We are doing well. We had a great summer this year. We did very little travelling and took a few days off here and there, but mostly just stayed home and worked and tried to get more settled into our house. One of the highlights of the summer for us was that all three boys were able to find summer jobs, and were able to stick with them to the end of the summer. For me, it was great to see them get some job experience and to realize that they actually can work a whole day. Sometimes as parents we worry that our kids aren't adequately prepared for 'the real world' but this was a nice confirmation that we're doing okay. Esther kept busy helping out at various summer camps and some babysitting and helping her aunt and uncle get ready for twins! And now, all the kids are back at school!
Summer hours for Janice and I were hit and miss. At times, very busy and at times not so busy. When her boss took a month of vacation, Janice stepped in and ably took over. Thankfully no serious issues came up during that time. Meanwhile she also continues to meet regularly with the various HR directors in the different English-speaking African countries, encouraging them and helping them get the resources they need. Her trip to Kenya was a highlight for her. Being able to meet face-to-face with co-workers is such a blessing.
I spent a lot of time getting the books of Philippians and Jude ready for an exegetical check. We are also trying to prepare a children's Bible story booklet with 10 stories in it. I was able to meet the team on Zoom several times for a few days at a time which was very enjoyable. It's so much better than sitting at the computer by myself. The story book is nearly ready - it just needs some pictures and some formatting, but we hope to print that this month. The other books need some more work before they will be ready.
We have started into an extremely busy season for our family. The school year brings a lot more driving for after school sports and other things. And Janice and I will be travelling to Abbotsford, BC for almost two weeks, visiting our two supporting churches and and reconnecting with our friends out there. We plan to leave the three high-schoolers alone to fend for themselves at that time, which is going to be quite interesting! We hope the house will still be standing when we get back. In October we plan to host some family for Thanksgiving and some friends for about four weeks. Then I will travel to Nigeria in November for three weeks, while Janice has a shorter one week trip to Kenya again. Then it's into the Christmas season!
