[NEW LINK] In the Throes of COVID-19: Message from a Brother in the Lord in Austria

March 15, 2020

Hi everyone,

We are going through some unusual times.

Since I live in Europe, I feel a bit of a responsibility to write to dear friends and family in the US about the situation here and what it most likely will be like in the US in a few days.

Let me paint a picture of what may come in the next few days in the USA.

The Virus hit Europe several weeks before it arrived in the USA.

Most European countries responded fairly quickly (Italy didn’t and is having huge problems right now).

Here in Austria, all public life has stopped.

No schools, no stores, no restaurants, etc. are open.

Most companies sent their people home.

All sports are canceled, including practice.

Public gatherings are not allowed, playgrounds and sports facilities are closed down.

Everyone in Austria is asked to stay in their house and to reduce their social contacts to a minimum, if possible, to zero.

They suggest not even to leave the house for a walk. 

And if you go for a walk then only alone or with family members.

The police are patrolling the streets encouraging people to not meet in the streets.

Several counties are entirely shut off from the outer world because of too many infected people in that area.

Flights and public transportation is shutting down. Airports are possibly closing down.

How long will this go on?

We don’t know.

However, they estimate that if social contacts are kept at a minimum, then there is a chance to beat this.

My children [adults] and I are welcoming these difficult days as a time to prepare for the times to come that most likely will be much worse than what we are experiencing right now. And what I mean with “prepare” is work on our attitude and our hearts. All around us, we see panic-stricken people, angry people, depressed people, etc. We also see people looking out for themselves, buying as much as they can for themselves, locking themselves in, afraid that someone might come to steal their stuff.

Of course, we notice the influence of the world, the thinking that we have to do what everyone else is doing.

But it is in times like these, more than ever, that we need to step up and be that light that Christ wants us to be, be that example that He set for us.

[And I might add, let Him live HIS LIGHT in and through us]

Being stuck at home is also a great time to reflect on our life that we have been leading so far.

It is an excellent time to make changes in our life, in our hearts, in our minds.

It is an excellent time to dig into the Scriptures, to spend hours working toward understanding His Message.

These are all things that we are working on and trying to implement. 

I fear that things might get much, much worse in the US, than here in Austria. 

We are a tiny country with only 8 million people.

The US has a population of 330 million people.

My advice is to take this seriously.

Not because we might get sick.

Not because this Virus might kill us.

No, because we are going to be tested, and we need to respond according to the Scriptures.

Be prepared in attitude and heart as a follower of Christ.

Make the most of the time for God.

Be wise in faith.

Remain strong in Jesus. 

Praying for you all,

Randy II
randymcgirr@gmail.com

[For more about Randy McGirr and his family, see My Weakness, His Strength … Nothing Wasted. Well worth the time to read his story]