Thoughts and expressions of hope from FMCA members as we navigate the uncharted waters of a global pandemic.
National President
Jon Walker, F268778
jwalker@fmca.com
(574) 536-4554
With a monthly magazine such as Family RVing, content must be prepared well in advance to allow time for printing and mailing the publication. This creates a disadvantage in terms of not knowing what will be taking place by the time the digital magazine goes live and the print magazine reaches mailboxes a week or so later. Never have things been more uncertain than they are now, however, as we navigate through a global pandemic.
As I write this, it’s late April. Here in the United States, talk of returning to some semblance of what we knew as a normal life has arisen, and some governors are starting to relax certain aspects of the stay-at-home orders. It’s unclear what the “new normal” will look like for us, or when RVers might be able to resume their travels.
For many people, life will never be the same, because they lost loved ones to this terrible disease. Among them is the family of Gary Bunzer, technical editor and longtime contributor to Family RVing magazine. Gary died in a Seattle, Washington, hospital on Friday, April 17, after a battle with COVID-19. Known as the RV Doctor, he devoted more than 40 years to his passion of educating and helping RV owners, as well as to training RV technicians. He had the gift of sharing technical information in a way that was understandable to the average RV owner. Not only that, but you have never met a more likable guy.
Gary enlightened countless FMCA members through his technical articles in the magazine over the decades, and he solved innumerable problems for RVers via his popular “RV Doctor” question-and-answer column. He also passed along his technical expertise to hundreds of FMCA members who attended his seminars and RV Basics courses at FMCA conventions. Gary was passionate about developing our FMCA University to the level of providing online and hands-on classes leading to certification for our members in areas of plumbing, electricity, heating/air conditioning, and power and suspension systems. Gary has been a vital part of the FMCA family and the RV industry, and his passing leaves a hole in the hearts of many. On behalf of FMCA, we extend condolences to Gary’s wife, Debbie; his daughters, Heather and Gretchen; and his grandchildren.
The July issue of Family RVing magazine will include a tribute to Gary, and we will pass along any information we may learn about memorials, should the family designate such.
I’ve been thinking about how this pandemic is impacting our FMCA family — beyond the fact that we’ve had to put travel plans on hold. I’ve wondered how some of our younger members are coping. So, I reached out to FMCA member Susan Davis. I became acquainted with Susan because she was a member of the FMCA Energized group, which met and scheduled activities during our conventions and later became an FMCA chapter. Those of you who have been FMCA members for a while might recall reading about Susan and her family in the December 2018 Family RVing article titled “A Brave New Journey.”
Susan became a widow at the age of 42 and was left to raise her six children alone. They were ages 14 to 14 months at the time. She had never driven or taken care of the family’s motorhome but decided they would start traveling in it, and circumstances ultimately led to them becoming full-timers.
Three of Susan’s children shared their thoughts about the current crisis.
Left to right: Mary Emma, Lindsay, and Jennifer Davis, who live full-time in a motorhome with their mother, Susan, and have been riding out the pandemic at a ministry center in Texas.
First, Lindsay, age 20:
“Traveling full-time during a global pandemic has been quite interesting. We were north of Houston when things started to get crazy. I went to the grocery store and noticed that all the toilet paper was gone; next it was the milk and bread; then the canned goods. As we live in our RV, it’s hard to keep groceries on hand, so we had no choice but to go to the store and see what we could find. Shortly after, we moved to a ministry in east Texas. My sister and I had planned to volunteer there for a few months leading up to a large homeschool conference they have every year.
“We went ahead with our plans to volunteer, because we know the people that work at the ministry center, and we know if something goes wrong, they would be there to help us. Since my mom is a widow, if she were to get sick, there is no one else to take care of the younger kids. Being able to be where there are people who could help with the kids if mom were to get sick gives us all a sense of safety. The conference was canceled due to COVID-19, but they kept us on staff to help sanitize all the buildings that are still used on a daily basis. We don’t have to worry about a place to stay till our volunteer time is up in May, and while we are here, we can always pay for meals in the dining hall if we are unable to get groceries.
“I originally was planning to spend the summer in Wisconsin to work a summer job, but those plans have been put on hold. I also was going to start working a part-time job online, but due to the pandemic that job has also been put on hold. So, it’s been very interesting trying to figure out how I can work and what plans to make while the world is in panic mode.”
Jennifer, age 17:
“With the COVID-19 and living on the road, I know many people who are having difficulty. Thankfully, we had plans to volunteer at the International ALERT Academy (IAA). So, our experience with the current situation is a little different than most.
“We arrived at IAA on March 15th. Grocery shopping has been a little interesting at times; figuring out what is in stock and what isn’t. Grocery pickup options have been a great help. My older sister and I are volunteering with housekeeping at IAA. And we have been deemed essential personnel, because we go through and sanitize everything daily to help eliminate the chance of the virus spreading if anyone on campus were to get it.
“Due to the virus, the homeschool conference that we go to every year got canceled; that was very sad. I was looking forward to it! The conference is always one of the highlights of our year!”
Mary Emma, age 13:
“If I had to describe [the current situation] in one word, I would use foolish. I mean, why would you go and raid the stores? Why would you put a crockpot lid on your face as a mask? Why would you wear a mask and gloves in your own car?! The whole thing is foolish. Yes, we need to take precautions, but wearing a crockpot lid? And buying all the toilet paper? Really? And what’s with all the soaps going missing all of a sudden? Are people just now starting to wash their hands? You should have been doing that before.
“And truck drivers, they’re having it hardest. They can’t cook food in their truck, they can’t go through a drive-through, and they can’t go inside to get food. What are they supposed to do?
“And shutting down RV parks? Lots of people don’t have a home base or sticks-and-bricks place to go back to; they live in their RVs. And you can social distance in an RV. The people who don’t take this seriously are spreading it.
“Now, I believe there can be some good to come out of this. Parents are spending more time with their kids. They aren’t just rushing around trying to get little Johnny to his soccer game on time and Linda to her ballet recital. It’s not the parents go to work, and then the kids go to school, and when summer comes they send them to summer camp! I think that there can be some good that can come from this if we all self-quarantine and follow social distancing guidelines; then we’ll all make it through this. Stay home, and stay safe.”
I also contacted FMCA’s three chaplains and asked them what they would say to encourage their fellow members. I do realize that FMCA members have different beliefs and that FMCA is not a religious-based organization, but one thing we have in common is that we’re all looking for hope during these difficult times. I also know from personal experience the value to be gained from being able to talk to and listen to people trained in helping others in times of despair, anger, grief, and loss.
I asked the chaplains whether it would be okay to share their contact information in case members need someone to talk with right now. Each of them unequivocally said yes. They also suggested that we set up a toll-free number members could call. So, we’ve done that. If you need some encouragement, if you’re feeling lonely, or if you are grieving the loss of a loved one, feel free to call the Chaplains’ Connection Line: (833) 458-0778 (seven days a week) and one of them who is “on call” will answer or will respond quickly to a voice mail you leave. You also can send an email to chaplains@fmca.com. They will respond to you by email in a timely way. Be encouraged — our chaplains are delighted to hear from you!
Encouragement From FMCA National Chaplains
“We love our FMCA Family! We need each other in these unprecedented days of COVID-19. We have great memories of rallies. We often begin with a question, ‘What is FMCA all about?’ Often the answer is, ‘FUN.’ In these weeks we require a much deeper answer to lift our lives and encourage us. That answer is ‘relationships.’ Relationships transcend fun. Fun is fleeting. Relationships can run deep and provide us with lasting strength for the storms, like the one we’re in now. Relationships can grow, and as friends we discover real hope. Genuine hope — for millions in this moment — is in short supply.
“We mourn with those who have had great losses and are facing horrific illness. We also rejoice with those who have recovered from the virus and are continuing to get better. So, we lift this theme: We can find real and lasting HOPE today. We can experience hope through the power of prayer. We can call out to God who hears every prayer. God comforts and strengthens us in our struggles. God is always for us and with us. While expressing our thoughts and emotions, prayer propels us toward hope. While we can’t GO right now, we can pray for and with others through the blessing of technology. Our grandchildren and youth can teach us.
Loving others unconditionally brings us real hope and joy.
“So, we encourage and challenge all of us to look beyond ourselves and to strive to build our relationships with others. It’s really quite easy in these COVID-19 days — we have much additional time, and we can choose to live as a blessing to others we know or have not yet met — especially in our FMCA Family!
“Let’s trust God to empower us to GO initiate, grow, and transform our relationships with others around us. We can start with our spouses and families. We know well how to live in the little space of an RV. It’s not always fun or easy! We can genuinely go deeper in relationships with our friends. We can become agents of real hope. God will grant us the compassion and courage to initiate wonderful NEW relationships with those we see but don’t really know: neighbors who are on the ‘front lines’ where we live today; the folks who pick up our trash; the workers at Walmart, Target, Publix, or Home Depot. God wants to bring us amazing new friends, even in these very difficult times!
“Blessings, Joys, and Hope to you all.”
Your National FMCA Chaplains,
Rev. Jim W. Hollis (Georgia)
Mr. Dane Bailey (Indiana)
Pastor John Aukema (New York)
At the time of this writing, our FMCA staff continues to work from home. We are fortunate that we have the technology to make it possible for most employees to do so and to keep serving FMCA members during these unprecedented times. Please let the staff know if we can do anything to assist you. And please be patient with them and with your national officers as we continue to work amidst extraordinary circumstances and to make difficult decisions.
Stay safe and stay well.
A Note From The Member Engagement Committee
As we look forward to issues that must be addressed in coming months, we are mindful of the important role volunteers provide in their service to our standing advisory committees. We have reached out to our current committee leadership to get their input on the number of people they’d like to see added to their committees in the coming year. We are also asking you to give thought to committee service. If you previously submitted your interest, please let us know if you are still interested. If you are not on our list, please go to the Member Engagement tile on the membership profile page at FMCA.com and let us know of your willingness to serve FMCA.
Committee appointments are made in October and candidates are submitted for consideration in September. We would like to have volunteer submissions completed by August 1. All submissions are entered into a volunteer database from which members can be selected for consideration.
PHOTO CAPTION
Page 8 – Left to right: Mary Emma, Lindsay, and Jennifer Davis, who live full-time in a motorhome with their mother, Susan, and have been riding out the pandemic at a ministry center in Texas.