How are our kids doing?
At this moment, the kids are doing well. We’ve kept just enough semblance of sanity with Jack being at in-person student at his school (he only physically goes to class two days a week and does the rest of his classwork from home) and Owen and Kate both being virtual at the charter school they’ve been a part of their entire education. It’s been tougher for those two as they’re both social kids. But we’ve been able to keep Owen in Track and Field and that’s helped. We were really hoping all three kids could be “in-person” in January after the Christmas break but it’s not looking likely. You can pray for their spirits as it’ll be Owen’s final semester as an 8th grader and his time with those students at that school will soon be finished.
How are we adults doing?
We’re doing OK as well. It’s been up and down for us just like it has been for you. It’s easy to normalize what seemed like crazy and out of the ordinary back in March and April, but it’s also easy to forget how much the pandemic and its effects still weigh on us in the background. And even though, without the Pandemic, I, Joel, would still be working from home with our new ministry role, the adjustment to that has had challenges. I’ve had a private office on a quiet floor at the Ethnos360 home office building/s for the last 8 years, so the adjustment has been a little bumpy.
But, thanks to the ever-present grace from above, we’re doing OK. We have appreciated some of the activity dampening effects the pandemic has brought. It has also led to a more rapid decline in Lynn’s condition. She’s moved into more of the middle-stages of her walk with Alzheimer’s Disease and it’s quite hard at times as caregivers and of course, on her. But we’re still squarely in the stage where she’s able to live and function well at home without a lot of additional physical care. We covet your prayers as we give care. One big need that increases as time passes is for some respite care options to become available.
Well, this will wrap things up for now. But as we move into another stage of life in America and in this World amid an ages-long struggle with sin and it affects, we are more convinced of the need to know and experience the fulfillment of all promises in our God who sustains us through Jesus the Son and the Counselor who has come to us!
