Puzzling Time(s)
These are indeed puzzling times. But because they are not to God, they can become for us, puzzle times!
We hope you are all well and finding a new sense of normal during this pandemic season. We would really love to hear from you and how the Coronavirus has affected your life and family. What’s been difficult? Where have you seen God’s blessings? How can we join you in prayer? Here’s what we’ve experienced:
Puzzle Time (Blessings)
- It’s been great to spend more time as a family, doing things we had little time for before – and yes, we’ve done a few puzzles!
- We’ve had a chance to try some new things in the kitchen together
- While we can’t order from the Chick-fil-A or Five Guys app, we are blessed to be able to get all the groceries we need delivered to campus
- We’ve read some great books…well, a few of us have!
- The current number of COVID-19 cases in Kenya is 396 and 17 deaths – so we are thankful the health system has not been overwhelmed
- We have treasured the ability of worshipping with Hannah, Henrik, and Tiana at their home church online
Puzzling Times (Concerns)
- We are missing our family in the US and face uncertainty about when we might be able to return
- Online school has provided it’s own unique challenges – and this is only the first week. The term ends in July!
- The stress level of our staff is quite high as teachers and dorm parents try to meet the needs of their virtual students in new ways and adjust to the demands of their now own homeschooled children. Of course these stresses are being experienced all over the world – but cultural factors and being isolated in a foreign land with an uncertain future magnify these pressures
- While the number of cases here is low, they are slow and steady, adding to the uncertainty of when travel will be possible again
Foto Flashback
Glad to hear you are well. Can’t imagine this current life with all those kids! At least the students from my school are at home – although that is sadly not always a good situation for them. I am living a quarantined existence because of my (ahem) advanced age of 65+! Stacy faithfully supplies me with groceries. Her kids Zoom me about once a week – boy! do I miss their hugs. Neighbors with signs sang HB to Eliora from across the street a couple weeks ago 🙂 We are planning a surprise (only C. knows) drive-by to “say” goodbye to Mancias. We women of OCC Zoom on Sat AMs and Seth sets up some songs with words and recorded music to sing with prior to his Sunday morning sermons also on Zoom. The elders faithfully take turns to send us daily emails and they are a blessing. Now praying you will still be able to come visit!
Hi Beth!
So good to get an update from you! Thank you so much for sharing! We are thankful to hear that you are feeling well-supported in this time of quarantine. Where are the Mancias moving to? Sad for you to hear that they are leaving!
By the way, just to clarify… our boarding students are not here on the RVA campus, but with their families. So the kids that are remaining on campus are the children of staff families (like us). So RVA students are doing online school just like so many other students world-wide! And we won’t be done for another 9 weeks as we just started 3rd Term.
Thanks again for writing, Beth! I’m sure you do miss those hugs from your grandkids! But oh so good to have the technology to keep up with them in that way…
Hugs and love,
J,L,J,S