Almost everything is shut down, like it is almost everywhere else. Besides pharmacies, grocery stores, and banks, it's all closed. Playgrounds are off limits. Non-essential surgeries have been postponed. Commercial flights are grounded. Public transportation has come to a halt.
I went out last night to buy a couple things. It was eerily quiet. No kids playing, very few people out and about, and almost everyone in masks. They're not letting us into stores without them, and even then there's a limit to how many people can be inside at one time. Everything just feels so cold. Everyone is afraid to get too close to everyone else.
The initial quarantine was to last until April 3rd, but today we got word it's been extended until the 24th. I was expecting that, but the official news caught my emotions off guard. At least another month of this?
Thankfully there is food on the store shelves. We haven't dealt with the shortages we've heard about in the States. The one thing that is hard to find right now is medical masks. Oddly enough, we had a box of 50 we bought a couple years ago, so we've been able to supply everyone at the school who's been in need.
Our Family
The three of us are doing very well. Justus never got worse and Katie is back to feeling like her normal self (aside from the dry cough that won't go away). It feels good to feel good.
We're getting into a routine that maybe we're getting used to. I've set up my home office on the enclosed balcony off our bedroom and spend a good part of each day out there. Katie has been coming up with all kinds of crafts and games to keep Justus busy.
We do try to get out and take a walk together if we have a chance, but it's been pretty cold the last several days and so we've all been stuck inside with very few exceptions.
UBI
We're nearly to the end of our second week of hosting UBI classes online. It's actually gone quite well, better than I was expecting. It's been a learning process, and feeling at home in this new normal is taking me some time, but classes are moving along as planned. I’ve been sitting in on Revelation each day with the second-year students. Tim Burow from Sunset International Bible Institute has been teaching.
Every morning we all meet together for our chapel time (pictured at the top of this email), which is the one time a day everyone gets to see everyone. It's nice to see faces, but we all miss being together every day at the school. And I’m already tired of staring at the computer so much.
Our congregation has moved to online-only, just like most everyone else. Last night, the church met for its first interactive Bible study using Zoom. It was the first time many of us had seen each other in a couple weeks, and that was nice.
Making The Best Use Of The Time
What a strange time this is, and how strange it is that we're all going through it together. All of this should have sounded shocking, but it's everyone's normal right now.
I hope you are using this time to grow as a family and in your faith. This experience has already shown me how much I rely on other's expressions of faith. Now more than ever I need to make sure I'm in the Word and spending time in prayer. And now more than ever I'm without excuse to not be. We're living through a strange, forced social fast, and I would like to say by the end of it that I took advantage of the time I was given.
We have stumbled upon a few deals that have been a blessing for us, and we wanted to pass those along.
The Chosen
VidAngel is, at its core, a content filtering platform. You connect your services (like Netflix and Amazon Prime) then watch your content with any filters you choose (like taking out the bad language). VidAngel is also the only host of the amazing series, The Chosen, a series about the life of Jesus told from the perspective of those he called and worked with in the New Testament. It is very well done and makes you think about the characters in the gospels in a whole new way. VidAngel is offering their service free until the end of this month, so definitely check out The Chosen.
Peloton
Peloton is a fitness service with a great collection of at-home workouts. There are workouts which incorporate weights, stationary bikes, and treadmills, as well as simple bodyweight workouts. They are offering a free three-month trial for their app right now while everyone is stuck indoors.
MrPhil.tv
Katie’s sister asked if we knew of any churches doing anything for kids during this time since all the streaming focus has been about adult Bible classes and worship. Phil Vischer (creator of VeggieTales) has a new site which hosts all the content he’s made since VeggieTales. His What’s In The Bible series is especially good, and he’s got a lot of new content on there I’ve never seen before. He’s offering a two-week trial to all his content.
We love you and thank you for your prayers. We've appreciated your words of encouragement during this time. We’re in constant prayer for all of you right now as well.
Until next time,
Brandon and Katie
“I have a screwdriver. To screw things up.”