This moment is all that you are guaranteed, and you are choosing to read this update from our family. It’s crazy how a few days, a few weeks, and now almost a month of “stay at home” orders it takes to help you realize that YOU have no control of what tomorrow looks like. I am such a planner, and after several years of living in the DR I have learned on a daily basis just how important it is to be flexible. Even when life is functioning as it should you aren’t guaranteed that the grocery store has what you need, or that you will have electricity for the day, or that the wifi signal will be strong enough for you to be productive.
On Friday, March 13, when we left San Juan for Santo Domingo with the team, our plan was to visit California, Indiana, and Illinois and return to the Dominican on Tuesday, April 14. We are a week out from April 14, and our family is still in California. I struggled with a lot of anxiety the night before we left San Juan, I couldn’t get myself to pack, and I told Jeff that I didn’t want to go to the states and contribute to the madness. At that point the Dominican only had 1 confirmed COVID case, and things seemed calm. Fast forward a week, and the entire world is in a state of emergency.
The Dominican has closed their borders by land, air, and sea. Only essential businesses are open and people are encouraged to stay at home. There was rumor that the Ministry of Education in the Dominican was going to transition to virtual learning. How would that even be possible when a majority of the country doesn’t have reliable electricity or internet. Braegan has been completing classwork for Lucille Rupp through WhatsApp through a series of photos, videos, and voice messages between her teacher and classmate. My expectations of what could be accomplished have been exceeded.
So what have we been up to in California? We have gotten creative with our indoor time.
Braegan has been writing letters, coloring pictures, going on walks, playing pranks (April fools), and completing coursework.
Brantley has become very mobile by starting to crawl and pull himself up on things. We have been introducing foods: green beans, pears, banana bread, carrots, and oranges.
Jeff has been keeping in touch with our Dominican staff, balancing finances, completing puzzles with Trent, and grocery shopping. He has also been rewatching “Friday Night Lights” with Trent and Katie.
I’ve been doing laundry, helping Braegan with school each morning, distracting Brantley from getting into things, and doing some online thrifting through Thred Up!
Trent and Katie have been working remotely as well, and we are thankful for the additional time we are getting to have with them that we wouldn’t have had. We have enjoyed watching different musical artists stream live concerts.
Sundays have been deemed “Fancy Dinner Night”. Braegan goes through Katie’s clothes and shoes and picks outfits for us. Trent and Jeff prepare the meal.
On Wednesday evenings we have been watching Survivor together. Last week Disney+ released Onward so we enjoyed a family movie night too.
We continue to take one day at a time and are thankful for the safety and health we currently have.
Prayer Requests:
-continued health and safety
-patience and grace with one another
-guidance and discernment as we continue to give leadership to the Dominican Republic from afar