The boys
built a “trap” in their room and then asked Amy to come up. She walked in, “tripped”, fell into the crate
and then they threw blankets and a cushion over her.
What do people write about in a
missionary newsletter update at a time like this? We’re still in Kansas City. Our partners in Lohutok had planned to travel
out last month, and because of travel restrictions are not even able to go back
if they thought they should. Since I
left Uganda a month ago the governments of Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan have
stopped all inbound and outbound travel.
In Uganda people aren’t even allowed to drive in their personal vehicles
without a special permit!
We spent fourteen days at home with
Justin confined to the basement, but the rest of our family also on quarantine
because Justin had traveled through Europe.
It’s hard to be at home with the kids, whom I haven’t seen in six weeks
already, and not be able to wrestle and snuggle! Since quarantine ended, we’ve been trying to
find little ways to keep busy and keep the kids busy. We’ve gone out to a few walking trails, have
been looking for new ways to do school activities, played with the kids from
the missionary family next door…while staying six feet apart, and have had lots
of Skype and Zoom calls.
It’s cold…but
we’re tired of being in the house…so let’s do school outside!
Normally I have some kind of
unique, novel experience or story about which I can write, but this month I
feel like we have the same story as everyone else reading this! When we first found out back in
January/February that we were not going back to South Sudan on schedule, a
pastor friend gave me some advice. He
said that although I’m grieving and panicking, Jesus isn’t. He is already on the other side of whatever
this is, He knows how it ends, He knows why it’s necessary, He knows how He is
going to glorify Himself through it, and He is a way better father, husband,
pastor or missionary that I will ever be.
It’s funny how we know these words are true, and yet hearing them still
helps. I don’t know what you’re going
through as you sit and read this in our newly-upside-down world. What I can say as someone who has lived in
South Sudan for ten years now, and seen so many potential disasters, so many of
my plans dashed on the rocks, and so many situations where God MUST provide
because there’s no other way for ME to make it work, is just the same
thing. Jesus is on the other side, He
knows the outcome, He knows your faithfulness, He has never panicked or worried
or been surprised.
Thank you all for praying that we
would get a place to live. We haven’t
yet though, so keep praying!
In this together with you,
Justin, Amy, Ezekiel and Caleb
