A few months back, the president of Ebenezer Bible College and Seminary tasked me to write a reflection of how Covid-19 was affecting the school. This was to be posted on the official site of the school. Although the site is already technically running, it's still not ready. So I'll just post my reflection here. I finished this reflection June 15, 2020, and a lot has already happened since then but one thing has remained constant: God's love and care for all of the students, teachers, staff, and even residents of Ebenezer. Here's my reflection:
The coronavirus disease of 2019 or COVID-19 is arguably one of the worst pandemics in history. The world was caught by surprise and Ebenezer was no exemption. The Philippines has not fully recovered yet and as of this writing, there are already 25,930 confirmed cases in the country resulting in 1,088 deaths.
With no sure vaccine amidst the rising cases and with the economy starting to collapse, Ebenezer Bible College President Richard Rojas met with the students last March 15 and informed the students that instead of meeting in the classroom, they will now switch to online classes. The students at this time have not even taken their midterm exams yet. They were also given the opportunity to go home if their parents wanted to. Some students went home but most of them stayed. Some cannot go home because their homeplace were already declared as under quarantine.
There were 42 students left behind as the situation worsen. Those who wished to go home could not anymore do so because boundaries became stricter. And just like most institutions and establishments, EBCS also opted for no work, no pay to their employees. As days turned into weeks, people have now more questions than answers, more problems than solutions. How do we survive this?
But God is an amazing God. The whole world was suffering from the virus. Economies collapsed, people suffered, and lives were lost. But there is and there will always be a silver lining. Despite Italy being one of the countries that suffered the most from the pandemic, swans and dolphins were now swimming freely in the recently cleared water of the canals. Because people cannot go out, impromptu singing can be heard on the balconies to lift each other’s spirit. Even celebrities and mega stars offered free streaming concerts. Satellite images, especially above China, revealed how clouds of toxic pollution nearly dissipated due to quarantines and self-isolation.
God also revealed how amazing He was here in Ebenezer. Despite not knowing what will happen, God showed His faithfulness to His children. Alumni from near and far, prayer partners and sponsors, brothers, and sisters in the Lord, they all came or called and gave out of the concern that God has placed in their hearts. Blessings in cash and in kinds came pouring when it was needed the most.
Student and community life were not hampered because of the virus. Education and learning continued through online classes. The students were given a lot where they could do gardening. Backyards of faculty and staff were also turned into gardens. Later, we were able to enjoy the fruits, or should I say, veggies of our labor. Students also fished at night in the sea.
In the final days of May, though still strict, neighboring municipalities opened their borders. Students were able to get the necessary requirements for them to go home. Through the efforts of a couple of our alumni, they drove our students to their hometown, some even as far as Davao.
Though this has now become cliché, Ebenezer witnessed how God is good, and He is good all the time. There were some doubtful moments were some may have been PUI’s. There were sad moments, especially when our beloved Ma’am Lim died. But more were joyous moments when we experience God’s faithfulness and when relationships grew more.
Paraphrasing the lyrics of an old song, though we do not know about tomorrow, and there are things about tomorrow that we do not understand, but we stand in faith that we know Who holds our tomorrow, and we certainly know Who holds our hands. Indeed, hitherto hath the Lord helped us.
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