Hi all,
What a surprise this election cycle! You’ll recall what the Lord told me in December 2019 was divided into 2 parts: He said ‘as it stands now’ and came with the command to pray it not happen, which had to do with Biden suffering a stroke near election time. The 2nd part had to do with the election being contested, with the whole process being a ‘birth pang’ for the USA lasting through January, with the end of the birth pang in the February-March time frame, which will be when the nation ‘turns the corner’ so to speak. I wonder how much ‘rest time’ the nation might have before the onset of the next ‘pain’.
From my September newsletter: “Then He said ‘As it stands now’ (pray this doesn’t happen) the election will be contested, drawn out to the Supreme Court, and marked with civil unrest, but that it will be settled and the nation will begin settling down again in the February-March time frame….the election will take place under a cloud and opposition.”
Elsewhere I shared: “He said it will be contested to a point, but at some point they (at the time I didn’t know who the ‘they’ was) will stop their efforts upon realizing the numbers they have to overcome are greater than what would be gained by going to court.”
Some of you will remember something I’ve shared from back in the Bush-Kerry Presidential election. I had noticed a different spirit about the Democratic party but didn’t know what it was, so asked the Father. He responded: “It is the spirit of socialism in this country. It can be delayed, but it won’t be stopped.” I asked where it came from and He said: “It came from Europe, for there are those in this country who want this nation to be like Europe, but that’s not what I’ve called this nation to…” and some other things. I wonder if now is the time we will see it as that flood of socialism I shared about earlier this year, or delayed?
Peace from the Lord means He doesn’t always define why He gives that peace. I always go back to the visitation I had during the Arab Spring and how when I had pestered Him with many questions, finally said to me: “What are these things to you? As for you; you must be about the Father’s business.” That is good counsel for us all – what is He asking of us today?
Chris update:For those unfamiliar, Chris is our oldest son, born with the cord around his neck in a slip knot, cutting off air. He is 41 years old, but mentally tests in the 4 to 5 year old range. A stroke at age 17 rendered his left hand useless and he is in a wheelchair, but he is the happiest, in love with Jesus, outgoing 4 year old in a 41 year old body you could ever meet. He was at home with us his first 24 years, but after his little brothers grew up and went off to school we realized how much they had helped with their brother, and realized we couldn’t care for him alone.
We tried various home health agencies and volunteers and such, but sadly concluded after all our efforts, he needed to live in a group home. Fast forward 16 years and Chris loves his 8-person group home, and is a blessing and well liked by all. We are allowed to have Chris home for an overnight stay 1 night per week plus a random 8 other days per year for holidays and such.
Our usual schedule is for me to pick him up at his group home Friday morning, get him bathed, shaved and ready for errands with dad. Most any store we go into, any restaurant drive through, any sit-down restaurant – they know John and Chris. Chris has believes everyone is a friend, deserves a greeting, and loves and must pet any dog he sees in stores, lol.
As we roll through store aisles he will call out, “Watch out people!” followed by a “Excuse me, thank you!” In this area of the country cowboy hats are seen almost as often as a cap, so when he sees a man or woman in a cowboy hat, he immediately addresses them: “Hey there cowboy, whatcha doing!” We get chuckles and greetings wherever we go.
Very often if I go into a store during the week by myself, a clerk will ask where Chris is today, or where is my helper, or comment about how he makes them happy during their work day.
Northeast Oklahoma has been open for business as usual, with individual stores, shops, and business offices choosing for themselves the degree if any, they require masks upon entry.
As it pertains to this event, I’m talking specifically about the Walmart in Vinita, Oklahoma. On Friday Chris and I rolled into the Walmart which has a sign asking customers to wear masks, but there is no one at the door barring entry, and about half of the customers were not in masks that day. We were in the store no more than 15 minutes, and we were without masks because Chris refuses to wear them.
In fact I must wear a mask to gain entrance to his group home, and happily do so, but upon entering his bedroom he immediately says very firmly: “Take it off dad!” The staff has laughed and told me his reaction to them is the same. To Chris, and I’m starting to agree with him on this, only bad people wear masks. He is 4 mentally, so he thinks in terms of bank robbers and cowboys and such.
After leaving the Walmart we pulled into our drive-way 45 minutes later, and as I loaded Chris out of the car and into his wheelchair I got a call from Home of Hope’s ‘boss’, Cindy. She started right in. “We have a problem due to your visit to Walmart today. Tomorrow when you bring Chris back, he will be locked in his room 24 hours a day for a 14 day quarantine.”
I was shocked. Floored. Livid. Incensed. But I calmed myself, steadied my voice, and started looking for compromise, but also asking how she knew we had been at Walmart not more than 45 minutes earlier. She said an employee of the group home from another home but who knew Chris was in the store and saw us, and reported us to her.
I asked what store, city, or state law we broke that she felt compelled to ‘tattle’ on us, and in a later email asked what kind of corporate culture promotes such behavior?I asked about Chris staying home with us maybe 5 days to watch for symptoms as a compromise, but that was rejected. Finally I proposed he stay with us 14 days rather than them locking him in his room upon return. She had never thought of that. She had to pull the phone from her ear to ask her peer Theresa and nurse April for permission. They agreed with my proposal. I was and remain shocked that they could call up and tell me what they were going to do to my son, and never had the professionalism nor common courtesy to have a compromise or ‘Plan B’ in place before she called.
So Chris is home with us through Saturday the 28th. At least they agreed for us to care for him rather than locking him away with little human contact for 2 weeks.
I asked Cindy how in the world she could justify locking anyone’s but in particular Chris, my mentally 4 year old son who is wheelchair bound into his room for 14 days. I asked about getting out, and she confirmed he would have staff contact for help with the bathroom adjoining his room, and food would be brought to him in his room, and they would help him get into and out of bed.
I was even more livid. But calmly I asked if she had made that call to other parents, for I was unaware that when Chris and I were following store practice, city mandate, and state mandate, that was not acceptable to Home of Hope. She stated she had made the same call to many parents. (Home of Hope has about 275 clients in homes all over Northeast Oklahoma). She isn’t concerned she said with the 50% of the customers without masks in the store, for Chris without a mask in public, this was a lock away offense – one I had no idea about.
I asked how I was reacting compared to those other parents, and she said, “Actually, quite well. Some have become so angry we’ve had to block them for 90 days.” Block them? From seeing their own child? Three months?! Amazing, sad, unbelievable. What an admission from a health care professional.
I asked what document I had signed stating if my son is seen in public without a mask he would be seized and locked in his room 14 days? “We talked about it” she replied. She admitted there was nothing in writing that I had signed to acknowledge. (We did not talk about the policy) I told her as proven by her many calls to other parents and their anger, they had not communicated their internal policy to we parents. I told her the CEO’s emails to parents say not to take unnecessary risks, and we do that. We obey a store’s practice. We follow city mandate. We use common sense. On Friday we stayed the proper distance, we touched no one, we went to the bathroom upon entering the store and washed out hands. We did all we could do with Chris’ limitations.
Even our Walmart clerk at check out had her mask down around her throat! She used to work for Home of Hope four years ago, and greeted Chris by name. We along with 50% of the other customers broke no store practice, broke no local law, no state law, yet they were going to quite literally lock with a key my son in his bedroom for 14 days. I’m repeating myself, sorry, I’m still angry about it.
Since then I’ve had numerous emails back and forth with the CEO, Ralph, but I am done. I received nothing from him but justification for their policy of locking mental children, often with additional physical limitations such as Chris, into their room for 14 days. I asked him what the reaction would be if any parent locked their “normal” 4 year old in their bedroom 24 hours a day for 14 days. I asked how long before Child Services or the Police removed the child from the home and charged the parents with numerous charges?
Yet Home of Hope of Vinita, Oklahoma has that exact policy for adults in their care, all of whom are mental children, often with physical limitations as well.
I never present a problem without also providing a solution. I submitted to Ralph the CEO and Cindy that across the USA no family upon learning their 4 year old might have been exposed to the virus at school or in public, would then immediately lock their 4 year old in their bedroom for the next 14 days. They would watch, observe, test, measure fo symptoms, and if needed, quarantine the whole family, not throw their 4 year old into a locked bedroom for the next 14 days.
I asked him to change the policy to reflect the norms already in place. If they feel a client has potentially been exposed to the virus, they drop the locked in the room policy in favor of watching, observing, testing, measuring that client for any symptoms. IF symptoms develop or a test is positive, then the whole ‘family’ in the group home is quarantined. In that way the one exposed still has the freedom of the house, just like in any family, rather than locked away in their room.
By all accounts from us, from family, from staff at his group home, if Chris were to be locked in his room it would mean certain severe injury or his death. Once Chris would want out of his room to find the door locked, he would get angry. And that means dressers would be thrown down, toys thrown around the room – like any toddler throwing a tantrum, but with the strength of a 41 year old man.
And most likely the window in his room would be broken, he would be cut, and within minutes would throw himself out of his wheelchair in order to find another way out of his room. All that has fallen on deaf ears at Home of Hope. Nope. They have to lock him in his room 14 days upon return. It was only my suggestion that we keep him 14 days that was approved, after discussion for approval, that has spared Chris that future – this time.
Common sense has been rejected thus far. So I am done with them. On the local home level where Chris lives, they are wonderful and we trust them. Overall we love Home of Hope, but when a policy is ill-advised such as locking their clients in their room for 14 days, 24 hours a day, I have to resist. The local staff where Chris lives are wonderful.
But the executives have lost our trust. That they would lock Chris in his room – or any of their 275 clients if seen in public without a mask…..I can barely see straight. I told him my anger is justified and righteous, for on no level is locking such a one as Chris or any of their clients morally, ethically, or legally right.
I shared all that so you can pray for a change of policy. I also wanted you to know if I am slower than normal to return emails, it is because Barb and I are caring for Chris through the 28th. Chris will be at home through the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and we really and truly request prayers for my back in particular (Chris weighs 170 pounds (77k)), and grace – this hasn’t caught the Father by surprise so I know provision is here for us.
Thank you for your prayers and faithful giving, it means so much to us.
You’ll notice a new address on the web site and offering envelopes for US friends, as we’ve moved the PO Box closer to where we now live. There are many needs in the network around the world, and desires in our own lives as we close out the year. Praying!
Thank you!
John & Barb, Brian and Amy
