From March 2020 there was a total change in our activity, nothing of what was planned for the year was able to be completed. This was due to the spread of COVID-19. The Peruvian government made the decision to have a total quarantine. Firstly, they said for 40 days, later 120 days and because the epidemic affected thousands of homes, later they continued the lockdown with some freedom. The health system collapsed and the economy completely deteriorated. Until now 39,000 have died.
We are entering the second wave of people becoming contagious and there are no vaccines yet. The situation is basically uncertain and we aren’t able to travel with freedom yet, especially older people and people with health problems.
The people we have reached with Bible Studies live in Huaycan that is just outside of Lima. They are people with little economic resources who mainly work as street traders but because of the pandemic they are confined. The situation made it very difficult for these families, especially those with little children. To not be able to work, hundreds of the families have been infected and many have lost their lives. It was difficult and very painful that we couldn’t even say goodbye to some of them.
From May last year I started to give bible studies via Zoom on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8-10pm. We have been studying the 10 last chapters of Luke.
From July I commenced pastoral counselling on Saturdays via Zoom and on Sundays from 4-6pm I give bible classes, Bible Panorama, for the new Christians.
During these last 10 months I haven’t seen one person come to Christ, therefore there also haven’t been baptisms. I started to give bible classes via Zoom for three families who have people interested in knowing God. I started in Genesis 1 and we are up to chapter 12 but we stopped the classes for a month due to the Christmas celebrations. In the New Year we started the classes again.
A couple, Edwin Poma and Kelly Antara, during the pandemic, asked us to pray for them as they had a fear of COVID-19. They also asked us to teach them about the bible. I happily accepted, they live near to my house. My wife and I have been praying for them for more than 20 years for the salvation of these neighbours. To hear that they wanted to be taught the bible made us very happy, God had started to respond to our prayers. Our neighbourhood is made up of 12 families. They are really wanting to know more about the bible and want to be baptised in the middle of the year, God willing.
My wife, Clara, was very unwell during August due to problems with her heart, high blood pressure during the nights. The Lord permitted us to know a cardiologist who administered some treatment with pills and with this we were able to control the blood pressure.
My father is 97 and my mother is 82. My sister and all of her family had COVID-19. God used his mercy and neither of my parents got the virus.
From May I fell into a burning depression in all my body and couldn’t sleep well at night. I am in the process of recuperation but with any shocking news my emotions don’t respond with strength.
1) We are thankful to God for His care, we haven’t had COVID yet.
2) For my wife’s health, with the diabetes and high blood pressure we have had to go to the hospital a lot in full pandemic with the fear of becoming infected. That her heart will function better, this is being controlled by pills, she is always not great physically.
3) For my emotional health. In May I started to feel depressed, it started with a burning sensation in the chest and in back and losing sleep. God helped me to improve but I continue to feel bad when confronted with any news that impacts me, this makes me lose sleep again and the burning sensation comes back to my body.
4) I need advice regarding a laptop to continue my virtual classes and to work with the bible studies.