Love in the time of COVID-19

While the rest of the world has been taking measures like closing borders to travelers and self-isolating, Nicaragua has been carrying on with business as usual for the last several weeks. People have been talking about the virus, but few were changing their lives. When the US made announcements about policies, many mission organizations, including Resonate Global Mission, Raúl and my sending organization, gave missionaries in Nicaragua recommendations for different actions, but it was hard to swim against the current.

Since Raúl and I flew to El Salvador via Panama for our consultation there March 7-10, we decided to take some measures like avoiding social gatherings and working from home as much as possible. However, we weren't sure how far to take those measures because life around us was normal. We spent some time at home and stocked up on groceries.

The weekend we were laying low, the Nicaraguan government announced public marches to show love and solidarity to the rest of the world. Raúl and I had a meeting at the beach hotel we were going to have the CRCNA regional retreat, but we went there to cancel the meeting. It was a lovely, quiet day at the beach - perfect for us. On our way back to Managua, we saw one of the "love in the time of COVID-19" marches. An interesting national response, but well-intentioned.

Nicaragua announced its first confirmed case of coronavirus last night.

Now we have lots of company in taking preventative measures. The Nehemiah Center is urging staff to follow medical recommendations, wash hands frequently, clean surfaces, avoid being in closed-in areas or meeting with more than 15 people, maintain at least a meter of distance between people, and prepare for sickness or shortages. They are also asking people to avoid using public transportation.

In some ways, I feel like we have been through something similar in Nicaragua because during the crisis, we stocked up on food, stayed home, didn't assemble in large groups and avoided public transportation. Maybe our experiences over the last two years help us be better prepared for the world crisis we are facing now.

Thankfully, God stays the same. Whether it's the bubonic plague or COVID-19, God remains in control. We can trust HIM. Bible verses can comfort us, but the true peace comes from knowing that in life or in death, we belong to Jesus.