Learning to Juggle
Some of you know that I used to be a tennis player back in the day. Between practices, tournaments, and matches, I have spent thousands of hours on or near the court. Now, if you have ever spent a significant amount of time at a tennis court, there always comes a point where you or somebody nearby eventually tries to juggle a few balls, mainly due to boredom and very rarely can somebody do this well.
Now, if you’ve ever watched a street performer juggling, you know it looks impressive… balls, clubs, or even flaming torches moving in perfect rhythm through the air. But if you’ve ever tried it yourself, you also know that it usually starts with a lot of dropping, fumbling, and laughing at your own mistakes. That’s a pretty good picture of where we are right now.
“When it comes to mastering a skill, time is the magic ingredient.”
As we’ve settled into Soddo, one of our biggest challenges has been learning how to homeschool our four kids, each with different grades, personalities, and needs—while also balancing the responsibilities of our new roles at the hospital and in the community. Some days it feels like the juggling act is smooth, with lessons clicking, meals prepped, meetings attended, and even a little margin for laughter. Other days, it feels like we’re scrambling to pick up dropped balls left and right.
Homeschooling itself is a new skill for us, and it requires patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor. Teaching math to one child while answering another’s reading question, all while keeping the younger two engaged, can be exhausting. But in the midst of it, we’ve also seen small victories: a child gaining confidence in a subject that was once a struggle, or siblings working together in a way that reminds us why we chose this path.
Then there’s the added layer of stepping into new jobs, Rachel at the hospital, and me with various engineering projects. Each role comes with its own weight and learning curve, and it often feels like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. Add in the ongoing work of adjusting to life in Soddo (language, culture, relationships, and the practical realities of living in rural Ethiopia), and the juggling act becomes even more complex.
Yet, in the middle of the chaos, we’re learning that the goal isn’t to juggle perfectly, but to keep picking the balls back up and keep going. We’re finding grace in the dropped moments, encouragement in the small wins, and strength in the reminder that we’re not juggling alone. God has been faithful to sustain us, and we believe He’s teaching us to trust Him more deeply with each catch, toss, and stumble along the way.
Life here is full, messy, stretching, and beautiful—like a juggler’s routine that’s not polished yet, but filled with heart. And even as we’re still learning, we’re grateful that you’re part of the crowd cheering us on.
At Cobos Academy, we celebrate successful tests with candy! All A’s for math test day!
Praises
Rachel’s Parents: They have come back to Ethiopia after a short time in the States. We’re so happy to have them back with us… (more on that below, see Cobos Academy)
Driver’s Licenses (Part 2): If you remember what happened in July, Rachel was now able to get her driver’s license!
Cobos Academy: Homeschool is going relatively well! We opened a brand new location and we essentially doubled our staff after the first month (lol). But… we’re always open to anybody (ahem teachers) that may want to join our team!
Settling: We’ve now been in Soddo for about three months and we are feeling more settled each day.
Things to Pray for:
Our hospital: Our hospital is undergoing significant growth as we transition from a small rural hospital to a larger regional one, and prayers that our staff (both national and missionary) would remain unified in the mission and vision of this hospital and the care that we provide, would be greatly appreciated.
More help: Now that we have landed in Soddo, we are hoping to build up our long-term team! We are looking for anybody really (teachers, medical personnel, engineers, etc), if you have skills we NEED your help!
If you have any prayer requests, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to set up a video chat, send us a message! You can contact us on WhatsApp or email us at LCRC@cobosethiopia.org.
If you want to learn more about how to help us on this journey, please click the link below!
