The Weekly Wrap-Up: May 27-31, 2024

Ey up!

Quiet week, eh?

I'm not going to get bogged down in politics on here. That's not what this blog is for. All I will say is that we have entered dangerous territory where lawfare is de rigueur, and that should terrify us all. 

In the mission world, I can't say it's much better. If you haven't heard, a young missionary couple was murdered in Haiti along with the director of the local mission. OMS no longer has missionaries in Haiti, but we do have national partners and relationships that have lasted for decades. What is happening in Haiti is heartbreaking and infuriating. It does not bring glory to God in any way. I am praying that God works through the violence and upheaval to raise up strong, godly leaders who stand against such activities. 

I almost forgot that I was actually out last week. I organize an annual community garage sale for the folks who live here on campus, so I was doing that last week. It's amazing how much stuff accumulates in such a short time. 

This week, I was fully back to it with art swaps for the templates. I was going to change each individual set of files until V reminded me that I can just swap out the art. It's not fool proof, but it does save a lot of time. Right now I'm working on Art F. (Usually, I would say F Art, but that makes things awkward. So Art F it is.)

I'm also working on my funding. I should honestly probably talk about it more on here, but it's my least favorite part of being a missionary. Yet it's so vital to what I do! We all need to make a living. Mine just happens to be dependent on people graciously supporting me with funds. I'm working to meet new people and make new connections so I can raise my salary to match inflation and maybe even start travelling to fields again. If you would like to start giving, you can visit www.onemissionsociety.org/give/JessicaHollopeter to learn more. If you know someone who should hear more about my ministry with Train & Multiply, please leave a comment or email me with some info. 

I am going to a Fiber Festival and a Strawberry Festival this weekend. I hope you have some great experiences as well.

Bye!

The Weekly Wrap-Up: May 13-17, 2024

Ey up!

I have missed you, my friends! There's a line in the seminal 1992 film "Newsies." The characters are discussing their fear of entering the borough of Brooklyn, and Boots says, "I spent a month there one night." (I think the phrase actually showed up on Seinfeld first, but it could also be a reference to a W. C. Fields quote. Anyway.)

That's how time has worked the last few weeks. I was never quite sure what day it was or where I should be or what I should be doing. 

My Aunt's funeral was last week. My dad did the graveside service. It's always so hard to feel like you have to distill someone's life into a short period of time. There's just no way to do someone justice. I'm still working out my own feelings and how my life has irrevocably altered now. I'm sure it will take time to understand all the ways things have changed. 

Thank you for the many messages of support. I have appreciated them, and I know my Uncle has been feeling the prayer support. 

I'm back to work this week. I finally finished the English U template review. Our grand total? ::insertdrumroll:: 243 paragraph changes! This is mostly style fixes, though I did change entire booklet layouts a couple of times. So now we migrate these changes to the rest of our English art sets. Times! (just times, not necessarily fun times)

I do not anticipate the next few weeks to be any less crazy than the last few. I shall endeavor to provide you with quality information and entertainment as I am able. I hope you have profitable and restful weekends. 

Bye!

The Weekly Wrap-Up: April 29 - May 3, 2024

I am sad today. 

I have been sad for a few weeks, actually. In my last post, I mentioned that there was some family news. That was three weeks ago. In that time, the family member in question (my Aunt) deteriorated rapidly and passed on Wednesday, May 1. This was completely unexpected and such a shock. That seems really trite and cliche to say, but I don't know how else to describe it. My family has rallied around one another and around my Uncle, but I'm always conscious of the fact that this doesn't go away after the funeral. Life will be different from this point forward. There will always be an absence. 

My consolation right now is the fact that my Aunt and I shared a faith in Jesus. I am confident that I will see her again. But I still miss her.

And in the real world, work goes on. Last week, we had our church multiplication conference. I was busy running tech and being a gopher for the event. I think it went well. There were some hiccups on the audio/visual end, but I don't think most people noticed, which is the goal. From what I heard, we had a good response to the event, so I'll take it as a win. 

I have been trying to catch back up this week. We haven't had many projects come in, but I'm still working on templates. There should be some new languages starting soon, so we have to prep for those. 

Next week, I will be out most of the week for the funeral. I hope to be a support to my family, so I will ask you to pray for me in that role. Pray for my Uncle as he learns to navigate this new life. Pray for my cousin as he figures out what life looks like without his mom. 

Know that I love you.

Call your family.