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Viewpoint from Captain Marie Burr 19/03/2021 

MARIE BURRCaptain Marie Burr
The Salvation Army, Great Yarmouth

 
Relocating to Great Yarmouth in the middle of a pandemic has not proved to be the easiest of moves. Moving to a new church has always been a time of celebration and a time of loss. Loss at what I leave behind, celebration as I come to a new place and with the excitement of new beginnings, the promises of what will be, the friends I will make and the joys we will share
 
Moving in the middle of a pandemic meant all my emotions had to be pushed down inside enabling me to get on with the huge task in hand. Currently we have three foodbanks per week, supplying food parcels for around 150 families, couples and single people, plus two hot food handouts these serving around 150. One is run by a local community group called Top Banana the other us, The Salvation Army
 
dove leftI also prepare and deliver two online services and a Bible study each week plus a newsletter for my church family. This has been a baptism of fire, life for everyone has not been easy with the restrictions, especially tough for families that have lost a loved one, I have prepared and led several funerals since arriving. It is always a privilege to be with people during the worst times of their lives but during the pandemic this has been very difficult as it has not been possible to visit people in their own homes, there have been restrictions on what can and cannot be done, for example no singing. This rite of passage that we all deserve has been removed or changed and proving to be hard
 
During these times the thing that has kept me going, kept me getting up and walking around to work each day is my faith. As a Christian I know that this is only for a time, as a Christian I have a relationship with God. In the Bible there are so many promises but the one that keeps me going is found in Lamentations and it says this: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-24) This reminds me tomorrow is a new day, tomorrow will be different, so keep getting up and keep getting on


also published in the Great Yarmouth Mercury



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