It’s mid-March. The school year is about to begin after January and February’s summer break. Families spend what they earned in February to buy school supplies for the beginning of classes in March. For CUDA, new libraries are in place. We have geared up for our biggest year yet, ready to work with 4 new schools and 2 second-year Living Libraries schools: 55 teachers and 1300 kids. And then the world falls apart.
In 5+ years in Peru, we have never lacked anything. You have supported us, prayed for us, sent us birthday cards and Christmas treats. You have visited us or sent a representative group to bless us. CUDA, our non-profit, has grown and some of you support that kingdom work there with monthly or end-of-year donations. When it looked like CUDA might not make budget in 2019 and I asked for help at the end of a long newsletter, we had $8,000 by the end of the week. God has been faithful. Your Epaphroditus-style generosity and sacrifice is beautiful and glorifies God. Every so often we get an email that leads to an unsolicited gift.
It’s hard to summon the energy to write. We have a routine, and we’re doing well, but anything outside of that routine is difficult to reach for. Yesterday Peru’s president announced an extension to the current lockdown situation, effective now through June 30. So for now the plan is to stay here, our home away from home. We pray that in this waiting, God will be at work. Most of our friends are doing ok. But this country is hurting. Many who live life on the edge in regular circumstances are now in dire ones. This collective holding of our breath continues. Our prayer is that God would breathe life, healing, and hope into this place.
