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When the coronavirus pandemic cut off Jessie Thompson, 67, from her Baptist church, she felt alone. She was used to spending several days a week volunteering, ministering, and worshipping alongside members of her community. But for months, she was unable to even attend a service in-person.
Instead of allowing the circumstances to push her from her faith, though, Thompson said she took the pandemic as an opportunity to lean into her faith even more. Joined by several members of her immediate family, Thompson set up a system in which every hour was filled with prayer. She and her husband took the 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. shift together.