Inside the outbreak: Scarry times in scary times, Chapter 14 – WORLD – WORLD News Group

Welcome to Chapter 14 ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day?Emaileditor@wng.orgto share how social isolation is impacting what you do, what you eat, etc. Life has changed a lot for some of us, but we can still encourage each other and enjoy learning about others experiences.

Fred and Wendy Smith live in Colorado. Wendy writes: In our retirement, my husband and I volunteer with Prison Fellowship, mentor young people, and serve in our church on Sundays. All of a sudden life has become very quiet. Now we extend devotional time each morning. We delivered letters to 40 neighbors offering help, prayer, and spiritual discussion in this time of uncertainty, isolation, and fear. We made bread and cinnamon rolls for people on our street, the garbage collectors, and the mailman. We cleaned and reorganized closets and cabinets. Ive been making cards and gift boxes and working ahead for Christmas!We made face masks and hand sanitizer for a few older folks. (Cautious of Mathew 6:1, we share the things weve tried to do for our neighbors in an effort to share ideas with those who are bored or want to reach out to othersto spur one another as instructed in Hebrews 10:24). Our time together has been rich.

Harrison Watters in Louisville, Ky., said, Mainly I chip away at tasks for work and schoolall behind my computer screen. This season feels busier in social isolation than before, partly because of how much needs to take place just inside my head. When I'm not writing or editing podcast audio, I'm trying to watercolor more. I am also building a game board which mimics the way planets revolve around the sun, but haven't yet decided whether it will be played more like Risk or Settlers of Catan. When its time to shut the laptop, I go outside to play soccer and basketball with my brothers.

From California to Alaska, COVID-19 has touched family life and work. For Chapter 13 ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day?a farmer and a pilot tell us how their lives are different now. How has your work changed? Tell us:editor@wng.org.

Vernon Peterson is an organic stone fruit farmer in California. He writes, Our family employs 150 people year-round to farm, pack, and ship stone fruit, pomegranates, and citrus for ourselves and about 80 neighbors. We consider ourselves a small farm and a medium-sized operation around here. Were hand-thinning apricots, nectarines, peaches, and plums right now for a harvest that starts in five weeks. Our packing facility was more productive the last two weeks than any time in my career because stores were empty, and it was our duty to do everything we could to get them restocked.

Jered Gebel is a pilot in Southeast Alaska. Heres how his life has been affected: Since not many people are traveling, our operations have shrunk, and all pilots have been put on a 10-days-on, 10-days-off work schedule. My wife is a stay-at-home-mom with our 4-year-old daughter. This time of year I am normally very busy at work, working 13-hour days, five days a week. With work slowed down, its a very strange, eerie feeling. I'm in the middle of my 10 days off, with possibly more time off. What a wonderful blessing it is to be home with my wife.Weve been keeping a loose schedule, or else Ill go crazy.We wake up, have coffee, read our Bibles side by side. Our daughter is usually up by the time we're done, and shes already asking for booberries and a snack. Many oranges, berries, and a few eggs go into her bottomless pit before she announces, I full! Play with me. We do some light preschool homeschool curriculum with her as we finish our eggs and more coffee. These last few days, its still unseasonably cold out, yet unseasonably sunny.While we wait for the temp to climb out of the teens, we clean up the house. After cleaning, if its warm enough, we start making plans to go outside for fresh air. A clear day like this in the early spring means wind, and lots of it in some places. Last night downtown recorded a 95 mph gust. Its a balmy 35 degrees. The wonderful part of living in Juneau is that, despite many people being off work, there are very few crowded places. Our favorite trails and beaches usually have just a few people, easy enough to be socially distant.We try to smile at others. I can tell theres a lot of stress on everyone. In the evenings were back at the house, smelling smoky from the inevitable fire Ive made to keep warm while we enjoy the spring day. If we get lucky, there will be Northern Lights late tonight to enjoy as we doze off.

Welcome to Chapter 12 ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day?Two ladies near Atlanta are staying busy serving others. How is social isolation impacting your daily life? Let us know: Emaileditor@wng.org.

Terri Terrell lives south of Atlanta andis doing whatever I can to be useful! I have been cleaning at a local church building that has an almost exclusive senior membership. They are without a shepherd right now, so it is very hard on them. There are projects I can do, and we have let the members know that we are available if they have needs. I am reading and meditating on God's word, praying for many people, and then texting them to let them know I am praying for them. And I might have played Minecraft until the wee hours. I'm well and blessed beyond measure!

Debbie Lorincz said: I am sending cards to elderly folks in nursing homes, weeding my garden/prepping for planting, learning how to use Evernote so I can cut down on my papers and be more organized. I have been practicing my macrame knots as I make jewelry from colored hemp cord, taking a course on Bible teaching from the Simeon Trust Foundation, doing a little spring cleaning, making cards for future birthdays, getting a box together to send to my son in South Korea, and trying to keep in touch with family and friends through various video outlets (a learning curve in itself).

For parents who work in healthcare, childcare can be a challenge. Chapter 11 ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day?features two families who are making it work. Send your stories toeditor@wng.org.

Bill Mann has three grandkids, ages 11, 12, and 14, whose parents are primary care doctors an hour away. He says: Keeping them away from infection is paramount. We have managed to keep busy by doing several things togetherriding bikes, playing golf, and tennis. A neighbor has a trampoline to play on which provides unlimited joy. Breakfast is a big dealwe change it every day and plan the menu. The kids go in the grocery store with a list and money while my wife stays outside. My wife is teaching the eldest how to diagram a sentence into subject and predicate. My grandson goes to a private Christian school that has been having online classes for at least six hours per day. Planning dinner is a joint projecteach has favorites, so we come to a consensus. Oh, and watching reruns helpsthey love Carol Burnett.

Lissa White is at home with her five kids. She says: We went from a charter school two days a week to full homeschool. My husband is an ICU nurse and is gone five or six days a week. With five kids at home it would be easy to go crazy, but the opposite is happening. We are reading more, drawing, eating dinner outside, checking on friends and family, and mostly taking hope in Gods sovereignty. I am hopeful that this will be a time our kids look back and see the goodness of God and look to love those around themeven if thats taking diapers or toilet paper to someone.

Weve reached Chapter 10 ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day?Today we have two people whose jobs are impacted by the pandemic. How is social isolation impacting your daily life? Let us know: Emaileditor@wng.org.

World Journalism Institutegraduate Victoria Johnson writes: My husband is a police officer in the city of Phoenix. He says the virus has changed his job in three main ways. From a patrol perspective, he handles fewer calls for service and fewer car accidents. The bad guys are easier to spot because their behavior hasnt changed while everyone elses has. From a legal perspective, courts have postponed all trials involving juries, and command staff discourage officers from booking suspects for misdemeanors. From a political perspective, many officers are uneasy about enforcing emergency measures. They feel they are walking a tightrope between following orders and violating constitutional rights.

Jennie Higgins, 62, works at a Costco near Houston, Texas, and her husband is a Costco driver. Were considered essential people now, Higgins said. In the last three weeks, she has experienced a wide range of emotions: You get up and realize you dont know what youre going to face ... Ive prayed that God would allow me to be a light in an unusually difficult situation. Besides her own emotions, she deals with customers anger and fear. Higgins tries to listen and acknowledge how difficult the situation is, and people often thank her for listening and understanding. She also has opportunities to bless coworkers by staying calm and being kind: One told her seeing who she was in this crisis had changed him. I had no idea that just being kind and asking questions about his life would change his life so much, Higgins said. She realized that God was using her: One heart at a time, I just keep sharing. I keep thinking, OK, Lord, whatever little I can do, let it make a difference.

Heres Chapter 9 ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day?Let us know what youve been up to ateditor@wng.org.

Social isolation means more family time for many of us. Heres how two families are using that time:

Leah Beecher, her husband, and four daughters live in Avoca, N.Y. Leah says: The novelty of being home all day with your family members (like its the pre-industrial revolution) has most definitely worn off. My husband and I and our four school-age daughters stick to a routine: up at 8 a.m., breakfast and reading the Psalms together with schoolwork, working from home, and housework to follow. On Sundays we sing worship songs accompanied by an acoustic guitar and share what we read in the Bible that week. For lunch we buy take-out from a local restaurant and watch a documentary. Because lets face it: There has been a whole lot of binge-comedy-movie-watching during the week.

Julie Sokol is a single parent of an autistic teen. She writes: Since his school closed, hes been camped out in his bed working on anime drawings and keeping up with online chats. Hes an introvert and finds much of this new arrangement to be a natural fit. I telework downstairs. My Siamese cat sits at the front window and watches all the new passersby in our neighborhood. My son and I usually make a nice lunch together, go on quick bike rides, look up his friends houses on Google Maps, and talk about memories with friends.

Heres the eighth edition ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day! Send your own socially isolated happenings toeditor@wng.org.

Some people are running out of things to do during their time at home, but in Austin, Texas, Cindy Seaton is staying busy. She writes: My husband and I work from homehe is an Oracle Cloud Training Manager and Im a 1031 tax-deferred exchange coordinator. Were guiding our 16-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter through homeschooling without the resources of a co-op and dual credit classes at the community college. My parents are healthy, but were helping them around the house cleaning and running errands. For our neighbors, were delivering water or supplies to friends who need them and shipping toilet paper to colleagues in other states.

Lee Pitts teaches journalism at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, and is the associate dean of the World Journalism Institute. Launching my first online college class session, I did not know what to expect, he said. Would students be ready to learn after a two-week break? Would everyone be able to log-in from time zones all around the nation? Would they even care about learning at this moment? But student after student popped into my Zoom meeting. Near perfect attendance. They smiled at each other, waved, and gave tours of their bedrooms. New students even joined the class: Gibby and Leon. Two cats. As the students peeked at one anothers pets and posters, I realized they werent giddy about my upcoming lecture. They were just happy to see each other. A campus community broken, now reunited.

Todays edition ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day?features two examples from outside the United States. If you are stuck in social isolation, wed love to hear how youre using the time: Email 100 words of description to editor@wng.org.

Prema Sunder and her husband, Sam, live in India. Prema writes: The deadly virus is very much here in Chennai. They call it the imported virus, as it was first found in people returning from other countries. Most of those who had it were elite and middle-class people who could isolate themselves. But now cases are appearing among those who havent traveled overseas, and it is spreading to the community. Our people in villages are very poor in hygiene and most are day laborers. How are they going to survive this lockdown? Already we hear of people going without food. Sam and I do not go anywhere. All the ministry centers are closed. We organize fasting prayers within our homes and have virtual worship in most churches. We thank God for it!

Michael Kearney is a Ph.D. student at Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna, Poland. He writes: Europe shut down during my semester abroad, so Im riding out the virus in a dorm room in Poland till Junefeeling sometimes like an inmate, sometimes like a patient, sometimes like a monk. The monkish times are the best. Silence is important; breaking the silence is also important. I read out loud. I pray out loud. I sing a bit before bed. I dictate essays to myself. I listen to the church bells. I curl up in the afternoon sun and take a nap. I fret over the days international headlines and their implications. I sing a bit more.

How are kids handling social isolation? ForWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day, Chapter 6, three kids tell us whats keeping them busy. If your kids would like to write about their social isolation activities, send their descriptions to editor@wng.org.

Desarose Stewart, 12, lives 40 miles above the Arctic Circle in the Inupiat village of Kobuk, Alaska. Heres her take: Hours after Kobuks social isolation rule was announced, men snowmobiled onto the ice-locked river hunting caribou for Kobuk. The hunters dropped off one or two of these reindeer-like animals to every household. For 10 hours my family cut stew meat, ground some into sausage, and deboned our two caribou. Weve also streamedAdventures in Odyssey, dog mushed, and wiggled through 5-foot deep snow. Mom has us outside for six to eight hours daily to maintain healthy bodies.My friend flew home from boarding school and we air-hugged from 12 feet apart. So far, social isolation is not too bad.

Lydia and Guelah Branham are sisters. Their dad, Josh, works for a company that collects and shreds trash from hospitals, nursing homes, and banks.

Lydia Branham, (almost) 10 years old: When my dad comes home from work, the day is almost over, and we dont have to be concerned with the chores, schooling, and busy schedule of our household. But even at the end of the day, there are hints that the virus is still out there. Dad goes up to change his germy clothes so he wont give the virus to us, and then greets us.

My dad thinks keeping in touch is important, so were doing a lot of video-chatting. When we use Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime, the picture is normally fuzzy and everybody talks over each other.But even so, we get to catch up with our friends. Since we cant go to the library, my mom unpacked a whole wall of books from storage. I entertain myself with an old, battered copy ofThe Lord of the Ringsand pray for better times.

Guelah Branham, 8 years old: Life hasnt changed, not too much. Daddy has to get the groceries; he doesnt want us to get the coronavirus. He doesnt stop going to work because his job shreds hospitals trash. Were homeschooled, so theres no big change in schooling. Whenever we switch on the news, they are talking about the coronavirus. They talk about social distancing, so we dont give the virus to someone older or who is already sick and could easily die. Church is closed, so on Sunday we watched part of a sermon at home. We can still play outside, although we arent lately because of the bad weather. Were doing a lot of FaceTime and cards to keep in touch.

In honor of childrens illustrator Richard Scarry, heres the fifth installment ofWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day. If you are stuck in social isolation, wed love to hear how youre using the time! Please send your 100 words of description to editor@wng.org.

Natalie Boltz is a stay-at-home mom to three kids under 4 years old. Shes working to keep them entertained: We are having fun in the kitchen making carrot applesauce cake, homemade whole wheat bread, strawberry yogurt popsicles, and pancakes. The kids drag their chairs up to the counter and help with mixing and adding ingredients. The 4-year-old can even measure some of the ingredients. Were grateful to spend time outside in the sunshine and brighten our home with bouquets of the yellow wildflowers overtaking our backyard.

Speaking of yellow flowers, Amy Boyd and her family came up with an idea to bless their neighbors. She wrote: Were a homeschooling family with eight children. The social isolation has been a relatively easy adjustment for us, but we knew many of our neighbors in Buford, Ga., were struggling. We set up a flower stand and gave away free daffodils from our garden to anyone who walked by. Chairs were a careful 6 feet away from the table. We plan to continue the Free Flowers stand every spring, Coronavirus or not.

In honor of childrens illustrator Richard Scarry, heresWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day, Chapter 4. If youre hunkered down, let us know how youve been spending your days. Please send 100 words of description to editor@wng.org.

Katie Winkler: I am quarantined in Romania after a mad dash through Eastern Europe to reach safety. After my school plans fell through at home, I planned to spend a month in Eastern Europe and a month in Ireland exploring what God had for me next. Im still exploring that, just in a totally different way than I expected. As I prayed and walked the driveway loop yesterday (19 times makes 2 miles), I asked, What did Paul do in prison? I think he steeped himself in scripture and the Lords presence until epistles poured out. So I pray, study, and memorize Scripture, invite the Lords presence into my day, and read John BunyansThe Holy War.

Christianna Kinney: The coronavirus has brought home all five of our children (ages 4 to 11). Instead of hurrying to get them dressed and out the door each morning, we eat breakfast together and learn around our table. Our afternoons are busy playing games and building forts instead of driving to dance lessons and basketball practice. During our late-night talks my husband and I talk about what the kids said that gave us hope. Our kids are oblivious to the world's chaos and fears. Our 6-year-old said, Mommy, can I keep homeschooling until Im 14?

Kim Downs is an artist who has read WORLD for more than 15 years. She shared how her family is dealing with social isolation: Were a family of five with little boys ages 5, 4, and 1. Im spending days with them like always, except stuck mostly at home, but with the bonus of my husband working (plus playing and disciplining) at home with us. We've had picnics, walks, and lots of yard time. Yesterday we watched our church music leader and his kids livestream scripture songs, and tonight my ladies small group Bible study discussed Philippians 2 virtually. My husband took our boys to watch the sunset with my parents.COVID-19 is pressing us into contentment in simplicity and treasuring community.

Tamara Shoemaker said: Its no secret that Ive lived in Facebook-land since schools let out and the coronavirus became the only topic of discussion, ever. My job at a local elementary school was put on hold, my graduate classes all moved online, and I began to homeschool my three children. I watched my Facebook newsfeed in horror as shortages, especially medical shortages, cropped up everywhere. When a call for fabric masks from a local medical center appeared, I jumped in with both feet. I have a sewing machine and basic sewing skills: I could volunteer! The next day, a worker at the center had picked out fabric, elastic, and thread for me, delivered it, and I set to work. They were easy to make, and I felt better, knowing I was doing something to help.

In honor of childrens illustrator Richard Scarry, heresWhat Do Socially Isolated People Do All Day, Chapter 3. Im now turning this feature over to WORLD reporters Hannah Harris and Charissa Koh, so please send your 100 words of description toeditor@wng.org. If any children want to draw pictures of what they imagine John Erickson and Hank the Cowdog look like, please email them to that address as well.

John Erickson, the author of 74 beloved Hank the Cowdog books, lives on a Texas panhandle ranch with no neighbors for miles around. He writes, You might say that Kris and I have been quarantined for decades.Over 53 years of marriage we have learned to cope with isolation and even to enjoy it.We play instruments and sing together.We share a glass of wine in the evenings and talk to each other.We watch old movies on DVD, the most recent being the Marx Brothers.We also have our own interests.Kris enjoys cooking and quilting.I am interested in Texas Panhandle archaeology.But we also enjoy singing in our church choir and being part of a worship community.We will miss that for a while.

World Radio features editor Paul Butler writes about a meeting inLaMoille, Ill.population 725of three local pastors with the mayor, school superintendent, and two concerned community members: Within hours wed initialized a pay-as-you-go cell phone as a community hotline, designed postcards to go to every mailing address in the area, and published a flyer for the post office. The first call came from an octogenarian needing a few things from the store, and someone to pick up her mail. I bought the apples and evaporated milk. When I dropped them off, I passed the young man delivering her mail. Before this crisis, wed never met. Who knew isolation could actually bring people together?Marvin Olasky

I received two more stories for ourRichard Scarry-influenced collection,What Do People Do All Day in Social Isolation (see below). The first is from historian Allen Guelzo, author of excellent books about the Civil War and director of the Initiative in Politics and Statesmanship at Princeton University's James Madison Institute:

As I face self-quarantining, I step back a short distance in time. First, I read. Second, I read aloud, which is what families in the 19th century did around parlor tables. Third, I look for sets of liturgical prayers (more reading aloud). I recommend Edmund Grindals Meditation at the time of plague in 1563, which you can Google fromThe Remains of Edmund Grindal(1843). As St. Jerome said, in prayer we are never less alone than when alone. Truth is, I'm enjoying so much connection with these agendas, I might not want to go back to the future.

Our second Scarry story is from Matt Brownfield, a partner at the Murphy Nasica political consulting firm:

Political consultants are not social animals. Likebetta fish, we fight when placed in a shared aquarium. Our quarantine might be good for everyone. And not just during the outbreak of the Chinese Virus (can you tell which party I work for?). What is a typical day in isolation? Well, first off, I scheme. After that, I plot. Then, I take a brief nature walk with the kids. Finally, its time to conspirevia the internet. I end my day by yelling at the TV, like my uncle used to do. Is it less crazy to yell at the TV if you know the people on it? My kids say no.

If you are socially isolated and have tales to tell, please email 100 words of good description toeditor@wng.org.Marvin Olasky

One of my literary heroes is Richard Scarry (19191994), author and illustrator of the great childrens book What Do People Do All Day? I asked two Californian friends about how their families are handling social isolation.

Lynn Vincent, bestselling author and former WORLD features editor, said: We inventoried our paper towels: 20 mega-rolls. Delivered some paper towels to neighbors after Amazon scotched their order. Checked in with our church to see who might need immediate help buying groceries. (Cool thing is, we werent the only ones, and this surreal series of world events is giving our small church another avenue for sharing Gods love through Matthew 25-ing.) Meanwhile, my husband began telecommuting, and it is a delight having him here. Were calling it retirement practice. (On the other hand, we are diligently not looking at the plummeting balances in our retirement accounts.)

David Bahnsen, a chief investment officer who manages active and retirement accounts, said, Right now I am doing very little but working, holed up in my home study with multiple monitors open, working for my clients and handling the daily grind of markets. But our family is united, loving each other through this uncertainty, and thinking about life after this passes. I will be disappointed if I dont use this time to put a lot of books away in my library that I have failed to handle for months. And I have a lot of Bible reading to do. A lot.

If you are socially isolated and have tales to tell, please email 100 words of good description to editor@wng.org.Marvin Olasky

See the rest here:
Inside the outbreak: Scarry times in scary times, Chapter 14 - WORLD - WORLD News Group