Quarantine Rules

Watching movie in separated parts of living room

When we arrived in the US a little over a week ago we were told even before disembarking the plane that we should self-quarantine for 14 days.  Since we were traveling through places like Zurich and Newark, this was not unexpected.  Today is day 11 and so far everyone is in good health, but still, we have tried our best to keep to those self-quarantine rules.

For us, the problem was not self-quarantining, it was how to do it while staying at Tom’s parents’ house!  Tom’s parents are in their 70’s, one of the more vulnerable groups we’re trying to protect! So not only do we need to quarantine from the world, but we need to quarantine from our parents as we live with them!  What does that look like in a single-family home?

First we split up the house.  We have the upstairs, they have the downstairs.  We have the family room (or at least half of it) and they have the living room.  We are not allowed to pass into their zones nor they into our zones.  But some of the house is by necessity shared space- the kitchen, the corridor. 

To navigate the shared spaces, we used blue masking tape on the floor to denote the places we are not allowed to cross.  Blue lines cut across wood floors, carpets and stairs, dive under tables and generally help make the house feel a bit like a basketball court, but it serves as a reminder.

Tom in the kitchen

One of the surprising challenges was realizing just how difficult meals would be.  Do we need to eat on different shifts?  We tried this the first day, but meals are great family time, and it was weird eating a meal while talking to Grandma & Grandpa as they stood in the kitchen waiting their turn.  Grandpa figured out a better solution.  If the dining room table has its full extensions included then we could both eat dinner at the same table but still with proper social distancing.  For meals we prepare two plates of everything (one for us, one for Grandma and Grandpa) to prevent cross contamination.  The system seems to work pretty well, and allows us to eat “together”. The house only has one kitchen, which certainly creates some challenges.   Masks and hand washing are required for working in the kitchen.  No children are allowed in the kitchen and we try to clean surfaces after use.

I wish I could say we’ve been good about these rules, but it’s amazing how easy it is to forget.  The blue lines help, but sometimes we cross those lines before we realize it.  Thankfully, infractions are usually quickly recognized and laws enforced by the Quarantine Police—a.k.a. our children. “Grandpa, you’re not supposed to be there.”  “Daaad, you can’t go there.”  Punishment for infractions is not severe—usually it consists of hand washing.

Social Distancing Picture with Grandma

So we’re doing okay, but it isn’t easy. We haven’t seen Tom’s parents in over a year. They want to spend time with us, play games, read to the kids on the couch. Hugs are probably what is missed most. “No contact” means no good morning hugs, no bedtime hugs, no “it’s good to see you” hugs—no hugs.  Period.  The best alternative we’ve come up with is air hugs, but it’s not the same.

We’re trying, but ultimately we put our trust in the Lord. Odds are we have not been strict enough to avoid contamination completely.  Keeping 6 feet away at all times has not always been happening in our confined quarters.  So we pray for protection, and for good health, and pray for all the others around the world in more difficult situations than our own.  We trust in a good God, and ask for his mercy on us all. 

We will say one thing, we’ll be very thankful when day 14 is over!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are thankful that we have a workable way to share the house with Tom’s parents without putting them at undue risk. We’ve settled into a routine of doing some homeschool in the morning and getting outside a little each day. The kids are doing okay in quarantine—we had a day with snow last week and the kids were so excited and quickly fulfilled all their snow dreams (snowman, snowball fight, snow angel etc). Today is our son’s 10th birthday! We are so thankful for him, for the ways he is growing and learning and for the kind, creative, ambitious young man he is becoming. We are thankful that Megan’s dad is feeling better after having a fever last week (he works as a ICU doctor in CA). We are thankful that our teammate had the chance to share the good news with a contact from an art class she has been involved in.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Final touches are being made on an app that will make the first book of the Word available to Clove Islanders in their language (both text and audio). Pray that the final tweaking and release of the app would go well and reach many. Continue to pray for islanders as they learn and adjust to life with COVID restrictions. Social distancing does not come naturally and we’ve heard that in France, islanders are being infected more than other subgroups because they are not following the right precautions. Pray for good education among islanders, especially on the islands where ventilators are few and good healthcare is lacking. Islanders are worried about delayed shipments because of the pandemic resulting in food shortages. Pray that necessary supplies would continue to make it into the islands. Let us continue to pray for the medical personnel (like Megan’s dad) who are working directly with COVID patients—for strength, stamina and protection. Pray for our brothers and sisters on the islands, that they would have many opportunities to share in the midst of these crises.