intentionally hopeful

Team teaching online classes!

"Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore." Genesis 8

We try to live each day intentionally with hope! Just like Noah, waiting is often part of that effort. We continue to mourn with those who have lost loved ones, and we are sad that so many people have lost health, jobs, income and daily routines. We pray for peace, protection, wisdom and mercy and healing and the lost to be found. More mercy and compassion and forgiveness ... it's all needed every day.

We have warmer weather!

Our days have overflowed with online classes since April 1, when our college decided that our students wouldn’t come back at least for another month. This term we are scheduled to teach ten, 90-minute classes every week. And in March alone, we missed teaching 40 classes! Our college decided we needed to start teaching classes online so that we could finish some day. Yay!

We were blessed to have March to get used to staying at home, learn how to order groceries online and have time to fill out and obtain all the required forms needed for our daily life these days. Because we were “Marching in Place,” we spent more time talking with our folks and friends in the US

We can see and listen to our students as they practice.

as the virus also started impacting daily life around the world. Our Father always has a good plan, and He gave us extra time for prayer and walks and trusting in His goodness and waiting on Him.

Our hundreds of students are really enthusiastic and patient. They show up online for class and speak English and smile. We still dance, sing songs and do lots of body actions together. Some of them join us from the park, the car, the mall and even the hospital. There are always great background noises and younger siblings that make for interesting moments. We had a blessed Holy Week and

Resurrection Sunday. We got to see four of our classes on Sunday! We had a meaningful time together and also joined a fellowship online. Happy Day! He is risen! 

We adapted our English-speaking lessons for online learning. That took some time! We were exhausted from 5 days of putting things together and then teaching classes for the first week. Now, we are better adjusted and eating more junk food, which always helps!

keeping in touch with our families - thankful!

The internet is not that happy to have 35 to 47 students speaking, listening and showing their faces online. However, we all laugh a lot and don’t get upset when nothing seems to be working. All of our students have a designated partner, and we have designed activities that require them to leave the online class and video chat with their friend in English. The students love that part of class, and it gives our router a rest too. After talking to their friend for 3 to 5 minutes, they all come back together refreshed and happy to scream online as a group again.

Our colleague and friend, Linda, hasn't seen
her husband since January. He is in the
military and is away on assignment.

Our daily life was more active as we enjoyed some more relaxing April outings for the first part of the month. When we are out and about, we don’t feel like we have to rush back home. We went to Starbucks again and walked around and bought different things from the local shops. With our bike ride there

We ran into our brother a couple times this week!

and back, we spent 4 hours outside. The supermarkets are stocked and open regular hours. Before our online classes started, it was easy to shop “off hours” so that we could social distance when we were out and about. Now that classes are underway, we are ordering online again and waiting for Thursdays, when we have the morning free. Our classes are scheduled 7 days a week until May 1, when we should have International Labor Day off, Father God willing!

care package from home!

Thanks for continuing to pray for the people here. In our community, high school seniors went back to school, but the 9th graders’ on-site return has been delayed indefinitely until an outbreak near us is more stable. We live near a border town (about 100 miles) that as of April is reporting hundreds of cases, locals who returned from abroad. The city is under closed management again, meaning the people are locked in their housing communities and one person is allowed to buy essentials every other day. Some of the sick people are coming for treatment to our hospital down the street. They are building temporary hospitals in the border town to deal with the people who need additional help. Thanks for praying for the people for healing and for the officials and medical workers for wisdom and endurance.

Order in!


Our life outside of class time is a little stricter because of the nearby outbreak.
1) Everyone is still friendly and helpful. Although, some people are a bit wary of foreigners, of course.

2) We must wear masks when we are in public places and we can’t meet with others. Our community continues to discourage people from gathering, but many families who lived in separate households recently started getting together again. However, people are sharing the virus this way. So the housing communities are more strict and checking for health certificates carefully these days. Community spread has started again in the capital city of our area and the first nine cases were all from one family who ate together. No one knows who had the virus first. We encourage you to be careful in your daily activities too!

thankful for prayer walks around the nearby field

3) We report temps every day to our workplace and online.


this is what our students see!

4) Our temps are taken at all public places and social distancing of at least 1 meter is required.
5) Cleaning staff sanitize our office every day, although we go there infrequently, because we work from home.

6) We saw our brother, A, in the community complex on Easter Sunday and caught up a bit in person, at a distance. He said he was having a hard time but is thankful that he can get out to play tennis once again. PTL!

7) Our friends and family continue to like the videos we send on social media. 
Our Father is good! We continue to pray for wisdom, peace and protection for everyone around the world. 

Thanks for being on this journey with us. We are thankful to be living in this time and place for His purpose. May He give you mercy, peace and protection in the days ahead.