Should I stay or should I go? This is a question that most of us have had to wrestle with recently as country borders closed and flights were grounded. In this episode, Denise and Melissa talk about staying in their host countries during this pandemic, how they made the decision, and how they are coping with their choice. From schooling changes for the kids to cancelled trips and loss of control, this conversation deals with the very real fears, challenges, and blessings of choosing to stay abroad during this pandemic. 

Show Notes

Connect with Denise

Connect with Melissa

Connect with Alicia

Questions discussed during this episode:

What’s it like where you are during this pandemic?

Why are you still in your host country?

How are you making it work being at home 24/7?

Are your kids missing school?

What’s something that the Lord is teaching you in all this?

Mentioned in this episode:

Video of Denise dancing to Michael Jackson

Noteworthy Quotes:

“Because we’re foreigners and we stick out, we feel like we need to go by the rules, even if no one else does.”

“If you ended up leaving to go to your passport country, we are 100% for you.”

“We felt like we’re fine right where we are, so that’s why we stayed.”

“I wanted to go, and I didn’t want to go. I wanted to go, and I didn’t want to go. There was fear that crept in.”

“The thing that threw me the most was other people leaving.” 

“When friends would leave and I would hear about someone else deciding to go, I would start to think, ‘Are we stupid for staying?’”

“It went to overnight where there were no flights out of our city and they closed the airports and so, crazily enough when that happened, I felt better. The decision had been made.”

“My kids wanted to stay. I thought that they would want to go but they wanted to stay. This is home.”

“I think we’re just so used to being so close as a family unit that this is not strange.”

“Not being able to go out really freaked me out and I felt worthless and now I’m kind of getting used to this way of life.”

“People have this feeling that you have to have something to show for this time.”

“There are little things that I’ve been trying to do to make myself feel a little bit more normal like putting on makeup even though I’m not going anywhere because it makes me feel like I’m trying and making an effort.”

“I’m seeing that this must be God helping me and showing me that my children need me right now and this is what I need to be doing.”

“I’ve actually really enjoyed hanging out with my kids and I think they’ve enjoyed hanging out with me.”

“I just wanted to control it. Control the situation. Control the borders. Control where my family is at.”

“I think it made me realize I was putting a lot of trust in myself and the decisions I am making and not falling really on the sovereignty and protection of the Lord.”

“The Lord is trustworthy. He takes care of us. If He’s called us here, no matter what the situation is, He will take care of us.”

“It’s interesting that when the decision is taken out of your hands, there’s peace that comes with that.”

Show credits: 

Hosted by Denise James, Alicia Boyce, and Melissa Faraday // produced and edited by Melissa Faraday // content managed by Heather Fallis.

HELP THE TAKING ROUTE PODCAST REACH MORE EXPATS

Subscribe | To subscribe on iOS, go to our iTunes page and subscribe to the Taking Route Podcast. If you’re an Android user, we recommend using the Stitcher App which you can find in the Google Play store. Then, once you’re in the app, search for “Taking Route Podcast.” Click the plus (+) sign to add our podcast to your Favorites list.

Leave a review | When you leave a five-star iTunes review, it helps other expats find us when they’re seeking out podcasts on iTunes. Need directions? Just check out the “Reviews” highlight on our Instagram account.

Share with a friend | We hope to see the Taking Route podcast grow and grow and grow, but we rely on expats like you to spread the word. We appreciate when you share our episodes—whether that’s via Facebook, email, Twitter or Instagram. Thank you for the love!