they finish school on Friday. Clearly, this was a big hurdle. To combat this, we (I believe) wanted our time on zoom to be as intentional as possible. It was not just a hangout but we wanted to be intentional with the lessons we provided, the questions we asked, and to also create a space for them to get to know one another. We wanted to be connected to each other. Just as the youth needed community, so did we as leaders. For myself, I have been so blessed with a church community that has supported me and helped me grow in my relationship with God this year. I was also blessed with a wonderful work community and a gym community that kept me motivated. God was truly working this year even in the midst of uncertainty.

What God has Taught me during the Pandemic as a Student

Kisha Delos Reyes

Through the pandemic, God has been faithful and good as He's always been. He has taught me to hold onto Him through everything as He is always with us. I praise Him for the His answered prayers, discipline, and sovereign power.

Joy Poquiz 

I believe every year is a challenge that ends with a valuable lesson. For everyone, 2020 has been an interesting year due to the pandemic. As a student, I had to learn how to adjust from learning at my campus 3 times a week to learning from home and balancing home life with my school life. It was a difficult transition because I wasn’t used to learning online. I soon became more frustrated and annoyed at my surroundings but through these difficulties, I learned a lot. A bible verse that helped me through this time is Proverbs 3:5-6,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” 

God has been teaching me how to be content with every little or big thing that comes my way. He’s taught me to value the meaning of being alone and to be joyful when things aren’t what I expected. I praise God for all He’s doing even with the pandemic that is going on. At the end of the day, I believe God has a purpose and plan for everything. 

JCREW

I learned to trust God no matter what happens. He’s there for you.  - Anonymous

I have learned to be more patient with others and to turn to God if I have any problems.  - Anonymous

I think that God made the pandemic because He wanted to test people’s patience and see if they would listen to Him or not. - Anonymous

Something I learned through the pandemic is to be strong and to trust in God. - Anonymous

I learned more about myself. - Anonymous

During the difficulties, pray before you overthink, have faith, and ultimately trust in God’s timing.  - Anonymous

I learned that even though there is a deadly sickness, God is always there for us. - Anonymous

What God has Taught me during the Pandemic as a Student

Dustin Bartolome (Highschool Student)

During the pandemic, there were many challenges I had to face. It is difficult to remind myself to glorify God every day. Being given the amount of work and assignments daily puts me in a position of vulnerability to satisfy the works of society and man when I know that God wants me to do everything for Him. I would look for satisfaction in my friends and tell them my issues because they would give an answer that would make me happy. I know that I should be finding answers in God and rely on Him more and focus more on Him.

     However, I am thankful for the alternatives of technology to learn more things about our God. Listening to the church services and music about God gives me a reminder of why I love Him so much, knowing there is always a way to seek Him. As I am doing school online, it's tempting to be fed with societal information and take part in them. All the sins and hatred of society will always be somewhere whenever I am on social media, and I realize how much of the world doesn’t know much about God. I try my best to always share His Word with my friends and be forever grateful knowing that He washed away all my sins so that I can have everlasting life with God. 

     As I grow through these troubled times, I know I will always find answers from Him and as a student in high school, God is always there for me every day. Reaching out to Him simply through prayers sets aside my stress from focusing on education and being given work. Anytime, anywhere, and anyplace, God will always be at the center of my heart. He most definitely has open arms to seek his path and gives the strength and knowledge to get through a pandemic. There is still more to learn as I'm still in my youth but I know for now that whatever happens, it happens for a reason and I will forever glorify our God.

Kevin Batrina (High-School Student)

Following the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have started to feel as though I have drifted from the Church and my faith in Christ. As a high school student in Grade 10 during these times, I have felt my schedule seems too packed to be focused on my relationship with the LORD, and I have felt less encouraged to be studying His word, as the School Board’s cohort-learning plans for us students during the lockdown continues to be an interruptive struggle in all aspects of my daily life. Due to restrictions, I have also felt further away from the Church, as I feel I cannot be in fellowship as well as I had been with my brothers and sisters in Christ prior to the pandemic. Although in the midst of these continuous hassles, my God has graced me and I am reminded that He has continued to teach me patience at school and at home, by granting me the privileges of joy, laughter, rest, and becoming more understanding, even during virtual meets with others (especially including my brothers and sisters in Christ), I am shown how His love prevails, even during a nationwide crisis. He alone has brought me great joy and achievement in the past quad, and He continues to lead me through my studies, time management, and other painful inconveniences, including those online, in the comfort of my own home, and my mental health. I praise God that even though I have doubted my faith and am living in the midst of a pandemic, I am constantly reminded of His significance in my life and that I end up turning back to His word at the end of the day. I have been inspired by His word and presence in my life that I am able to resist doubting my faith, continuing to study His Word, and bring glory to His name, even amidst current events.

Faith Calauad (High-School Student)

Hi, my name is Faith and I’m currently in grade 11. Our quarantine and lockdown in Toronto started after March break and students like myself had to adjust to full-at-home learning. It was difficult at first because it was new to many students. I would be on social media as soon as I get my work done, especially YouTube. Looking back, God had used some YouTubers to encourage me to do my daily devotions regularly and made me want to grow my relationship with Him. I thank God that during those difficult times of adjusting to a different environment, He reminded me that He is my strength every day. He taught me that He was and is my Sustainer. 

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22 ESV

Shasha Santos (University/College Student)

My last year an undergrad has surprisingly been a blessing. Though it was fully online, I've still had the privilege to serve within York Chinese Christian Fellowship's committee. Through this pandemic, God has taught me that I don't need to be "Sha the Sunday school teacher", “Sha the Calvinist” or "Sha the YCCF leader" to be used by Him. I can just simply be "Sha the student" and God will still remain as the great I AM nonetheless.

God has sent me numerous Christian friends from York University to keep me from discouragement. One of my favorite encouragements a brother told me was, “Fellowship starts where fellowship ends”. And so, though meeting in-person to study or pray ended-- the pandemic did not stop my brothers and sisters from calling me at 3 in the morning to pray for me. The pandemic did not stop my brothers and sisters from studying alongside me over skype. The pandemic did not stop my brothers and sisters from doing Bible study with me via zoom call.

What God has Taught me during the Pandemic as Newlyweds

Jorel and Amy Gatuz 

Last year when we got engaged, we were very excited for what the coming year would bring. We had spent countless hours planning and investing in our dream wedding. But after many setbacks due to the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, God really gave us a chance to let go of our plans and put our trust in Him. In the end, He showed us that, as always, He is faithful and His plans are always greater. We will remember our small COVID wedding forever and what a story to tell friends! 

Now, in this new season, God has blessed us with an opportunity to begin our newly married journey with a lot of time spent together (due to lockdowns and working from home). Not many couples get to say they have spent almost every minute of the first year of marriage physically together. We’ve learned a lot about each other in this time and He’s definitely been teaching us how to love as He does. Praise God for His goodness even in these tough times!