Family Update

Ben has been accepted at William Carey University in Mississippi, and will join Zach there next year. These pics were taken last year when we visited the campus with Zach. 

As for an update from Zach, we don't hear much from him, much less receive any pictures of him at school, but he's doing well there. He's majoring in Christian Ministry, currently with a sports ministry focus, and he's enjoying his classes in his major. He went home to my parents' for Thanksgiving, so we got a couple pics of him from my mom. He was on French Silk Pie duty for the feast, so he and my niece made the pies together. Mikayla and her roommate are in the pics too.

Ben is doing as well as can be expected in this locked-down world where we live. It's been incredibly hard watching him (and his friends) suffer through this time, but he has grown so strong during this time, and we're so proud of him. Please continue to pray for him, especially that face to face classes could start next semester - there is real hope for this, but prayers needed for sure! 

He and a friend recently got to go visit a good friend in another area. It was so good to see them together, and we came across this pic of the 3 of them 5 years ago. So glad they can maintain this friendship in spite of everything they've been through.

Things have actually started loosening up a little in recent weeks here, and kids can actually go into malls again if accompanied by a vaccinated parent. It was crazy how it felt so weird to get them in, felt like we had just accomplished a massive feat. Another BIG thing here is that the use of face shields is no longer mandated! We have had to use both a mask AND shield every time we leave our house, so this is HUGE to be down to just a mask. Sadly, it looks like this freedom could be fleeting as they're talking about making shields mandatory again with this new variant, and we expect tightening lockdowns again. But we're enjoying it while it lasts!

We were blessed to spend Thanksgiving with my sister and her family as well as some friends who have become like family here for sure. So thankful for these people in our lives. And we even found a turkey to help celebrate! Often Thanksgiving is just chickens because turkeys are hard to find and expensive (this year it was about $50 for a 14 pound bird), so we were extra thankful for the treat this year. :)

Mikayla is doing well at her adventure therapy job, and God is using her in mighty ways there. She has been dealing with some issues though, and we would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and strength as she navigates difficult issues.

We are so thankful for you, our team, who stand behind us in prayer and also in concrete ways as you encourage and support us AND our kids. We couldn't press on without you!