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00:00:01 Greetings, brothers and sisters! 00:00:03 And welcome to this update 00:00:05 on the global COVID-19 pandemic. 00:00:09 On behalf of the Governing Body, 00:00:11 I want to tell you how encouraged we are 00:00:14 when we hear about your endurance through these difficult times. 00:00:18 In this update, I’d like to speak to you parents 00:00:23 who are raising children. 00:00:25 Although all of us have had to stay vigilant 00:00:27 to protect ourselves and others, 00:00:29 you dear parents have carried a particularly heavy load. 00:00:34 We can only imagine the deep concern you’ve had 00:00:38 for your young children and teens during the pandemic. 00:00:41 You worry about their physical safety 00:00:45 and their education. 00:00:47 You’ve also been concerned 00:00:48 about the emotional impact of physical distancing 00:00:52 for many months from other children, 00:00:54 grandparents, relatives, and the congregation. 00:00:58 And you’ve handled all of this 00:01:01 while you work to provide for them 00:01:03 and keep up your family’s spiritual routine. 00:01:07 That’s a lot on your shoulders. 00:01:10 Remember that the prophecy 00:01:13 in 2 Timothy chapter 3 tells us 00:01:15 tells us that “in the last days” 00:01:18 there would be “critical times hard to deal with.” 00:01:22 So the fact that Satan is attacking the family unit 00:01:26 is no surprise to you parents. 00:01:28 The surprise, however, may be 00:01:31 when the attack takes an unexpected form 00:01:34 or perhaps feels like many attacks coming all at once. 00:01:39 That’s what the pandemic has been for many of you. 00:01:43 Now I’m going to say something that you already know: 00:01:48 Jehovah God and Jesus know how you feel. 00:01:53 Their own example leaves no doubt. 00:01:56 For instance, there were times when Jehovah stepped in to protect his Son 00:02:01 when he was on the earth. 00:02:03 He first carefully entrusted Jesus 00:02:06 to the care of loving parents. 00:02:08 And when Herod wanted to kill Jesus as a child, 00:02:11 Jehovah told Joseph and Mary to “flee to Egypt” 00:02:15 until the threat passed. 00:02:17 You could say it was like an extended “lockdown” 00:02:21 that kept them away from family and friends for some time. 00:02:25 Jesus experienced what it’s really like 00:02:29 to grow up as a child in a wicked world. 00:02:32 He knows the pressures and the dangers. 00:02:36 It’s no wonder 00:02:38 that he took a special interest in children during his ministry, 00:02:41 and today he shares your deep concern for your children. 00:02:48 But you Christian parents have other good examples to look to. 00:02:53 It’s the example of our brothers and sisters 00:02:56 who live in areas that have been hit hard by the pandemic. 00:03:00 More recently, this has been the case 00:03:03 in India and Brazil. 00:03:06 We spoke to parents in those lands 00:03:09 and asked them how this has affected their families 00:03:12 and, in particular, their children. 00:03:18 For a child, it’s been a whole year 00:03:21 without being able to play 00:03:23 with other children. 00:03:24 So they really miss being with their friends. 00:03:29 A big challenge that parents have now 00:03:31 is coming up with something fun 00:03:33 for them to do as a family 00:03:35 so that their child 00:03:36 doesn’t feel upset or sad. 00:03:39 They feel anxious to go out, 00:03:41 and it’s very challenging for us 00:03:42 to keep them motivated to stay inside. 00:03:45 Our family was infected with COVID-19. 00:03:48 It was physically and emotionally 00:03:50 very stressful for all of us. 00:03:53 We’re not able to meet the friends 00:03:55 at the Kingdom Hall anymore. 00:03:57 Neither can we see our relatives, 00:03:59 so the kids are getting really bored. 00:04:03 Right after the pandemic began, 00:04:05 we got the news that Denise had cancer. 00:04:08 Of course, one of our main concerns was our daughter. 00:04:12 She really became anxious 00:04:15 about what was going to happen to her mom. 00:04:21 Perhaps you can sympathize 00:04:23 with some of the challenges parents in India and Brazil are facing. 00:04:27 We know it’s not been easy for parents and families during the pandemic. 00:04:32 But with every trial, there are also opportunities 00:04:37 to remain loyal to Jehovah and to grow spiritually. 00:04:41 For example, many parents have said 00:04:45 that they’ve had more time with their children 00:04:47 to do what it says at Deuteronomy 6:6, 7: 00:04:54 “These words that I am commanding you today 00:04:57 “must be on your heart, and you must inculcate them 00:05:01 “in your sons and speak of them 00:05:04 “when you sit in your house 00:05:07 “and when you walk on the road and when you lie down 00:05:10 and when you get up.” 00:05:14 Many of us have had more time 00:05:17 to “sit in [our] house” during the pandemic, 00:05:19 whether we wanted to or not. 00:05:21 But if this was your circumstance, 00:05:24 hopefully you made good use of the opportunity. 00:05:28 Jehovah gave the command to Israel 00:05:31 because he knew that spiritually strong families 00:05:35 would be happy families. 00:05:37 The same is true today. 00:05:40 When your family stays close to Jehovah, 00:05:43 you bring a blessing to yourself and your congregation. 00:05:48 But you parents are not just caring for your children’s spiritual needs. 00:05:53 You have spiritual needs too. 00:05:56 Jehovah’s command in Deuteronomy chapter 6 00:05:59 said that Israelite parents must have his words on their heart. 00:06:04 Notice the benefit you gain 00:06:07 when you make time for your spirituality. 00:06:10 Proverbs 20:7 00:06:13 explains it this way: 00:06:16 “The righteous one is walking in his integrity. 00:06:20 Happy are his children who come after him.” 00:06:26 So righteous parents make for happy children. 00:06:32 Parents, we know that you know these things. 00:06:35 We commend you for what you’re doing, 00:06:38 and we’re praying for Jehovah’s holy spirit 00:06:41 to give you strength, even when you feel tired out. 00:06:45 Our spiritual routine is even more important 00:06:49 when we’re being tested. 00:06:52 The families we met from India and Brazil were aware of this too. 00:06:57 They shared what they’ve done to adapt their spiritual routine 00:07:01 to meet the challenge of the pandemic. 00:07:06 We go out in the ministry together as a family 00:07:09 much more often than we did before. 00:07:11 Saturday is a special day for us. 00:07:14 We work together as a family every Saturday morning, 00:07:17 and we make plans with other families 00:07:20 who are also close friends of our children. 00:07:23 We always have a very enjoyable time. 00:07:27 When we conduct our Bible studies, we have them sit in. 00:07:32 The kids watch us closely, and they learn from us. 00:07:36 Family worship has played a very important role. 00:07:40 It’s a relaxed atmosphere in which we can have a good time. 00:07:43 One of the games we play is you name a Bible character, 00:07:47 and the next person has to come up with someone whose name starts 00:07:51 with the last letter of the name that was just said. 00:07:54 This way, the kids are getting to know new Bible characters 00:07:57 and they’re learning a lot about them. 00:07:59 One of our projects is a model of Noah’s ark. 00:08:03 Our kids have learned almost all of the original songs. 00:08:06 We’ve played a few games using some of the activities on jw.org. 00:08:12 We made some models of Bible accounts. 00:08:14 We enacted Bible scenes and role plays of Bible characters. 00:08:19 There was one time that we wrapped our son 00:08:21 in toilet paper and he was Lazarus. 00:08:25 And we have considered timely articles appearing on jw.org. 00:08:28 We also did a project on the metal image 00:08:31 of Daniel’s prophecy. 00:08:34 Our son enjoys family worship 00:08:37 because we do things that he likes 00:08:39 —something that holds his attention. 00:08:40 And it’s fun. 00:08:41 And seeing them happy, makes us happy. 00:08:56 All this has drawn us closer to each other. 00:08:59 And it also helped us to draw closer to Jehovah. 00:09:07 With Jehovah’s help, we can get through anything. 00:09:15 Perhaps something those families are doing can work 00:09:18 or is already working for your family. 00:09:21 Let’s review some suggestions 00:09:23 that can help your family’s spiritual routine. 00:09:27 For families with young children: 00:09:30 Dramatize Bible scenes. 00:09:33 Your children may like to dress up and make props 00:09:37 to bring the account to life and remember the lessons. 00:09:41 And the good thing is you don’t need expensive props 00:09:45 to make this interesting. 00:09:47 Play memory games. 00:09:50 This could be based on recent points from the meetings 00:09:53 or something they’ve been reading or watching on JW Broadcasting®. 00:09:58 Try a jw.org activity 00:10:02 for children together. 00:10:04 These are under the “Bible Teachings” section of the website. 00:10:09 But if you have young children, 00:10:12 I suspect you’ve been there before. 00:10:14 And here are some ideas for families with teens: 00:10:19 Practice “What if . . . ?” situations. 00:10:23 Perhaps let your teen choose a situation they’re concerned about. 00:10:28 Talk about goals. 00:10:30 These can be short-term or long-term goals. 00:10:33 Let your teen tell why they chose the goal, 00:10:37 and what steps they feel will help them reach it. 00:10:40 Read or watch a life story. 00:10:44 Again, let your teen choose a life story of someone they’re interested in. 00:10:50 Remember, though, that you don’t have to use every suggestion. 00:10:54 Talk to your family, pray about it, 00:10:58 and try what you think can make a difference for you. 00:11:02 And, of course, there’s nothing wrong with watching JW Broadcasting 00:11:07 during a family worship. 00:11:09 After all, that’s why we’re here. 00:11:11 But when you do, 00:11:13 try to make it more than just watching TV. 00:11:17 Take time to talk about the program as a family, 00:11:21 either at the end of the broadcast or after each segment. 00:11:26 Those are the suggestions. 00:11:29 Now here are the necessities for your family: 00:11:33 Pray together every day. 00:11:36 Try to include the feelings and concerns of each family member. 00:11:41 Keep attending the meetings. 00:11:44 Help each other to pay attention and participate. 00:11:47 Unlike being in the Kingdom Hall, 00:11:50 we may have many distractions when we attend from home. 00:11:54 Share in the ministry together. 00:11:57 As the pandemic continues to limit how we do our preaching work, 00:12:01 talk about the different forms of the ministry you can do 00:12:05 and how each family member feels about them. 00:12:09 Listen, and encourage everyone to do their best. 00:12:14 Finally, we urge you parents 00:12:17 to keep doing what you already know is vital: 00:12:20 Be alert for signs that your children 00:12:23 are struggling with negative emotions or stress. 00:12:27 If you sense that they are, 00:12:29 please read the article 00:12:31 “Help Your Children Cope With Stress.” 00:12:34 It’s in the Awake! of July 22, 1993, 00:12:39 pages 10 and 11. 00:12:42 There you’ll find wonderful suggestions on what you can do. 00:12:47 Jehovah loves your family. 00:12:49 He knows what you’re contending with, 00:12:52 and he wants to help you. 00:12:54 The pandemic has been just one of many tests 00:12:58 we’ll face in the last days. 00:13:00 That’s not meant to discourage you; it’s just reality. 00:13:05 But with Jehovah’s help, 00:13:07 your family can come out of each test spiritually stronger 00:13:11 and more prepared to face what’s ahead. 00:13:14 Jeremiah chapter 17 00:13:17 gives us this beautiful assurance in verse 7: 00:13:23 “Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Jehovah, 00:13:27 whose confidence is in Jehovah.” 00:13:31 And verse 8 concludes saying: 00:13:34 “And in the year of drought he will not be anxious, 00:13:38 nor will he quit producing fruit.” 00:13:42 Of course, we also want these tests to end. 00:13:46 And they will! 00:13:48 When you look back at the pandemic from the new world, 00:13:52 it will seem “momentary and light,” 00:13:54 even if it doesn’t seem so now. 00:13:57 In the meantime, we continue to pray for all of you 00:14:02 —parents, children, and all in our worldwide spiritual family. 00:14:07 May Jehovah bless your love and endurance. 00:14:11 From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:14:15 this is JW Broadcasting.
00:00:01 Greetings, brothers and sisters! 00:00:03 And welcome to this update 00:00:05 on the global COVID-19 pandemic. 00:00:09 On behalf of the Governing Body, 00:00:11 I want to tell you how encouraged we are 00:00:14 when we hear about your endurance through these difficult times. 00:00:18 In this update, I’d like to speak to you parents 00:00:23 who are raising children. 00:00:25 Although all of us have had to stay vigilant 00:00:27 to protect ourselves and others, 00:00:29 you dear parents have carried a particularly heavy load. 00:00:34 We can only imagine the deep concern you’ve had 00:00:38 for your young children and teens during the pandemic. 00:00:41 You worry about their physical safety 00:00:45 and their education. 00:00:47 You’ve also been concerned 00:00:48 about the emotional impact of physical distancing 00:00:52 for many months from other children, 00:00:54 grandparents, relatives, and the congregation. 00:00:58 And you’ve handled all of this 00:01:01 while you work to provide for them 00:01:03 and keep up your family’s spiritual routine. 00:01:07 That’s a lot on your shoulders. 00:01:10 Remember that the prophecy 00:01:13 in 2 Timothy chapter 3 tells us 00:01:15 tells us that “in the last days” 00:01:18 there would be “critical times hard to deal with.” 00:01:22 So the fact that Satan is attacking the family unit 00:01:26 is no surprise to you parents. 00:01:28 The surprise, however, may be 00:01:31 when the attack takes an unexpected form 00:01:34 or perhaps feels like many attacks coming all at once. 00:01:39 That’s what the pandemic has been for many of you. 00:01:43 Now I’m going to say something that you already know: 00:01:48 Jehovah God and Jesus know how you feel. 00:01:53 Their own example leaves no doubt. 00:01:56 For instance, there were times when Jehovah stepped in to protect his Son 00:02:01 when he was on the earth. 00:02:03 He first carefully entrusted Jesus 00:02:06 to the care of loving parents. 00:02:08 And when Herod wanted to kill Jesus as a child, 00:02:11 Jehovah told Joseph and Mary to “flee to Egypt” 00:02:15 until the threat passed. 00:02:17 You could say it was like an extended “lockdown” 00:02:21 that kept them away from family and friends for some time. 00:02:25 Jesus experienced what it’s really like 00:02:29 to grow up as a child in a wicked world. 00:02:32 He knows the pressures and the dangers. 00:02:36 It’s no wonder 00:02:38 that he took a special interest in children during his ministry, 00:02:41 and today he shares your deep concern for your children. 00:02:48 But you Christian parents have other good examples to look to. 00:02:53 It’s the example of our brothers and sisters 00:02:56 who live in areas that have been hit hard by the pandemic. 00:03:00 More recently, this has been the case 00:03:03 in India and Brazil. 00:03:06 We spoke to parents in those lands 00:03:09 and asked them how this has affected their families 00:03:12 and, in particular, their children. 00:03:18 For a child, it’s been a whole year 00:03:21 without being able to play 00:03:23 with other children. 00:03:24 So they really miss being with their friends. 00:03:29 A big challenge that parents have now 00:03:31 is coming up with something fun 00:03:33 for them to do as a family 00:03:35 so that their child 00:03:36 doesn’t feel upset or sad. 00:03:39 They feel anxious to go out, 00:03:41 and it’s very challenging for us 00:03:42 to keep them motivated to stay inside. 00:03:45 Our family was infected with COVID-19. 00:03:48 It was physically and emotionally 00:03:50 very stressful for all of us. 00:03:53 We’re not able to meet the friends 00:03:55 at the Kingdom Hall anymore. 00:03:57 Neither can we see our relatives, 00:03:59 so the kids are getting really bored. 00:04:03 Right after the pandemic began, 00:04:05 we got the news that Denise had cancer. 00:04:08 Of course, one of our main concerns was our daughter. 00:04:12 She really became anxious 00:04:15 about what was going to happen to her mom. 00:04:21 Perhaps you can sympathize 00:04:23 with some of the challenges parents in India and Brazil are facing. 00:04:27 We know it’s not been easy for parents and families during the pandemic. 00:04:32 But with every trial, there are also opportunities 00:04:37 to remain loyal to Jehovah and to grow spiritually. 00:04:41 For example, many parents have said 00:04:45 that they’ve had more time with their children 00:04:47 to do what it says at Deuteronomy 6:6, 7: 00:04:54 “These words that I am commanding you today 00:04:57 “must be on your heart, and you must inculcate them 00:05:01 “in your sons and speak of them 00:05:04 “when you sit in your house 00:05:07 “and when you walk on the road and when you lie down 00:05:10 and when you get up.” 00:05:14 Many of us have had more time 00:05:17 to “sit in [our] house” during the pandemic, 00:05:19 whether we wanted to or not. 00:05:21 But if this was your circumstance, 00:05:24 hopefully you made good use of the opportunity. 00:05:28 Jehovah gave the command to Israel 00:05:31 because he knew that spiritually strong families 00:05:35 would be happy families. 00:05:37 The same is true today. 00:05:40 When your family stays close to Jehovah, 00:05:43 you bring a blessing to yourself and your congregation. 00:05:48 But you parents are not just caring for your children’s spiritual needs. 00:05:53 You have spiritual needs too. 00:05:56 Jehovah’s command in Deuteronomy chapter 6 00:05:59 said that Israelite parents must have his words on their heart. 00:06:04 Notice the benefit you gain 00:06:07 when you make time for your spirituality. 00:06:10 Proverbs 20:7 00:06:13 explains it this way: 00:06:16 “The righteous one is walking in his integrity. 00:06:20 Happy are his children who come after him.” 00:06:26 So righteous parents make for happy children. 00:06:32 Parents, we know that you know these things. 00:06:35 We commend you for what you’re doing, 00:06:38 and we’re praying for Jehovah’s holy spirit 00:06:41 to give you strength, even when you feel tired out. 00:06:45 Our spiritual routine is even more important 00:06:49 when we’re being tested. 00:06:52 The families we met from India and Brazil were aware of this too. 00:06:57 They shared what they’ve done to adapt their spiritual routine 00:07:01 to meet the challenge of the pandemic. 00:07:06 We go out in the ministry together as a family 00:07:09 much more often than we did before. 00:07:11 Saturday is a special day for us. 00:07:14 We work together as a family every Saturday morning, 00:07:17 and we make plans with other families 00:07:20 who are also close friends of our children. 00:07:23 We always have a very enjoyable time. 00:07:27 When we conduct our Bible studies, we have them sit in. 00:07:32 The kids watch us closely, and they learn from us. 00:07:36 Family worship has played a very important role. 00:07:40 It’s a relaxed atmosphere in which we can have a good time. 00:07:43 One of the games we play is you name a Bible character, 00:07:47 and the next person has to come up with someone whose name starts 00:07:51 with the last letter of the name that was just said. 00:07:54 This way, the kids are getting to know new Bible characters 00:07:57 and they’re learning a lot about them. 00:07:59 One of our projects is a model of Noah’s ark. 00:08:03 Our kids have learned almost all of the original songs. 00:08:06 We’ve played a few games using some of the activities on jw.org. 00:08:12 We made some models of Bible accounts. 00:08:14 We enacted Bible scenes and role plays of Bible characters. 00:08:19 There was one time that we wrapped our son 00:08:21 in toilet paper and he was Lazarus. 00:08:25 And we have considered timely articles appearing on jw.org. 00:08:28 We also did a project on the metal image 00:08:31 of Daniel’s prophecy. 00:08:34 Our son enjoys family worship 00:08:37 because we do things that he likes 00:08:39 —something that holds his attention. 00:08:40 And it’s fun. 00:08:41 And seeing them happy, makes us happy. 00:08:56 All this has drawn us closer to each other. 00:08:59 And it also helped us to draw closer to Jehovah. 00:09:07 With Jehovah’s help, we can get through anything. 00:09:15 Perhaps something those families are doing can work 00:09:18 or is already working for your family. 00:09:21 Let’s review some suggestions 00:09:23 that can help your family’s spiritual routine. 00:09:27 For families with young children: 00:09:30 Dramatize Bible scenes. 00:09:33 Your children may like to dress up and make props 00:09:37 to bring the account to life and remember the lessons. 00:09:41 And the good thing is you don’t need expensive props 00:09:45 to make this interesting. 00:09:47 Play memory games. 00:09:50 This could be based on recent points from the meetings 00:09:53 or something they’ve been reading or watching on JW Broadcasting®. 00:09:58 Try a jw.org activity 00:10:02 for children together. 00:10:04 These are under the “Bible Teachings” section of the website. 00:10:09 But if you have young children, 00:10:12 I suspect you’ve been there before. 00:10:14 And here are some ideas for families with teens: 00:10:19 Practice “What if . . . ?” situations. 00:10:23 Perhaps let your teen choose a situation they’re concerned about. 00:10:28 Talk about goals. 00:10:30 These can be short-term or long-term goals. 00:10:33 Let your teen tell why they chose the goal, 00:10:37 and what steps they feel will help them reach it. 00:10:40 Read or watch a life story. 00:10:44 Again, let your teen choose a life story of someone they’re interested in. 00:10:50 Remember, though, that you don’t have to use every suggestion. 00:10:54 Talk to your family, pray about it, 00:10:58 and try what you think can make a difference for you. 00:11:02 And, of course, there’s nothing wrong with watching JW Broadcasting 00:11:07 during a family worship. 00:11:09 After all, that’s why we’re here. 00:11:11 But when you do, 00:11:13 try to make it more than just watching TV. 00:11:17 Take time to talk about the program as a family, 00:11:21 either at the end of the broadcast or after each segment. 00:11:26 Those are the suggestions. 00:11:29 Now here are the necessities for your family: 00:11:33 Pray together every day. 00:11:36 Try to include the feelings and concerns of each family member. 00:11:41 Keep attending the meetings. 00:11:44 Help each other to pay attention and participate. 00:11:47 Unlike being in the Kingdom Hall, 00:11:50 we may have many distractions when we attend from home. 00:11:54 Share in the ministry together. 00:11:57 As the pandemic continues to limit how we do our preaching work, 00:12:01 talk about the different forms of the ministry you can do 00:12:05 and how each family member feels about them. 00:12:09 Listen, and encourage everyone to do their best. 00:12:14 Finally, we urge you parents 00:12:17 to keep doing what you already know is vital: 00:12:20 Be alert for signs that your children 00:12:23 are struggling with negative emotions or stress. 00:12:27 If you sense that they are, 00:12:29 please read the article 00:12:31 “Help Your Children Cope With Stress.” 00:12:34 It’s in the Awake! of July 22, 1993, 00:12:39 pages 10 and 11. 00:12:42 There you’ll find wonderful suggestions on what you can do. 00:12:47 Jehovah loves your family. 00:12:49 He knows what you’re contending with, 00:12:52 and he wants to help you. 00:12:54 The pandemic has been just one of many tests 00:12:58 we’ll face in the last days. 00:13:00 That’s not meant to discourage you; it’s just reality. 00:13:05 But with Jehovah’s help, 00:13:07 your family can come out of each test spiritually stronger 00:13:11 and more prepared to face what’s ahead. 00:13:14 Jeremiah chapter 17 00:13:17 gives us this beautiful assurance in verse 7: 00:13:23 “Blessed is the man who puts his trust in Jehovah, 00:13:27 whose confidence is in Jehovah.” 00:13:31 And verse 8 concludes saying: 00:13:34 “And in the year of drought he will not be anxious, 00:13:38 nor will he quit producing fruit.” 00:13:42 Of course, we also want these tests to end. 00:13:46 And they will! 00:13:48 When you look back at the pandemic from the new world, 00:13:52 it will seem “momentary and light,” 00:13:54 even if it doesn’t seem so now. 00:13:57 In the meantime, we continue to pray for all of you 00:14:02 —parents, children, and all in our worldwide spiritual family. 00:14:07 May Jehovah bless your love and endurance. 00:14:11 From the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 00:14:15 this is JW Broadcasting.
