The day that I got a call from the Ministry of Health (MOH) that I tested positive for COVID-19, I was left speechless. No one would expect to be carrying the virus.

MOH gave me slightly under an hour to get ready before the ambulance would come to take me into isolation at NCID. I told my wife, gathered my necessities and bade goodbye before the medical staff took me away.

I avoided touching my family because the last thing I wanted to do was to infect my loved ones. It was a hurried farewell.

As I sat in the ambulance, I felt unsettled and uncertain of what to expect. Upon reaching NCID, I was shortly warded in a fairly large isolation room.

To prevent contamination, and due to the contagious nature of the virus, there are two glass doors to the room, and a food hatch in the wall for the medical staff to deliver food trays and medication to the patients. All nurses and doctors put on protective gear before approaching any patient .

The nurses attached a tracker on me to monitor my movements and patched me up wirelessly for minimal contact. They communicated via a desk phone next to my bed. To say the least, I felt like a leper and a prisoner.

There were no tests, no treatment or medication administered on my first day. As I sat in isolation, my mobile was buzzing and ringing off the hook. I needed to update my family, my leaders, my team and, at the back of my head, I thought about the people whom I had met in the past couple of weeks.

At that moment, guilt set in. I was concerned and felt guilty about the implications this would mean for my family and me.

When my case was made known publicly on mainstream media, it was a rough time. It did not help that some information published about me was inaccurate. I faced backlash and harsh comments from the public, and even those who know me.

My team and my leaders were extremely understanding and they understood the full context of my situation . They checked in on me constantly and kept encouraging me throughout my stay in NCID.

My first nasal swab test for COVID-19 came back and the result was negative! My family and friends celebrated along with me and were hopeful for the next day’s test result. But the happiness was short-lived. The results for the second nasal swab test came back positive.

That news hit me hard. I did not understand: “Were those my results?? Did they make a mistake?? How can that be?? Can they administer the test swab on me again??”

Physically, I felt in the pink. Doctors said I was asymptomatic. But mentally, emotionally and spiritually, it was a challenging time.

“I needed to trust that He is working even when I don’t see it or feel it.”

There were so many calls, questions and meetings I had to take. I was very discouraged, like I was led on to feel hopeful and then a spanner in the works … and it all went south.

However, a text message which came from my wife reminded me: “Not gonna let this rob my praise. Jesus is good and His mercies never fail!! They are new EVERY morning. Let’s raise a Hallelujah!!”

At that moment, I went against the grain of my flesh and stopped the whining in my spirit.

I put my phone away and worshipped. My hope, my peace, my joy and comfort were not dependent on the outcome of my test results. It was in Christ – the Anchor of my Faith. God is my delight, He is my song!!

My third test came back equivocal – undetermined. This meant that the test did not count and I had to start the cycle of tests all over again.

The doctors and nurses were also very empathetic towards my situation. This time, God began to bring a peace and calm into my spirit, reassuring me that regardless of what happens, He is still in control and I had a stirring that He will bring me out in due time.

All I needed to do was to have that faith and trust that He is working even when I don’t see it or feel it. I continued to remain hopeful in Christ and began to praise and worship through the whole situation.

As I think about it, it is in our weakness that He is strong. In our cries that He hears and answers. In our distress that we are set free.

It is when we come to the understanding of how limited and broken we are that we realise and see a glimpse of the magnitude of the grace of God over our lives.

Yes , it was a trying period for my family and I, and for the church.

Yes, there was much uncertainty throughout the episode and it was so easy for anyone to simply take a stance to condemn others for what has happened.

Yet, it was through this adversity that we witnessed a move of God through the movement of people.