FURLOUGH 2020 - March

It's Furlough Time!

2020

COVID-19 FURLOUGH!

That means I might be able to start blogging again - fast wifi and extra time with everything shut down.   

Since it has been a long time since I have been on the blog, 

I will be doing some flashbacks just to keep a record of events.  

I print my blog into books, as my kids love to look through them and reminisce.

But before a flashback...let's look at the current month - March 2020.

On March 2, we left Uganda -- which was a big deal for Shae-Lynn and Shiloh as they will not be returning with us in 2021.  

Siblings waiting for the first flight

As we had our last Cafe Java's meal (our favourite restaurant in Uganda), the manager, who knows us so very well, brought out a going-away dessert for us to enjoy.  

Manager's gift to us

What a great start for our journey - a sweet blessing for us.  We are very thankful that we got through airports before all the panic and that we had no delays.  Our third flight was nearly empty, so we were able to get a little bit of sleep.  Our first week was full of shopping (new clothes are a necessity after intense Ugandan sun and life), acquiring a rental van (thank you BMTM), unpacking and repacking (one suitcase each to live out of), and greeting family and friends.

After just one week back in the States, we left the house at 4:30 in the morning to avoid

 the I-35 Austin-Temple-Waco traffic.  

American roads - so wide and smooth

Our first night on the road we spent with longtime friends of the Stensaas families and had a great time catching up on the years.  The next day we reached Illinois for our first meeting which was a great missions conference.  

The cold weather has caused our consumption of coffee to double

By the end of the week, Covid-19 restrictions were starting to get tighter, so our next meeting was home church with the pastor's family, then a cancelled meeting, and so on.  We have come from Uganda, Africa - where many people fear to even visit - to arrive in an America that we don't recognize.  

We had just entered a restaurant for lunch when they shut down dine-in

People are walking around with masks.  Roads are void of traffic  Store shelves are empty.  

The stores that are open restrict the number of customers and remind you to stay 6 feet away from each other.  Restaurants are drive-through only.  

Returning to America is always a culture shock, but this is culture shock on a different level.  We are sincerely praying for the world, as everyone has been affected in some way by this virus.  The furlough road we had planned now has detours, but God is still in control.  We will trust Him.  

Please keep us in your prayers.