I have been struggling to write this for the last couple of weeks as I feel as if not much has changed since my last prayer letter. However, I am realising it is important to share the reality of how I am feeling and what I am experiencing during this period. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, for your prayers, support and love.
From last Monday Bolivia has moved to a flexible quarantine nationwide where each department can decide if the rules can be lessened in certain areas. Cochabamba, where I am currently living, has decided to extend the strict quarantine until at least the end of May. This decision has been made as there is concern that the hospitals are on the verge of being overwhelmed and the number of cases is still increasing. The amount of testing being undertaken is also very limited and therefore it is very hard to know the true scale of the virus here in Bolivia.
Many Bolivians are struggling with the prolonged, strict quarantine and there have been more cases of people disobeying the rules. In Cochabamba, over the last few days, there has been a blockade of one of the main roads out of the city as people protest the current regulations. Sadly, I have also heard that there have been some displays of anger against health workers in some places as people fear getting infected. Please pray for Bolivia and the Bolivian people as they deal with the virus and also more and more with the more pressing concerns of having enough money and feeding their families.
Personally, I am doing fine, and I am very well but I have definitely had difficult days and found my emotions have been fluctuating much more than I am used to or expected. I have experienced doubts about why I am here and what is God’s purpose for me at
I am still taking Spanish classes with the school here in Cochabamba via Skype and I am slowly improving. This week I had the opportunity to help out at the foodbank here in Cochabamba, which a close friend helps run. It was incredible to see how the organisation has expanded to meet the current need in the city. I helped deliver 70 food packages to a school in the community for further distribution to people who really need them. After this, we took individual packages to local families who had asked for help, or the foodbank had been informed were struggling. It was incredible to get out of the house for the first time properly, see the city and interact with people. However, it was sad to see how much people are suffering and how needed the foodbank is right now. I am grateful to my friend for inviting me along and it was a privilege to work alongside them. I am very grateful that God has put the foodbank in place for just such a time as this.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Jeremiah 29:4-5
Over the last few days, I have been thinking about the period of exile of the Israelites, how that was a period of waiting and frustration, but God told the people to settle in and that he would keep his promises and be with them. I feel like this time of quarantine could also just be a period of waiting but in fact, God wants me to open my eyes to the opportunities he is giving me and to the things he has for me to learn and grow in right now.
Thank you again, I am praying for you all, thank you to those who have been in touch. There have been definitely been times when I have felt a little isolated and lonely. Hope you have a blessed week.
