Updates from Quarantine
Hello everyone! We have missed you! Really if I’m being completely honest, we have missed everyone. Every friend and family member that would normally be just a few minutes away, has felt worlds away during this time. Our prayer for all of you today is that your health will be protected, and that you will be blessed in unexpected ways by this extended up-close time with any loved ones at home.
This update will be a little different than normal. Instead of a general update, we wanted to give each family a chance to share a short personal update with some of the things they have experienced and learned in this season. Enjoy!
Snow Family
Oh my what to start with, where we have been and the things we have done since the first of the year. We will do our best to get everyone up to speed without being too long and wordy.
The family was able to cruise thru Christmas and the month of January without the stresses that sometimes occur with the holidays and post holidays events. Starting in about the second week of February, we along with the rest of the world started to hear about this thing called the Coronavirus. The first week of March was the start of the talk of isolation, lockdown and shelter in place. At this time our children were getting out of school for spring break, a one week break they take each year. At the end of the spring break we were notified the schools would be shut down for an indefinite time. We as a family started the shelter in place during that second week in March due to all the confusion and unknowns of what was taking place and the effect it could have on our health and family. I (Scott) was considered an essential worker so my income was not affected like millions of others.
Danielle and the kids had to learn and adjust to online schooling. This was quite a hurdle to overcome at first but was very critical in the kids being able to finish out the school year.
We were so overwhelmed by how this had taken hold of the entire world and how so many would be able to withstand lockdown and the shelter in place guidelines put in place throughout all the countries. The unknown outcome and the reports of the loss of life was overwhelming.
As a family we were concerned on how we all would react with each other since we were spending all of the time together instead of going to school, visiting friends and all the other stuff we normally did. Danielle was able to keep everything on an even plane even though sometimes I know she was about to lose her mind.
We are beginning to see lockdowns and restrictions being lifted. I have had to change jobs due to Coronavirus, and we have had our son Jackson graduate from high school. Our daughter Emily has moved back to Texas and near us after 6 years in Colorado. Huge things have happened in our family these past few months and we each have grown and learned and have not been stopped or broken. God has been so gracious during this time.
During the last few months we have spent much time praying and asking for clarity on how this has affected 5 Lights and where do we go from here and what does it do to the future for the 5Lights ministry. We have not been put down or stopped but just slowed for a short time. Over the past couple of years 5 lights have not been able to take the next step with anything that moves us forward without a huge resistance and push back from every situation and process we go through to reach our goal of going full time into this ministry. Each of us knows that and grows our faith that we are on the right path with God and this movement.
We ask for your prayers for our families and for the 5 Lights Team. We need God and each of you to have this ministry move forward. We will be reaching out very soon with information on how you can get involved with us on a personal level and our next steps in our transition in moving to South Africa.
Thank you and God Bless.
Snow Family
Young Family
Hello Facebook friends and family, what a crazy, uncertain time these past few months have been. As in many trying situations, we believe our family will come out of this time stronger and with a little more appreciation for time together and apart.
With most of retail having to close, the store Chris worked at shut down. This allowed him to spend most of the lockdown safe at home. Fortunately, his company paid him during this time and that took a lot of stress off of the family.
Since Leslie was already homeschooling the boys, there wasn’t a lot of change with them not being able to leave the house. In fact, they finished up the school year they were working on during the lockdown and have already started the next year.
With the family not able to leave the house and afraid cabin fever would soon set in, we tried to keep busy at all times. Most of our time was spent working on some much-needed projects around the house. However, we did have some very competitive game nights that almost ended with the police having to be called to bring the peace. We have a few overly competitive family members who do not like to lose, and a few very poor winners; which is always a great recipe for a night of fun.
On one note Chris did have a surgery scheduled in March to have a skin graft done to heal a chronic wound, which was postponed to May. As the quarantine was starting to be lifted a little, Chris returned back to work. Unfortunately, it was only for a week before he had to take off for his surgery. Chris had the surgery and is currently having to be on bed rest for six weeks for it to heal. Leslie is having to take care of him on top of their four boys but is doing an awesome job at playing nurse, teacher, wife and mom! We are ready for things to settle back to normal and spend time with our friends and family.
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
The Young Family
Keefer Family
Hey everyone!
You have all been on our minds and hearts these past 6 months in such a huge way. Our family started this year with a lot of excitement and anticipation, with plans for this to finally be the year we would make the move to Limpopo. We renewed everyone’s U.S. passports and began gathering the information we would need to be able to obtain our family’s visas. Shortly after receiving the updated passports, we began to hear of the spread of Coronavirus into the U.S.
Like most others, we had no idea what immense change would be coming.
During this season of quarantine and distancing, our family has had to navigate a lot of changes. Our kids’ transition to online schooling was a huge one. Although difficult and stressful at first, we were all able to find ways to adapt and ultimately found a good rhythm. The kids actually really enjoyed the freedom to do their work at their own pace and plan their time in ways that worked for each of them.
Thankfully, Shaun’s job had just moved him to working from our home before quarantine began which meant that his work hasn’t been affected. It is a huge relief and blessing to us.
For me, it has been like I can literally SEE what God is using this time for for us, and that has been nothing short of amazing to me. He has given us the opportunity to adapt to homeschooling our kids and the chance to get used to the kids being with us all day every day instead of away at school. He has given us the opportunity to learn new ways to spend quality time together as a family (Everyone beats me at chess now!). He has given our children the time and opportunity to explore new individual hobbies and interests that they may not have ever tried with the busyness of “normal” life.
ALL of those changes are directly preparing us for our family’s next season of life in full time ministry. Away from our family and friends and all things familiar and comfortable. Except- instead of us being thrown into all of it in a new home and a totally different continent, He is graciously and lovingly preparing us in a familiar place. In our own home here. I can’t see that as anything other than an amazing gift. God is so good. His plan is GOOD.
In Him-
The Keefer Family.
In closing, we love and miss you all and look forward to the days we can see some of your faces and hug your necks again. Until then, we will update as new things develop. You are all in our prayers and in our hearts.
-The Five Lights Team-