Break Over

Ruthie and I took time off from running the activities center over the holidays, but it was hardly a break.

When dealing with needs of the kids tapered off just a few days before Christmas, we turned our focus to managing time with family. My brother and his friend Ken came down to stay with us, and Ruthie's aunt and mom also crashed at our apartment for a few days. We had to make sure everyone could come and go when they needed to, plan meals, and arrange different celebrations for different people.

We had to deal with several crises, we shed several tears, and I pulled a few shifts at my day job, and by the time everyone left, Ruthie and I both got sick. We feel a little better today, which is good, because the kids are coming for the afterschool program.

Some good things happened as well. I learned that one of my short stories was picked for publication in a literary journal, and Ruthie was able to complete and ship off a large order for Refugee Beads.

As our work ramps up again, we're trying to manage the workload and get the rest we need, because we're feeling the fatigue, and we want to do our ministry work well.