We have been busy during our time in lockdown. For the past five months we have been staying with my sister, her husband and their 13-year-old son. They have been very good to us, and we do our part by cooking for them daily. We have been able to spend more time with my mom and take her various places, such as a shopping center, a local restaurant, a hair salon and her dentist.

We taught my nephew how to do a Bible study, and we have completed quite a few studies with him. He loves the Bible studies and often wants to do more than one at a time. I was also able to do a Bible study on the state of the dead with five of my friends. I showed them how to mark their Bibles, and they enjoyed the experience.

I ran my own gymnastics club for 15 years, and we planned to open a gymnastics/fitness club at our previous project, but we had to evacuate before we could open. We already had all the funding in place and the building arranged. An engineering friend had agreed to make most of the equipment for us.

I was yearning to coach again when my friends asked if I could help them with a fitness program through video calling. I happily agreed. We started a small group of five friends. I call them every morning, and then we train together. I adapt the program to meet each of their individual fitness needs. We focus on muscle strength, flexibility and fitness. We have been training together for just over nine weeks.

I recently spoke with a friend in our previous project country. She is a physiotherapist and a nurse and is currently studying for her PhD. I mentioned my training program to her, and she asked if I could help her, too. Now she connects with me each morning for coaching and to practice her English. She is sharing the training program at her local gym and also in her clinic. I am also helping her with research on training for obese women. As part of her research, she wanted to compare how menopause affects women in different cultures, so she asked me if my friends would be willing to fill out her questionnaire. They agreed, and I was able to send her the information. I was also able to connect her with a physiotherapist donor in Ohio who agreed to assist her in her research.

I mentioned the fitness training to a missionary in Cambodia, and she asked to join with a friend and her daughters. We did our first training session today, and I can’t wait to follow up with them.

Recently I was following up with one of the ladies in one of my training groups, a friend of a friend. A few minutes into the conversation, she opened up to me about her concerns and asked me to pray for her husband. Exercising together for nine weeks has created a bond between us. We were strangers, but now we are friends. I am excited to see how God will lead. I am also busy training a leader in one group to eventually take over the group or start another group.

I couldn’t do any of this without James’ help. He is always gathering resources I need. During a few sessions, he has patiently held my phone for the video call. He also helps with the training programs as we both have a gymnastics background. He competed in the World Games in Rockford, Illinois, back in the day.

I thank God for allowing me to use my talents and live out my passion for coaching. I started doing gymnastics when I was five years old. Everything we experience is for a reason. God has a plan for our lives. He is in control, and I marvel at His grace, mercy and care for our needs and desires. When I began online coaching, I wasn’t sure I would be able to wrap my head around it because I’m quite old-school in my approach, but He showed me the way.

Please share your prayer needs with us. We know that each one of you has faced challenges during the last few months. May God give you peace as you continue to seek Him daily.

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