Happy Sabbath to you all!! 

I hope that you all had a meaningful Passover, and a wonderful Night to Be Much Observed! I also hope that your Days of Unleavened Bread is off to a good start. 

As many of you also experienced, we experienced a slightly different Night to Be Much Observed this year. We cooked and delivered the food to our guests and then used the internet to connect with one another virtually so that we could enjoy their company while we dined together. While we certainly would have preferred being able to have them there in person, it was the next best thing. 

That is one thing that I'm finding about this whole quarantine thing that we've been experiencing now for the past 20 days. You begin to look for the next best thing. It's not your preference for sure, but it will work, and is the next best thing. Would we rather be together for Sabbath services? Definitely - but in the absence of being able to do that, virtually is the next best thing. Would we rather have opportunity to spend Sabbath evenings with one another in fellowship? Absolutely - but in the absence of that, virtual gatherings on video messaging platforms will have to suffice for the time being. Would we like it if the kids could be in school physically? Yes - for more reasons than one... but for now, the distance learning model that they are doing will have to suffice. 

Many of you heard that the State of Oregon has decided to close schools for the remainder of the year. That didn't necessarily come as a surprise, but it is unprecedented and a big deal. It has major impacts and ripples that will come from it down the road. 

One of those ripples is the uncertainty over our current meeting facility. It's hard to know for certain what it will look like going into the summer. 

Will the district choose to keep their facilities closed until next school year? Will they choose to open them up if and when restrictions on gatherings are relaxed? These are all questions that we don't have an answer for at this time - but are monitoring and keeping track of to the best of our ability.

I appreciate your patience as all of this has unfolded and we have worked on exactly what things look like going forward. Your resilience and ability to shift as needed has made it easier to make these needed changes. Thank you!

Have an excellent Sabbath!

Cheers,
Ben