Staying Put

Posted on April 15, 2020

Greetings from Puebla, Mexico!

We hope you all had a very Blessed Good Friday and Easter Day!  Remember!  Easter season is not over, it’s every day because  . . .   He is Risen! Alleluia!

The past several weeks have been interesting to say the least as we’ve been doing our best to adapt to life during this world Pandemic, COVID-19.  Needless to say,

We’re Staying Put!

We’ve hesitated to post anything other than sending out our April Newsletter this past month or so.  Now that the initial flurry of communication and media that has kept us busy on our phones and computers is subsiding, we thought we’d share a few thoughts on how we’ve adapted.

Our Routine

Each day we’ve been getting up at a decent hour (okay, 7:00 am isn’t too bad).  We try to get sufficient exercise each day, and all the photos are from the sights on our walks.  We may start getting up earlier to beat the heat!  It’s been quite hot and dry here as we await the rainy season!  One goal we’ve been able to work at is Getting Caught up on the host of things that we haven’t been able to get to and even getting a bit ahead on preparing for ministry (preparing lessons, sermon prep, admin for the Seminary groups, etc.)  Wow! Now, there’s a concept!!  We’ve also be blessed to be able to remain in contact with Pastors and Leaders in the places where we minister.  Meal times have been much more relaxed, however, we really enjoy cooking so we’ve been preparing good wholesome meals too! Reading for enjoyment! It’s actually happening!  Wow! Seems like forever since we’ve been able to read something that wasn’t for ministry or had some pressure behind it!  Oh! And, we’ve been brushing up on our Spanish too!  That’s just a wee glimpse of our routine!

Update on Mexico

There’s been all kinds of news and updates surging through the media and it’s hard to know what to believe.  Even the reports on COVID-19 cases and how many have died from it can’t really be trusted.  There are stories of towns closing the roads to keep the virus out, disinfecting tunnels people can go through to get sanitized, some states are imposing curfews and enforcing the distancing guidelines, and some states are now requiring face masks to be worn in public.  As in many other places all non-essential services are closed, meetings can only be up to 5-10 people so churches are not to have gatherings and attempting online withe great difficulty. Many churches in smaller communities are meeting anyway because they feel it is essential because they don’t have internet or cell signal to make it work.  Every day essential services are imposing stricter guidelines for their workers and keeping distance from their customers. The one thing here is a fear that the economic effects are going to cripple society.  So many have already lost their jobs and if the quarantine regulations continue after the end of April, many fear that riots and violence will skyrocket.  Please continue to pray that the Mexican people won’t be victimized in that way as well.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support, especially during this uncertain time.  We give thanks to the Lord that we are well!  We have been able to bless several people by helping deliver drinking water, supplying much needed food bank items, supporting Pastors/leaders with the overly-inflated cost of  essential foods like corn, rice, and beans, and staying connected to our ministry workers here in Mexico, friends, family and supporters in Canada.  We pray daily that we can be a blessing to our next door neighbours as well.  A couple days ago, Carolyn baked several dozen cookies and some banana breads to share with our neighbours. These acts of kindness go a long way to strengthen our relationships and we feel so blessed to be a part of them!