Dear Family and friends,
One year ago, our letter was written from lockdown, and I was hopeful that our church family would be able to meet together for Easter, and that we could soon stop isolating from our nearby family, but that was not to be. We didn’t know that the 12 months between Easters would bring so many challenges, blessings, and so much renewed confidence in the faithfulness of God. We have shed many tears this year, felt many emotions, but have come to the writing of this annual letter knowing, without a doubt, that God is so very good to us.
In May, pandemic-isolation from my parents came to a glorious screeching halt. They came to stay with us! The reason? Two dams in our county gave way and the flood waters poured out their powerful force. My childhood home, where my parents still lived, is located 2 blocks from the second dam in the line. They also own the home next door for rental income in their retirement. Both basements were filled with flood waters, and there were at least 4 feet of lake mud and water in the main living areas, but the houses stood firm. Messy, but firm. It was overwhelming devastation for the community, with many people displaced and without help from their insurance companies, but the beauty that came from the disaster was absolutely dazzling. People from church, in our community, other communities in our state and volunteers from many relief organizations showed up. God provided in amazing ways for the people who lost so much, including my parents. Their former students and our church family were the first to arrive. We spent the spring and summer rebuilding their home, and one hundred and two days later, mom and dad were able to move back into their home. TRULY miraculous.
At the end of July, my mom’s brother, my uncle Gary, was called home to Heaven after fighting cancer for a long time. In early August, my dad was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer. His battle was so well fought. So courageous. God mercifully allowed his suffering to be brief, and called him Home on November 5. We ache and we miss him deeply every day, but are able also to see how many details were and are being fit together by the faithful hand of God. We cannot even count the ways people were His hands and feet to help us. Dad’s example of godliness will continue through the lives he impacted. God’s promises become more dear as we long for the day we can worship Him alongside our loved ones.
Just last month, mom was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Her prognosis is excellent, and we rejoice so much that God’s faithful hand saw fit to allow a doctor to order a test that wouldn’t ordinarily have been ordered and the cancer to be discovered before it spread. We are so grateful to also know that no other cancer is present in her body! Surgery will be soon! A week after mom’s cancer was discovered, I went in for a routine kidney scan so that I could be seen by a urologist, and discovered an enormous kidney stone. By the time you receive this letter, my second surgery will be complete and hopefully will have been a success! Mom’s surgery is scheduled for April 7th. We are grateful that these surgeries are anticipated to be relatively minor and are praying to that end!
I would be lying if I said it’s been an easy year - it has been quite a lot. BUT - every overwhelming challenge has been met with God’s overwhelming provision. We have INDEED tasted that the Lord is GOOD.
**I feel the urge to interrupt myself at this juncture. Usually, I re-write and edit carefully to ensure that our update letter is one page. But as we near the bottom of page one, I’m thinking that an unusual year warrants a second page! Here are some of the more traditionally appearing updates on our kids and family!**
Aaron, 14, will be finishing 8th grade and his last year at Zion Lutheran School. Thankfully, his classes have been in person since August, although sports have not been possible. We are so grateful for this blessing of in-person learning, and for the staff at his school who do so much to make everything as normal as possible. We are still praying about what to do for high school for Aaron. I know he’d love to play sports again! He has noticed his stiff muscles from a lack of constant exercise! He has been so helpful during this year of many renovation projects.
Evan, 12, is working through 6th grade with a mostly online curriculum, and is more than ready to get back to our normal routines of 2019! He misses the library and our favorite museum (still closed due to the flood) and is hoping for some extracurriculars to begin again soon. He is taking piano lessons from one of my friends who is more like family, is an avid reader, and really enjoys making us all laugh.
Cadence, 9, is in the 3rd grade and also is using videos for school. She absolutely loves her reading teacher and is super speedy at her math! She’s learning that if she begins early with her lessons, she ends early in the day and enjoys filling the rest of her time building LEGO, creating and imagining, and reading books. That last one is a special joy to her mother’s heart and an answer to prayer. She REALLY misses playing with friends and is excited about warmer weather and summer vacation.
Amos, 5, is in “young 5’s” kindergarten this year - we hadn’t decided whether to begin, but we ended up deciding on video school for him too - and it’s been an amazing blessing! He’s about halfway through the curriculum but is a quick study and we aren’t in a rush for him to finish. I’m so pleased with his progress and it is so fun to watch him grow. He keeps us laughing!
Michael and I celebrated 17 years of happily married life in December. I’m not joking either! We are super sappy. Every day with Michael is a joy and a gift. God has blessed us so much. Michael continues to work with Bright Construction, and keeps busy with home renovations on our house “in his free time” - actually, this year, we had 5 weeks of FORCED free time and he renovated our staircase and front entrance. It’s beautiful. Come visit!
Our church ministry has looked different this year, but we are able to meet with the teens for Bible study in small groups, once a week for a modified youth group time, and our church has been meeting in person on Sunday mornings for awhile too. Michael is a deacon, I’m able to serve in the music ministry, and am also able to be involved with women’s groups. I’m very excited to see what God does in our church’s women’s ministries this year.
Will you pray for us as we continue on? We are so filled with hope and assurance that God will continue to be faithful, continue to keep His promises, but we need the wisdom that only God can give as we continue to figure out what God has for us on this journey!
As you look forward to Easter, and celebrate the Hope we have because of Jesus’ resurrection, would you also make a list of all the ways that God has been faithful to YOU? This letter really only touches on the “highlight reel” for us - I could write a book and it still would not contain all of what we have seen this year. I sat at our kitchen table, writing and weeping as I remembered how many times God has shown us that He is right here with the grace we need to face every trial. Even when I hesitate, stumble, falter - He is there. My mom says often to look for God using your “God Glasses” and she’s right. He’s there! We have been blessed to see Him at work in these 12 months since last Easter, and you’ll be blessed as you look FOR Him at work in your life. We are praying for you as you also look TO Him to be your hope, your expectation, and your strength.
Love,
Jenny (for the family) Michael, Aaron, Evan, Cadey & Amos
**photos by Annie Gustafson
