GAHHHHH. I don’t know where to start. I’m sorry I haven’t updated for almost a year, but it’s really hard to keep saying the same thing over and over. They say the definition of insanity is repeating the same action and expecting a different result. Am I insane? Maybe.

You know what though? Things aren’t “the same.”  

Since 2020, the world has seen a pandemic, and I think life has changed for everyone. Samuel had to end preschool and begin kindergarten online, and Ryon had to start her freshman year online. Even church was online, and because we are in charge of the sound and worship ministries, we were one of four families working to keep our church on the internet. It was a big undertaking, and we were at the church almost 5 days a week.

Finally, we decided to take advantage of the pandemic situation we were in, and we used online school as an opportunity to travel in ways we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to. We spent a week at a beach house where Ryon was able to surf between classes, and Samuel played in the sand after his kindergarten workbooks were done. Samuel and I were even able to take a trip to Virginia to see my sister and her kids while Samuel learned remotely from his laptop.

The following year, 2021, we got creative and took up new hobbies. We used our zoo passes religiously, started a paper airplane competition in the backyard, flew kites at the park, tried axe throwing at a local venue, went to Sea World, watched fireworks in the park, got a library card, and built a Lego tower taller than any we had ever built before. Seth took up golfing, if only in the backyard. Ryon started cheerleading when her 10th grade year began, and she found that she loves it. We played in Opa and Oma’s pool with all of the Jonker family. Samuel started taekwondo and is now a camo belt. In October, our family won the Trunk or Treat contest at our church as we dressed our truck up as the Hundred Acre Wood putting ground, and we dressed as characters from Winnie the Pooh. We all took a staycation to Las Vegas in November to play in a big pool and get away from our routine for a bit. For Christmas, we went to Arizona for two days to see Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of Seth’s side of the family.

 We are living every day with the mindset that we could be a family of five. All of our activities are exactly as they would be if we had another little boy with us. We would, of course, modify everything according to his needs, but we remember him in everything that we do. We spend every November 25th with cupcakes and candles so that we can tell him that we celebrated him and his birthday even before he was here. We have sheets on his bed and clothes in the closet for him whenever he gets here. We are still prepared, hopeful, and prayerful.  

I was really encouraged lately reading something by Elizabeth Elliot, a woman who showed great faith after her husband was murdered, and she found herself a single mother living in the middle of a jungle. That’s hard. Her encouragement is this:

“Do the next thing. Don’t sit down and think of all the things you have to do. That will kill you. It’s overwhelming. It’s daunting if you think of all the things that are involved in a task. Just pick up the next thing.”

And that is what we are doing.  

Here’s the shortest version:

We are still waiting for the borders of China to open (yes, we are communicating with agencies, advocacies, and embassies--oh my!).  

We are almost done renewing our home study-- again.

All other paperwork is complete and up to date--until it needs to be renewed again.

We are selling coffee as a fundraiser, and we are doing another fundraiser to fix a local widow’s home.  

I like this quote that may or may not have been from Martin Luther, “If I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” It makes me consider the importance of “the next thing” that I do. Am I living every moment in a way that I won’t regret? Am I using the time that I am waiting for “good,” or am I paralyzed with fear and questions? Going to the zoo or fixing a widow’s home or making a yummy dinner or filling out paperwork or golfing or swimming or planting a tree can be the best thing we can or should do. If we are in a relationship with God, and if we are in conversation with Him, He is with us in what we are doing. Do the next thing. Don’t just wait for things to develop the way you think they should. Don’t pout when they don’t. Do the next good thing you can think of. Love your neighbor. Love God. Live in the joy He wants to give you. Life is beautiful, even the strange and unknown parts, when you follow Him.

If you are interested, here are the links to our Both Hands fundraiser to fix a widow’s home. It’s one of the best things we have ever done. This is the video we made from last time; you might be in it! https://youtu.be/Ah7EEz7jMbo

If you want to join us, call me! This is the letter for our upcoming Both Hands fundraiser in June 2022. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1suMCFegZBijqvLSdfTgFnGfYlaotjLo3/view?usp=sharing 

Here’s the coffee fund raiser.

http://OurCityCoffee.com/HerndonFamily 

Here’s the Elizabeth Elliot thing if you want to read it. https://storage.snappages.site/CS8HTG/assets/files/Children-Do-the-Next-Thing-by-Elisabeth--14.pdf