Staying Home

I remember back in high school I read one of those books where the bad guys threaten world existence with a deadly virus. I think the book was labeled under science fiction. Well, there is nothing fiction about the current pandemic, even if there is no evil empire behind the whole thing (unless you believe some reports). What has been surprising, and rather concerning, is the global scope of COVID-19. “We’re all in this together” is an apt way of putting it.

We, like most of you, are staying home as much as we can and keeping our distance when we go out. A lot of places here are still open, but there is a noticeable difference in the amount of traffic and busyness on the streets. The government has told everyone to stay home and practice social distancing. They have even created a superhero to help the Mexican people through this pandemic – Susana Distancia! She is featured in public announcements and has her own twitter account where she dispenses information and advice about COVID-19. Her name is a play on words – “su sana distancia” means “your healthy distance”.

So, what are we up to? All the schools are closed so that means no teaching at Pan de Vida (although they are still operating – just no outsiders) and no attending Spanish school. Thankfully studying Spanish is something that can be done from home and there are a ton of resources available. Besides that, we have four little rugrats to keep busy and out of trouble. It’s been a bit difficult to find a good routine which balances the needs of all family members, but we are managing. The newest addition to the family, Juliet, is doing quite well. She’s put on some weight and doesn’t look so skinny anymore. At the moment, she is dealing with croup so she sounds terrible, but that should clear up soon.

Being home so much, we are realizing how much we miss being able to get out of the city and go for a hike in the outdoors. We are super grateful that the park near our house is still open. They tried to put yellow tape around it to close it off, but I guess people just broke the tape. Several of the other nicer parks in the city are closed (they have fencing) so it seems like people are congregating in “our” park – I saw at least three exercise groups in the park yesterday morning. Makes it harder to social distance.

Small inconveniences aside, we are not suffering greatly. Many others have lost their jobs or sources of income, or are stuck in inadequate housing. Furthermore, the economy here is taking a big hit and will affect many, many people once the virus is gone. Currently, we are supposed to be entering into the worst phase of the pandemic and things remain in lockdown until the end of May. After that, who knows?

As for our plans, they went through the paper shredder, so to speak. We had planned to begin moving from language learning to ministry, but we are unable to do that at this time. So, we continue with language learning and wait on the LORD. Our Spanish needs work anyway, so it is not the worst situation. God is wise and he knows everything we don’t, and more. We continue praying for his wisdom and direction as we try to navigate these unknown waters. We’re all in this together.