And amidst the changing concerns we all face - particularly in the areas of health, finances, and logistics - one of the most spotlighted immediate issues is education.
Should our children go back to school? How can they stay safe if they do? How can they stay educated if they don't? How do we ensure continuous learning while keeping them safe from unnecessary exposure?
Is homeschooling the answer? Are online classes the answer? Does our government and our school even care what happens to our children?
Dozens and dozens of questions flood the minds of parents who are concerned and worried.
And I long to tell you, as someone who has worked in Christian education my entire adult life, whose dearest friends and family members are involved in the frontlines of the academe, that your teachers and administrators are concerned and worried too.
We have to keep a stiff upper lip. We have to be in control. We have to make calls that take into consideration all the different needs of all the different families we encounter.
There are families with financial challenges, as well as families with logistical limitations. There are parents with strong desires to teach but little experience in actual application. There are children stuck in homes that cannot provide the security or resources they need to continue growing academically.
There are teachers to pay. There are parents to inform. There are views to balance.
There are so many considerations to ponder every time an announcement is made, a memo is released, or a policy is established.
And we ask for your prayers.
We are on your side.
We love your children and want the best for your children, and we are stretching ourselves to our personal limits to serve you as effectively as we can.
We didn't get into this line of work for money or fame. God knows there's more infamy and financial insecurity than there is worldly success to be had in education, particularly in the Philippines.
And while I know, and I am sad to know, that there are indeed people who treat the education sector as a money-making opportunity, I can personally vouch for the many Christian administrators I know that many of us are here because we want to help.
They can't confide in you, but I hope they will forgive me for letting you know that each and every one of us needs your prayers now more than ever.
Please pray for us to have wisdom, to have perception, to have patience and endurance. Please pray for extraordinary grace and extraordinary strength. Please pray that we would be able to continue our life mission of educating the next generation through these uncharted waters.
Dearest parents, we're on the same side, and we are all hanging on to our omniscient, omnipotent God to get us safe to shore.
